diff --git a/surfsense_backend/.env.example b/surfsense_backend/.env.example
index 1924756ce..03b8d9255 100644
--- a/surfsense_backend/.env.example
+++ b/surfsense_backend/.env.example
@@ -328,6 +328,20 @@ ETL_CACHE_ENABLED=false
 # ETL_CACHE_STORAGE_CONTAINER=surfsense-etl-cache
 # ETL_CACHE_STORAGE_LOCAL_PATH=/var/lib/surfsense/etl-cache
 
+# Index Cache
+# Reuse chunk+embedding output for identical markdown across workspaces (skips
+# re-chunking and re-embedding). Blobs share the ETL_CACHE_STORAGE_* backend.
+# Off by default.
+INDEX_CACHE_ENABLED=false
+# Bump to invalidate all cached embedding sets after a chunker change.
+# INDEX_CACHE_CHUNKER_VERSION=1
+# Prune entries unused for this many days.
+# INDEX_CACHE_TTL_DAYS=90
+# Soft cap on total cached embeddings; coldest entries are evicted past it.
+# INDEX_CACHE_MAX_TOTAL_MB=5120
+# Rows deleted per eviction pass.
+# INDEX_CACHE_EVICTION_BATCH=500
+
 # Daytona Sandbox (isolated code execution)
 # DAYTONA_SANDBOX_ENABLED=FALSE
 # DAYTONA_API_KEY=your-daytona-api-key
diff --git a/surfsense_backend/app/config/__init__.py b/surfsense_backend/app/config/__init__.py
index 525fe160d..0b6c05c39 100644
--- a/surfsense_backend/app/config/__init__.py
+++ b/surfsense_backend/app/config/__init__.py
@@ -964,6 +964,17 @@ class Config:
     ETL_CACHE_STORAGE_CONTAINER = os.getenv("ETL_CACHE_STORAGE_CONTAINER")
     ETL_CACHE_STORAGE_LOCAL_PATH = os.getenv("ETL_CACHE_STORAGE_LOCAL_PATH")
 
+    # Index cache: reuse chunk+embedding output for identical markdown across
+    # workspaces. Blobs share the ETL_CACHE_STORAGE_* backend.
+    INDEX_CACHE_ENABLED = (
+        os.getenv("INDEX_CACHE_ENABLED", "false").strip().lower() == "true"
+    )
+    # Bump to invalidate every cached embedding set after a chunker change.
+    INDEX_CACHE_CHUNKER_VERSION = int(os.getenv("INDEX_CACHE_CHUNKER_VERSION", "1"))
+    INDEX_CACHE_TTL_DAYS = int(os.getenv("INDEX_CACHE_TTL_DAYS", "90"))
+    INDEX_CACHE_MAX_TOTAL_MB = int(os.getenv("INDEX_CACHE_MAX_TOTAL_MB", "5120"))
+    INDEX_CACHE_EVICTION_BATCH = int(os.getenv("INDEX_CACHE_EVICTION_BATCH", "500"))
+
     # Proxy provider selection. Maps to a ProxyProvider implementation registered
     # in app/utils/proxy/registry.py. Add new vendors there and switch via this var.
     PROXY_PROVIDER = os.getenv("PROXY_PROVIDER", "anonymous_proxies")
diff --git a/surfsense_backend/app/indexing_pipeline/cache/eligibility.py b/surfsense_backend/app/indexing_pipeline/cache/eligibility.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7dbf79202
--- /dev/null
+++ b/surfsense_backend/app/indexing_pipeline/cache/eligibility.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+"""Gating rule: may this document be served from / written to the index cache?"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+
+def is_index_cacheable(
+    *,
+    cache_enabled: bool,
+    embedding_model: str | None,
+    embedding_dim: int | None,
+) -> bool:
+    """Cache only when a concrete embedding model and dimension are configured.
+
+    Without a model there is nothing to key against, and without a dimension the
+    blob's integrity guard cannot run -- both bypass the cache.
+    """
+    if not cache_enabled:
+        return False
+    if not embedding_model:
+        return False
+    return bool(embedding_dim)
diff --git a/surfsense_backend/app/indexing_pipeline/cache/settings.py b/surfsense_backend/app/indexing_pipeline/cache/settings.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2991c0980
--- /dev/null
+++ b/surfsense_backend/app/indexing_pipeline/cache/settings.py
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+"""Index-cache configuration resolved from the central ``Config``.
+
+The blob backend is intentionally not configured here: it is shared with the ETL
+parse cache (see ``ETL_CACHE_STORAGE_*``).
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class IndexCacheSettings:
+    enabled: bool
+    chunker_version: int
+    ttl_days: int
+    max_total_bytes: int
+    eviction_batch: int
+
+
+def load_index_cache_settings() -> IndexCacheSettings:
+    from app.config import config
+
+    return IndexCacheSettings(
+        enabled=config.INDEX_CACHE_ENABLED,
+        chunker_version=config.INDEX_CACHE_CHUNKER_VERSION,
+        ttl_days=config.INDEX_CACHE_TTL_DAYS,
+        max_total_bytes=config.INDEX_CACHE_MAX_TOTAL_MB * 1024 * 1024,
+        eviction_batch=config.INDEX_CACHE_EVICTION_BATCH,
+    )