diff --git a/packages/scraper/src/orchestrator/control-loop.ts b/packages/scraper/src/orchestrator/control-loop.ts
index 54e2473..af3cbfd 100644
--- a/packages/scraper/src/orchestrator/control-loop.ts
+++ b/packages/scraper/src/orchestrator/control-loop.ts
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ function guardConfig(t: Target): GuardConfig {
     budget_per_day: t.budget_per_day,
     max_backoff_hours: t.max_backoff_hours,
     circuit_breaker_strikes: t.circuit_breaker_strikes,
+    max_load: MAX_LOAD,
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/scraper/src/orchestrator/escalation-sink.ts b/packages/scraper/src/orchestrator/escalation-sink.ts
index 1becc7e..8d7ea31 100644
--- a/packages/scraper/src/orchestrator/escalation-sink.ts
+++ b/packages/scraper/src/orchestrator/escalation-sink.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ export async function notify(
         Title: title,
         Priority: level === "page" ? "high" : "default",
         Tags: level === "page" ? "rotating_light" : "warning",
+        ...(process.env.NTFY_TOKEN ? { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.NTFY_TOKEN}` } : {}),
       },
       body,
       signal: AbortSignal.timeout(10_000),
diff --git a/packages/scraper/src/orchestrator/self-heal-guards.ts b/packages/scraper/src/orchestrator/self-heal-guards.ts
index ce47547..1972cd3 100644
--- a/packages/scraper/src/orchestrator/self-heal-guards.ts
+++ b/packages/scraper/src/orchestrator/self-heal-guards.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export interface GuardConfig {
   budget_per_day: number;
   max_backoff_hours: number;
   circuit_breaker_strikes: number;
+  max_load?: number;
 }
 
 /** Facts read from the self_heal_dispatch ledger for one source. */
@@ -118,7 +119,7 @@ export function canDispatch(
     budgetOk(facts, cfg),
     minIntervalOk(facts, cfg, now),
     backoffElapsed(facts, cfg, now),
-    isLoadAcceptable(load1),
+    isLoadAcceptable(load1, cfg.max_load),
   ];
   const failed = checks.find((c) => !c.allow);
   return failed ?? { allow: true, reason: "all guardrails passed" };