diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 3860f67..735f563 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "netfelix-audio-fix",
-	"version": "2026.04.21.12",
+	"version": "2026.04.21.13",
 	"scripts": {
 		"dev:server": "NODE_ENV=development bun --hot server/index.tsx",
 		"dev:client": "vite",
diff --git a/server/api/review.ts b/server/api/review.ts
index 486b1bb..a526698 100644
--- a/server/api/review.ts
+++ b/server/api/review.ts
@@ -1101,9 +1101,8 @@ app.post("/approve-batch", async (c) => {
 let processInboxAbort: AbortController | null = null;
 
 /**
- * Single entry point for launching processInbox. Manages the abort controller
- * so every caller (manual button, auto-process toggle, post-scan auto-process)
- * can be stopped via the /process-inbox/stop endpoint.
+ * One-shot trigger for the manual "Process Inbox →" button. Manages the abort
+ * controller so in-progress runs can be stopped via /process-inbox/stop.
  * Returns false if a run is already in progress.
  */
 export function startProcessInbox(): boolean {
@@ -1134,6 +1133,67 @@ export function stopProcessInbox(): boolean {
 	return false;
 }
 
+// ─── Auto-process loop ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// Continuous polling loop: while enabled, checks every few seconds for
+// unsorted inbox items and processes them. The manual button is a one-shot;
+// this is the "always on" counterpart.
+const AUTO_PROCESS_POLL_MS = 5_000;
+let autoProcessTimer: Timer | null = null;
+
+function scheduleAutoProcessTick() {
+	if (autoProcessTimer) return;
+	if (getConfig("auto_processing") !== "1") return;
+
+	autoProcessTimer = setTimeout(autoProcessTick, AUTO_PROCESS_POLL_MS);
+}
+
+async function autoProcessTick() {
+	autoProcessTimer = null;
+	if (getConfig("auto_processing") !== "1") return;
+
+	// Don't overlap with a manual run
+	if (processInboxAbort) {
+		scheduleAutoProcessTick();
+		return;
+	}
+
+	const db = getDb();
+	const { n } = db
+		.prepare("SELECT COUNT(*) as n FROM review_plans WHERE status = 'pending' AND is_noop = 0 AND sorted = 0")
+		.get() as { n: number };
+
+	if (n > 0) {
+		processInboxAbort = new AbortController();
+		const { signal } = processInboxAbort;
+
+		try {
+			const result = await processInbox(db, getAudioLanguages(), undefined, {
+				onStart: emitInboxSortStart,
+				onProgress: emitInboxSortProgress,
+				signal,
+			});
+			emitInboxSorted(result);
+		} catch {
+			emitInboxSorted({ moved_to_queue: 0, moved_to_review: 0 });
+		} finally {
+			processInboxAbort = null;
+		}
+	}
+
+	scheduleAutoProcessTick();
+}
+
+export function startAutoProcessLoop() {
+	scheduleAutoProcessTick();
+}
+
+export function stopAutoProcessLoop() {
+	if (autoProcessTimer) {
+		clearTimeout(autoProcessTimer);
+		autoProcessTimer = null;
+	}
+}
+
 app.post("/process-inbox", async (c) => {
 	if (!startProcessInbox()) {
 		return c.json({ ok: false, error: "processing already running" }, 409);
@@ -1534,10 +1594,7 @@ app.post("/:id/rescan", async (c) => {
 	// Delete pending jobs
 	db.prepare("DELETE FROM jobs WHERE item_id = ? AND status = 'pending'").run(id);
 
-	// Auto-process if enabled (processInbox handles language resolution + reanalysis)
-	if (getConfig("auto_processing") === "1") {
-		await processInbox(db, getAudioLanguages());
-	}
+	// Auto-process loop (if enabled) picks up the reset item automatically.
 
 	emitPipelineChanged();
 	return c.json({ ok: true, inInbox: true });
@@ -1571,10 +1628,7 @@ app.post("/rescan-series", async (c) => {
 		db.prepare("DELETE FROM jobs WHERE item_id = ? AND status = 'pending'").run(item.id);
 	}
 
-	// Auto-process if enabled
-	if (getConfig("auto_processing") === "1") {
-		await processInbox(db, getAudioLanguages());
-	}
+	// Auto-process loop (if enabled) picks up reset items automatically.
 
 	emitPipelineChanged();
 	return c.json({ ok: true, count: items.length });
diff --git a/server/api/scan.ts b/server/api/scan.ts
index d8999d3..ed675d3 100644
--- a/server/api/scan.ts
+++ b/server/api/scan.ts
@@ -233,11 +233,7 @@ async function runScan(limit: number | null = null): Promise<void> {
 	setConfig("scan_running", "0");
 	log(`Scan complete: ${processed} scanned, ${errors} errors`);
 	emitSse("complete", { scanned: processed, total, errors });
-
-	if (getConfig("auto_processing") === "1") {
-		const { startProcessInbox } = await import("./review");
-		startProcessInbox();
-	}
+	// Auto-process loop (if enabled) picks up new inbox items automatically.
 }
 
 export default app;
diff --git a/server/api/settings.ts b/server/api/settings.ts
index 2bb18dd..f13ee8f 100644
--- a/server/api/settings.ts
+++ b/server/api/settings.ts
@@ -79,9 +79,9 @@ app.post("/audio-languages", async (c) => {
 	return c.json({ ok: true });
 });
 
-// Toggle the auto-processing flag. When flipped on, trigger a one-shot
-// sort-inbox pass so existing Inbox items drain immediately without waiting
-// for the next scan.
+// Toggle the auto-processing flag. When flipped on, start a continuous
+// polling loop that monitors the inbox and processes items as they arrive.
+// When flipped off, stop the loop and abort any in-progress auto-run.
 app.post("/auto-processing", async (c) => {
 	const body = await c.req.json<{ enabled?: unknown }>().catch(() => ({ enabled: null }));
 	if (typeof body.enabled !== "boolean") {
@@ -90,10 +90,11 @@ app.post("/auto-processing", async (c) => {
 	setConfig("auto_processing", body.enabled ? "1" : "0");
 
 	if (body.enabled) {
-		const { startProcessInbox } = await import("./review");
-		startProcessInbox();
+		const { startAutoProcessLoop } = await import("./review");
+		startAutoProcessLoop();
 	} else {
-		const { stopProcessInbox } = await import("./review");
+		const { stopAutoProcessLoop, stopProcessInbox } = await import("./review");
+		stopAutoProcessLoop();
 		stopProcessInbox();
 	}
 	return c.json({ ok: true, enabled: body.enabled });
diff --git a/server/index.tsx b/server/index.tsx
index afb7181..df789f5 100644
--- a/server/index.tsx
+++ b/server/index.tsx
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import pathsRoutes from "./api/paths";
 import reviewRoutes from "./api/review";
 import scanRoutes from "./api/scan";
 import settingsRoutes from "./api/settings";
-import { getDb } from "./db/index";
+import { getConfig, getDb } from "./db/index";
 import { log } from "./lib/log";
 
 const app = new Hono();
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@ log(`netfelix-audio-fix v${pkg.version} starting on http://localhost:${port}`);
 
 getDb();
 
+// Resume auto-process loop if it was enabled before the server restarted
+if (getConfig("auto_processing") === "1") {
+	import("./api/review").then(({ startAutoProcessLoop }) => startAutoProcessLoop());
+}
+
 export default {
 	port,
 	fetch: app.fetch,