diff --git a/__tests__/invite-claim.test.ts b/__tests__/invite-claim.test.ts
index d241059..f974c3e 100644
--- a/__tests__/invite-claim.test.ts
+++ b/__tests__/invite-claim.test.ts
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ describe('claimInviteUse (invite max_uses TOCTOU fix)', () => {
   it('claims a use when under the cap and returns the new count', async () => {
     const admin = makeAdmin({ uses_count: 0, max_uses: 1 })
     const result = await claimInviteUse(admin, 'inv-1', 0, 1)
-    expect(result).toBe(1)
+    expect(result).toEqual({ ok: true, count: 1 })
     expect(admin._row.uses_count).toBe(1)
   })
 
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ describe('claimInviteUse (invite max_uses TOCTOU fix)', () => {
     const admin = makeAdmin({ uses_count: 1, max_uses: 1 })
     // Second redeemer read uses_count=0 stale, but the row is already at 1.
     const result = await claimInviteUse(admin, 'inv-1', 0, 1)
-    expect(result).toBeNull()
+    expect(result).toEqual({ ok: false, reason: 'cap_reached' })
     expect(admin._row.uses_count).toBe(1) // unchanged — not incremented past cap
   })
 
@@ -70,23 +70,67 @@ describe('claimInviteUse (invite max_uses TOCTOU fix)', () => {
     // max_uses=5, another redeemer already bumped it to 1 after our stale read of 0.
     const admin = makeAdmin({ uses_count: 1, max_uses: 5 })
     const result = await claimInviteUse(admin, 'inv-1', 0, 5)
-    expect(result).toBe(2) // re-read to 1, then CAS-claimed to 2
+    expect(result).toEqual({ ok: true, count: 2 }) // re-read to 1, then CAS-claimed to 2
     expect(admin._row.uses_count).toBe(2)
   })
 
   it('treats an unlimited invite (max_uses null) as always claimable', async () => {
     const admin = makeAdmin({ uses_count: 99, max_uses: null })
     const result = await claimInviteUse(admin, 'inv-1', 99, null)
-    expect(result).toBe(100)
+    expect(result).toEqual({ ok: true, count: 100 })
   })
 
-  it('gives up (null) if it cannot win the CAS within the attempt budget', async () => {
+  it('reports contention (not cap_reached) when it loses the CAS every attempt under a high cap', async () => {
+    // A perpetually-contended invite with plenty of headroom (cap 1000): every
+    // CAS loses because a competing writer keeps advancing the row between our
+    // re-read and our next update, so we never win within the attempt budget.
+    // The row stays well under cap, so the failure is contention — a false
+    // 'cap_reached' here would wrongly turn away a legitimate joiner.
+    const row = { uses_count: 5, max_uses: 1000 as number | null }
+    const admin = {
+      from() {
+        return {
+          update() {
+            const builder: Record<string, unknown> = {
+              eq() {
+                return builder
+              },
+              select() {
+                // Always lose the CAS: a competitor also bumped the row.
+                row.uses_count += 1
+                return Promise.resolve({ data: [] })
+              },
+            }
+            return builder
+          },
+          select() {
+            const builder: Record<string, unknown> = {
+              eq() {
+                return builder
+              },
+              maybeSingle() {
+                return Promise.resolve({ data: { uses_count: row.uses_count } })
+              },
+            }
+            return builder
+          },
+        }
+      },
+    } as unknown as Parameters<typeof claimInviteUse>[0]
+
+    const result = await claimInviteUse(admin, 'inv-1', 5, 1000, 5)
+    expect(result).toEqual({ ok: false, reason: 'contention' })
+    expect(row.uses_count).toBeLessThan(1000) // never hit the cap
+  })
+
+  it('gives up (contention) if it cannot win the CAS within the attempt budget', async () => {
     // Caller's known count (0) is behind the live row (3), so the first CAS
     // guard misses; with a 1-attempt budget it re-reads and then gives up
-    // rather than looping — proving the retry is bounded, not infinite.
+    // rather than looping — proving the retry is bounded, not infinite. Cap is
+    // far off (10), so this is contention, not a reached cap.
     const admin = makeAdmin({ uses_count: 3, max_uses: 10 })
     const result = await claimInviteUse(admin, 'inv-1', 0, 10, 1)
-    expect(result).toBeNull()
+    expect(result).toEqual({ ok: false, reason: 'contention' })
     expect(admin._row.uses_count).toBe(3) // untouched
   })
 })
diff --git a/lib/auth-actions.ts b/lib/auth-actions.ts
index e386779..59b0e72 100644
--- a/lib/auth-actions.ts
+++ b/lib/auth-actions.ts
@@ -182,8 +182,16 @@ export async function joinSpace(formData: {
   // (The pre-check above is a fast UX reject; this is the authoritative guard.)
   let claimedCount: number | null = null
   if (invite) {
-    claimedCount = await claimInviteUse(admin, invite.id, invite.uses_count, invite.max_uses)
-    if (claimedCount === null) return { error: 'This invite has reached its use cap.' }
+    const claim = await claimInviteUse(admin, invite.id, invite.uses_count, invite.max_uses)
+    if (!claim.ok) {
+      return {
+        error:
+          claim.reason === 'contention'
+            ? 'Too many people are joining at once — please try again.'
+            : 'This invite has reached its use cap.',
+      }
+    }
+    claimedCount = claim.count
   }
 
