diff --git a/packages/next/README.md b/packages/next/README.md
index fd20587..56c8ce1 100644
--- a/packages/next/README.md
+++ b/packages/next/README.md
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ Visit `http://localhost:3000/<mount>`.
 
 | Option     | Type                        | Description                                            |
 | ---------- | --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
-| `queues`   | `Queue[]`                   | BullMQ `Queue` instances to display. Required.         |
+| `queues`   | `Queue[] \| Promise<Queue[]>` | BullMQ `Queue` instances to display, or a promise resolving to them. Required. |
 | `auth`     | `{ username, password }`    | Basic auth credentials. Strongly recommended in prod.  |
 | `title`    | `string`                    | Dashboard title. Default: `"Workbench"`.               |
 | `logo`     | `string`                    | Logo URL to display in the nav.                        |
diff --git a/packages/next/src/index.test.ts b/packages/next/src/index.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9168f87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/next/src/index.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import type { Queue } from "bullmq";
+import { workbench } from "./index";
+
+// A queue stub is enough here: `/config` only reads queue names from the
+// QueueManager map and never touches Redis.
+function fakeQueue(name: string): Queue {
+  return { name, opts: {} } as unknown as Queue;
+}
+
+const CONFIG_URL = "http://localhost/admin/jobs/config";
+
+describe("workbench (Next.js adapter)", () => {
+  test("accepts queues synchronously", async () => {
+    const { GET } = workbench({
+      queues: [fakeQueue("emails")],
+      basePath: "/admin/jobs",
+      alerts: { enabled: false },
+    });
+
+    const res = await GET(new Request(CONFIG_URL));
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+    const config = (await res.json()) as { queues: string[] };
+    expect(config.queues).toEqual(["emails"]);
+  });
+
+  test("accepts queues as a promise", async () => {
+    const { GET } = workbench({
+      queues: Promise.resolve([fakeQueue("emails"), fakeQueue("webhooks")]),
+      basePath: "/admin/jobs",
+      alerts: { enabled: false },
+    });
+
+    const res = await GET(new Request(CONFIG_URL));
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+    const config = (await res.json()) as { queues: string[] };
+    expect(config.queues).toEqual(["emails", "webhooks"]);
+  });
+
+  test("resolves the queues promise once and reuses the handler", async () => {
+    let resolveCount = 0;
+    const queues = Promise.resolve().then(() => {
+      resolveCount++;
+      return [fakeQueue("emails")];
+    });
+
+    const { GET, POST } = workbench({
+      queues,
+      basePath: "/admin/jobs",
+      alerts: { enabled: false },
+    });
+
+    const [a, b] = await Promise.all([
+      GET(new Request(CONFIG_URL)),
+      POST(new Request(CONFIG_URL, { method: "POST" })),
+    ]);
+    expect(a.status).toBe(200);
+    expect(b.status).toBe(404); // POST /config is not a route, but it routed
+    expect(resolveCount).toBe(1);
+  });
+
+  test("surfaces a rejected queues promise on each request", async () => {
+    const { GET } = workbench({
+      queues: Promise.reject(new Error("redis unavailable")),
+      basePath: "/admin/jobs",
+      alerts: { enabled: false },
+    });
+
+    expect(GET(new Request(CONFIG_URL))).rejects.toThrow("redis unavailable");
+    expect(GET(new Request(CONFIG_URL))).rejects.toThrow("redis unavailable");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/next/src/index.ts b/packages/next/src/index.ts
index 03db6a0..9e909b0 100644
--- a/packages/next/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/next/src/index.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,16 @@ export interface WorkbenchHandlers {
   DELETE: NextRouteHandler;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Same as {@link WorkbenchOptions}, but `queues` may also be a promise so
+ * apps that collect their queues asynchronously can pass the promise
+ * directly instead of blocking module evaluation.
+ */
+export interface NextWorkbenchOptions extends Omit<WorkbenchOptions, "queues"> {
+  /** BullMQ Queue instances to display, or a promise resolving to them */
+  queues?: Queue[] | Promise<Queue[]>;
+}
+
 /**
  * Mount the Workbench dashboard on a Next.js App Router catch-all route.
  *
@@ -39,11 +49,22 @@ export interface WorkbenchHandlers {
  *   },
  * });
  * ```
+ *
+ * `queues` also accepts a `Promise<Queue[]>` for apps that discover their
+ * queues asynchronously — pass the promise as-is and requests wait for it:
+ *
+ * @example
+ * ```ts
+ * export const { GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE } = workbench({
+ *   queues: loadQueues(), // () => Promise<Queue[]>
+ *   basePath: "/admin/jobs",
+ * });
+ * ```
  */
 export function workbench(
-  options: WorkbenchOptions | Queue[],
+  options: NextWorkbenchOptions | Queue[],
 ): WorkbenchHandlers {
-  const { fetch } = createFetchHandler(options);
+  const fetch = createHandler(options);
   return {
     GET: fetch,
     POST: fetch,
@@ -53,4 +74,31 @@ export function workbench(
   };
 }
 
+function createHandler(
+  options: NextWorkbenchOptions | Queue[],
+): NextRouteHandler {
+  // Synchronous queues: build the handler eagerly, exactly as before.
+  if (Array.isArray(options) || !isThenable(options.queues)) {
+    return createFetchHandler(options as WorkbenchOptions | Queue[]).fetch;
+  }
+
+  const handlerPromise = options.queues.then(
+    (queues) => createFetchHandler({ ...options, queues }).fetch,
+  );
+  // Keep a rejected queues promise from becoming an unhandled rejection that
+  // can take down the server before any request lands — every request below
+  // still surfaces the original error.
+  handlerPromise.catch(() => {});
+
+  return async (req) => (await handlerPromise)(req);
+}
+
+function isThenable(value: unknown): value is Promise<Queue[]> {
+  return (
+    typeof value === "object" &&
+    value !== null &&
+    typeof (value as PromiseLike<unknown>).then === "function"
+  );
+}
+
 export type { WorkbenchOptions } from "@getworkbench/core";