diff --git a/lib/db/repos/pages.js b/lib/db/repos/pages.js
index 140f50b..f25006b 100644
--- a/lib/db/repos/pages.js
+++ b/lib/db/repos/pages.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { pool } from '../pool.js';
 import { recordAudit } from './audit_stub.js';
+import { triggerEmbed } from '../../jobs/triggers.js';
 
 async function snapshot(client, page_id, body_md, edited_by) {
   await client.query(
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ export async function create({ space_id, slug, title, body_md = '', parent_id },
     await snapshot(client, r.id, body_md, actor?.kind);
     await client.query('COMMIT');
     await recordAudit(actor, 'create', 'page', r.id, null, r);
+    await triggerEmbed('page', r.id);
     return r;
   } catch (e) {
     await client.query('ROLLBACK'); throw e;
@@ -79,6 +81,7 @@ export async function update(id, patch, actor) {
     }
     await client.query('COMMIT');
     await recordAudit(actor, 'update', 'page', id, before, r);
+    if (patch.embedding === undefined) await triggerEmbed('page', id);
     return r;
   } catch (e) {
     await client.query('ROLLBACK'); throw e;
diff --git a/lib/db/repos/refs.js b/lib/db/repos/refs.js
index 348189e..9d1a2ea 100644
--- a/lib/db/repos/refs.js
+++ b/lib/db/repos/refs.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { pool } from '../pool.js';
 import { recordAudit } from './audit_stub.js';
+import { triggerEmbed } from '../../jobs/triggers.js';
 
 const FIELDS = [
   'space_id','kind','source_url','title','description','summary',
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ export async function create(input, actor) {
     vals
   );
   await recordAudit(actor, 'create', 'ref', r.id, null, r);
+  await triggerEmbed('ref', r.id);
   return r;
 }
 
@@ -72,6 +74,7 @@ export async function update(id, patch, actor) {
     vals
   );
   await recordAudit(actor, 'update', 'ref', id, before, r);
+  if (patch.embedding === undefined) await triggerEmbed('ref', id);
   return r;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/db/repos/source_docs.js b/lib/db/repos/source_docs.js
index b20606f..5470b9b 100644
--- a/lib/db/repos/source_docs.js
+++ b/lib/db/repos/source_docs.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { pool } from '../pool.js';
 import { recordAudit } from './audit_stub.js';
+import { triggerEmbed } from '../../jobs/triggers.js';
 
 const FIELDS = ['resource_id','name','upstream_url','version','format','sync_source','local_path','body_text','embedding','last_synced','metadata'];
 
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ export async function create(input, actor) {
     vals
   );
   await recordAudit(actor, 'create', 'source_doc', r.id, null, r);
+  await triggerEmbed('source_doc', r.id);
   return r;
 }
 
@@ -43,6 +45,7 @@ export async function update(id, patch, actor) {
     vals
   );
   await recordAudit(actor, 'update', 'source_doc', id, before, r);
+  if (patch.embedding === undefined) await triggerEmbed('source_doc', id);
   return r;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/jobs/triggers.js b/lib/jobs/triggers.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e010ca6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/jobs/triggers.js
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import * as queue from './queue.js';
+import { log } from '../log.js';
+
+// Fire-and-forget enqueue of an embed.text job after a repo write.
+// Never blocks the write: if the queue is not running (server tests),
+// or pg-boss errors transiently, we log + move on. Pending rows get
+// picked up by a future re-embed cron in Plan 4+.
+export async function triggerEmbed(entity_type, entity_id) {
+  if (!queue.instance()) return;   // not started — no-op
+  try {
+    await queue.enqueue('embed.text',
+      { entity_type, entity_id },
+      { singletonKey: `${entity_type}:${entity_id}` }
+    );
+  } catch (e) {
+    log.warn({ err: e, entity_type, entity_id }, 'triggerEmbed failed');
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/jobs/triggers.test.js b/tests/jobs/triggers.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c1d0671
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/jobs/triggers.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest';
+import { resetDb } from '../helpers/db.js';
+import { migrateUp } from '../../lib/db/migrate.js';
+import { stopBoss, waitForJob } from '../helpers/boss.js';
+import { pool } from '../../lib/db/pool.js';
+import * as queue from '../../lib/jobs/queue.js';
+import { registerWorkers } from '../../lib/jobs/index.js';
+import * as spaces from '../../lib/db/repos/spaces.js';
+import * as pages from '../../lib/db/repos/pages.js';
+import * as refs from '../../lib/db/repos/refs.js';
+
+beforeEach(async () => {
+  await resetDb(); await migrateUp(); await queue.start(); await registerWorkers();
+  global.fetch = vi.fn(async () => new Response(
+    JSON.stringify({ embedding: new Array(768).fill(0.1) }),
+    { status: 200, headers: { 'content-type': 'application/json' }}
+  ));
+});
+afterEach(async () => { await stopBoss(); vi.restoreAllMocks(); });
+
+describe('repo embed triggers', () => {
+  it('pages.create enqueues embed.text and the worker runs', async () => {
+    const sp = await spaces.create({ slug: 't', name: 'T' }, { kind: 'user', id: null });
+    const pg = await pages.create(
+      { space_id: sp.id, slug: 'p', title: 'P', body_md: 'b' },
+      { kind: 'user', id: null }
+    );
+    // wait until the page row has an embedding
+    for (let i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
+      const { rows: [row] } = await pool.query('SELECT embedding FROM pages WHERE id=$1', [pg.id]);
+      if (row.embedding) return;
+      await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 100));
+    }
+    throw new Error('page was not embedded within 10 s');
+  });
+
+  it('refs.create enqueues embed.text', async () => {
+    const sp = await spaces.create({ slug: 't2', name: 'T2' }, { kind: 'user', id: null });
+    const r = await refs.create({
+      space_id: sp.id, kind: 'url', source_url: 'https://example.com/x', title: 'X'
+    }, { kind: 'user', id: null });
+    for (let i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
+      const { rows: [row] } = await pool.query('SELECT embedding FROM refs WHERE id=$1', [r.id]);
+      if (row.embedding) return;
+      await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 100));
+    }
+    throw new Error('ref was not embedded within 10 s');
+  });
+
+  it('no-op when queue is not running (matches prior server.test behavior)', async () => {
+    // Stop the queue mid-test
+    await stopBoss();
+    const sp = await spaces.create({ slug: 't3', name: 'T3' }, { kind: 'user', id: null });
+    // Should not throw
+    const pg = await pages.create(
+      { space_id: sp.id, slug: 'p', title: 'P', body_md: 'b' },
+      { kind: 'user', id: null }
+    );
+    expect(pg.id).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+});