   const { data: newMember, error: memberErr } = await admin
diff --git a/lib/invite-claim.ts b/lib/invite-claim.ts
index f0ec58b..4fee9c4 100644
--- a/lib/invite-claim.ts
+++ b/lib/invite-claim.ts
@@ -12,20 +12,27 @@ type Admin = ReturnType<typeof createAdminClient>
  * 0-row result, re-reads, and retries while capacity remains. `uses_count` only
  * ever increases, so the CAS has no ABA hazard.
  *
- * Returns the new `uses_count` on success (the caller stores it to roll the
- * claim back if the subsequent membership insert fails), or `null` if the cap
- * is reached.
+ * Returns a discriminated result: `{ ok: true, count }` with the new
+ * `uses_count` on success (the caller stores it to roll the claim back if the
+ * subsequent membership insert fails), or `{ ok: false, reason }` where the
+ * reason distinguishes a genuinely reached cap (`'cap_reached'`) from losing
+ * the compare-and-swap on every attempt under contention (`'contention'`) so
+ * the caller can surface a retryable message instead of a false cap error.
  */
+export type ClaimInviteResult =
+  | { ok: true; count: number }
+  | { ok: false; reason: 'cap_reached' | 'contention' }
+
 export async function claimInviteUse(
   admin: Admin,
   inviteId: string,
   knownCount: number,
   maxUses: number | null,
   maxAttempts = 5,
-): Promise<number | null> {
+): Promise<ClaimInviteResult> {
   let current = knownCount
   for (let attempt = 0; attempt < maxAttempts; attempt++) {
-    if (maxUses !== null && current >= maxUses) return null
+    if (maxUses !== null && current >= maxUses) return { ok: false, reason: 'cap_reached' }
     const next = current + 1
     const { data } = await admin
       .from('space_invites')
@@ -33,15 +40,16 @@ export async function claimInviteUse(
       .eq('id', inviteId)
       .eq('uses_count', current) // compare-and-swap guard
       .select('id')
-    if (data && data.length > 0) return next
+    if (data && data.length > 0) return { ok: true, count: next }
     // Lost the race (or the row changed): re-read and retry while under cap.
     const { data: fresh } = await admin
       .from('space_invites')
       .select('uses_count')
       .eq('id', inviteId)
       .maybeSingle()
-    if (!fresh) return null
+    if (!fresh) return { ok: false, reason: 'cap_reached' }
     current = (fresh as { uses_count: number }).uses_count
   }
-  return null
+  // Exhausted the attempt budget while still under cap: pure contention.
+  return { ok: false, reason: 'contention' }
 }