diff --git a/tasktiger/worker.py b/tasktiger/worker.py
index f8e2b839..b9d06ce1 100644
--- a/tasktiger/worker.py
+++ b/tasktiger/worker.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import errno
 import fcntl
 import random
+import re
 import select
 import signal
 import socket
@@ -1156,9 +1157,27 @@ def _queue_periodic_tasks(self):
             )
 
     def _refresh_queue_set(self):
-        self._queue_set = set(
-            self._filter_queues(self.connection.smembers(self._key(QUEUED)))
-        )
+        self._queue_set = set(self._filter_queues(self._retrieve_queues()))
+
+    def _retrieve_queues(self):
+        key = self._key(QUEUED)
+
+        if len(self.only_queues) != 1:
+            return self.connection.smembers(key)
+
+        # Escape special characters in the queue
+        match = re.sub(r"([?*\[\]])", r"\\\1", list(self.only_queues)[0]) + "*"
+
+        result = set()
+        cursor = None
+
+        while cursor != 0:
+            cursor, items = self.connection.sscan(
+                key, cursor=cursor or 0, match=match, count=100000
+            )
+            result.update(items)
+
+        return result
 
     def run(self, once=False, force_once=False):
         """
diff --git a/tests/test_base.py b/tests/test_base.py
index 134a6751..80547c79 100644
--- a/tests/test_base.py
+++ b/tests/test_base.py
@@ -739,19 +739,33 @@ def test_batch_lock_key(self):
         Worker(self.tiger).run(once=True)
         self._ensure_queues(queued={"batch": 0})
 
-    def test_only_queues(self):
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "only_queues,expected_unprocessed",
+        [
+            (["a"], {"b": 1, "b.a": 1, "c": 2}),
+            (["a", "b"], {"c": 2}),
+            (["a", "c"], {"b": 1, "b.a": 1}),
+            (["a", "b", "c"], {}),  # all queues selected, all queues processed
+            ([], {}),  # no queue restriction, all queues processed
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_only_queues(self, only_queues, expected_unprocessed):
         self.tiger.delay(simple_task, queue="a")
         self.tiger.delay(simple_task, queue="a.a")
         self.tiger.delay(simple_task, queue="b")
         self.tiger.delay(simple_task, queue="b.a")
+        self.tiger.delay(simple_task, queue="c")
+        self.tiger.delay(simple_task, queue="c")
 
-        self._ensure_queues(queued={"a": 1, "a.a": 1, "b": 1, "b.a": 1})
+        self._ensure_queues(
+            queued={"a": 1, "a.a": 1, "b": 1, "b.a": 1, "c": 2}
+        )
 
-        self.tiger.config["ONLY_QUEUES"] = ["a"]
+        self.tiger.config["ONLY_QUEUES"] = only_queues
 
         Worker(self.tiger).run(once=True)
 
-        self._ensure_queues(queued={"b": 1, "b.a": 1})
+        self._ensure_queues(queued=expected_unprocessed)
 
     def test_exclude_queues(self):
         """