diff --git a/surfsense_backend/app/retriever/chunks_hybrid_search.py b/surfsense_backend/app/retriever/chunks_hybrid_search.py
index 5ab2964ca..2a0bc1a4a 100644
--- a/surfsense_backend/app/retriever/chunks_hybrid_search.py
+++ b/surfsense_backend/app/retriever/chunks_hybrid_search.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import asyncio
 import time
 from datetime import datetime
 
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ class ChucksHybridSearchRetriever:
         # Get embedding for the query
         embedding_model = config.embedding_model_instance
         t_embed = time.perf_counter()
-        query_embedding = embedding_model.embed(query_text)
+        query_embedding = await asyncio.to_thread(embedding_model.embed, query_text)
         perf.debug(
             "[chunk_search] vector_search embedding in %.3fs",
             time.perf_counter() - t_embed,
@@ -195,7 +196,7 @@ class ChucksHybridSearchRetriever:
         if query_embedding is None:
             embedding_model = config.embedding_model_instance
             t_embed = time.perf_counter()
-            query_embedding = embedding_model.embed(query_text)
+            query_embedding = await asyncio.to_thread(embedding_model.embed, query_text)
             perf.debug(
                 "[chunk_search] hybrid_search embedding in %.3fs",
                 time.perf_counter() - t_embed,
@@ -427,4 +428,4 @@ class ChucksHybridSearchRetriever:
             search_space_id,
             document_type,
         )
-        return final_docs
+        return final_docs
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