diff --git a/backend/cmd/server/main.go b/backend/cmd/server/main.go
index 974155d..822d3ac 100644
--- a/backend/cmd/server/main.go
+++ b/backend/cmd/server/main.go
@@ -27,9 +27,12 @@ func main() {
 	queries := db.New(database)
 
 	fileSvc := service.NewFileService(queries, cfg)
-	ocrSvc := service.NewOCRService(cfg)
+	ocrSvc := service.NewOCRService(cfg, fileSvc)
 	urlSvc := service.NewURLService(cfg.HMACSecret, cfg.ServerHost)
 
+	ocrSvc.Start()
+	defer ocrSvc.Stop()
+
 	h := handler.New(fileSvc, ocrSvc, urlSvc)
 
 	r := gin.Default()
diff --git a/backend/internal/handler/files.go b/backend/internal/handler/files.go
index 5a56046..6ecd203 100644
--- a/backend/internal/handler/files.go
+++ b/backend/internal/handler/files.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 type FileHandler struct {
 	files *service.FileService
 	urls  *service.URLService
+	ocr   *service.OCRService
 }
 
 func (h *FileHandler) Upload(c *gin.Context) {
@@ -35,6 +36,9 @@ func (h *FileHandler) Upload(c *gin.Context) {
 			api.Error(c, http.StatusInternalServerError, "UPLOAD_ERROR", err.Error())
 			return
 		}
+
+		h.ocr.Enqueue(result.ID, result.Path)
+
 		results = append(results, gin.H{
 			"id":   result.ID,
 			"name": result.Name,
diff --git a/backend/internal/handler/handler.go b/backend/internal/handler/handler.go
index b154863..6bb1f8f 100644
--- a/backend/internal/handler/handler.go
+++ b/backend/internal/handler/handler.go
@@ -5,14 +5,14 @@ import (
 )
 
 type Handler struct {
-	File *FileHandler
-	OCR  *OCRHandler
+	File   *FileHandler
+	OCR    *OCRHandler
 	Health *HealthHandler
 }
 
 func New(fileSvc *service.FileService, ocrSvc *service.OCRService, urlSvc *service.URLService) *Handler {
 	return &Handler{
-		File:   &FileHandler{files: fileSvc, urls: urlSvc},
+		File:   &FileHandler{files: fileSvc, urls: urlSvc, ocr: ocrSvc},
 		OCR:    &OCRHandler{ocr: ocrSvc, files: fileSvc},
 		Health: &HealthHandler{ocr: ocrSvc},
 	}
diff --git a/backend/internal/model/file.go b/backend/internal/model/file.go
index d258407..fcae85d 100644
--- a/backend/internal/model/file.go
+++ b/backend/internal/model/file.go
@@ -15,4 +15,5 @@ type File struct {
 type UploadResult struct {
 	ID   string `json:"id"`
 	Name string `json:"name"`
+	Path string `json:"path"`
 }
diff --git a/backend/internal/service/file.go b/backend/internal/service/file.go
index 3ac66f2..0010733 100644
--- a/backend/internal/service/file.go
+++ b/backend/internal/service/file.go
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ func (s *FileService) Upload(file *multipart.FileHeader) (*model.UploadResult, e
 	return &model.UploadResult{
 		ID:   dbFile.ID,
 		Name: dbFile.Name,
+		Path: dst,
 	}, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/backend/internal/service/ocr.go b/backend/internal/service/ocr.go
index 33145e8..98ade16 100644
--- a/backend/internal/service/ocr.go
+++ b/backend/internal/service/ocr.go
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 package service
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -9,22 +9,69 @@ import (
 	"github.com/vaultdrop/backend/internal/ocr"
 )
 
+type OCRJob struct {
+	FileID   string
+	FilePath string
+}
+
 type OCRService struct {
-	client *ocr.Client
+	client  *ocr.Client
+	fileSvc *FileService
+	jobs    chan OCRJob
 }
 
-func NewOCRService(cfg *config.Config) *OCRService {
+func NewOCRService(cfg *config.Config, fileSvc *FileService) *OCRService {
 	return &OCRService{
-		client: ocr.NewClient(cfg.OCREndpoint),
+		client:  ocr.NewClient(cfg.OCREndpoint),
+		fileSvc: fileSvc,
+		jobs:    make(chan OCRJob, 100),
 	}
 }
 
-func (s *OCRService) RecognizeFromFile(filePath string) ([]ocr.TextBlock, error) {
-	data, err := os.ReadFile(filePath)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("read file: %w", err)
+func (s *OCRService) Start() {
+	go s.worker()
+	log.Println("[OCR] Worker started")
+}
+
+func (s *OCRService) Stop() {
+	close(s.jobs)
+	log.Println("[OCR] Worker stopped")
+}
+
+func (s *OCRService) Enqueue(fileID, filePath string) {
+	s.jobs <- OCRJob{FileID: fileID, FilePath: filePath}
+	log.Printf("[OCR] Enqueued file %s", fileID)
+}
+
+func (s *OCRService) worker() {
+	for job := range s.jobs {
+		s.process(job)
 	}
-	return s.client.Recognize(data)
+}
+
+func (s *OCRService) process(job OCRJob) {
+	log.Printf("[OCR] Processing file %s", job.FileID)
+
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(job.FilePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("[OCR] Failed to read file %s: %v", job.FileID, err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	blocks, err := s.client.Recognize(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("[OCR] Failed to recognize file %s: %v", job.FileID, err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	text := s.FlattenResults(blocks)
+
+	if err := s.fileSvc.UpdateOCRText(job.FileID, text); err != nil {
+		log.Printf("[OCR] Failed to update ocr_text for file %s: %v", job.FileID, err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	log.Printf("[OCR] Completed file %s (%d chars)", job.FileID, len(text))
 }
 
 func (s *OCRService) RecognizeFromBytes(data []byte) ([]ocr.TextBlock, error) {
@@ -42,3 +89,7 @@ func (s *OCRService) FlattenResults(blocks []ocr.TextBlock) string {
 func (s *OCRService) HealthCheck() error {
 	return s.client.HealthCheck()
 }
+
+func (s *OCRService) QueueLength() int {
+	return len(s.jobs)
+}