diff --git a/backend/btrixcloud/operator/crawls.py b/backend/btrixcloud/operator/crawls.py
index 5434439e..fa3132a0 100644
--- a/backend/btrixcloud/operator/crawls.py
+++ b/backend/btrixcloud/operator/crawls.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ from btrixcloud.models import (
     TYPE_NON_RUNNING_STATES,
     TYPE_RUNNING_STATES,
     TYPE_ALL_CRAWL_STATES,
+    NON_RUNNING_STATES,
     RUNNING_STATES,
     WAITING_STATES,
     RUNNING_AND_STARTING_ONLY,
@@ -664,7 +665,7 @@ class CrawlOperator(BaseOperator):
         the following state transitions are supported:
 
         from starting to org concurrent crawl limit and back:
-         - starting -> waiting_org_capacity -> starting
+         - starting -> waiting_org_limit -> starting
 
         from starting to running:
          - starting -> running
@@ -756,22 +757,27 @@ class CrawlOperator(BaseOperator):
         if not max_crawls:
             return True
 
+        # if total crawls < concurrent, always allow, no need to check further
+        if len(data.related[CJS]) <= max_crawls:
+            return True
+
         name = data.parent.get("metadata", {}).get("name")
 
-        active_crawls = 0
-
+        # assume crawls already sorted from oldest to newest
+        # (seems to be the case always)
+        i = 0
         for crawl_sorted in data.related[CJS].values():
-            crawl_state = crawl_sorted.get("status", {}).get("state", "")
-
-            # don't count ourselves
-            if crawl_sorted.get("metadata", {}).get("name") == name:
+            # if crawl not running, don't count
+            if crawl_sorted.get("status", {}).get("state") in NON_RUNNING_STATES:
                 continue
 
-            if crawl_state in RUNNING_AND_WAITING_STATES:
-                active_crawls += 1
+            # if reached current crawl, if did not reach crawl quota, allow current crawl to run
+            if crawl_sorted.get("metadata").get("name") == name:
+                if i < max_crawls:
+                    return True
 
-        if active_crawls <= max_crawls:
-            return True
+                break
+            i += 1
 
         await self.set_state(
             "waiting_org_limit", status, crawl, allowed_from=["starting"]