diff --git a/surfsense_backend/app/indexing_pipeline/indexing_pipeline_service.py b/surfsense_backend/app/indexing_pipeline/indexing_pipeline_service.py
index c6a29f204..1a61e779e 100644
--- a/surfsense_backend/app/indexing_pipeline/indexing_pipeline_service.py
+++ b/surfsense_backend/app/indexing_pipeline/indexing_pipeline_service.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import asyncio
 import contextlib
 import time
 from datetime import UTC, datetime
@@ -257,13 +258,14 @@ class IndexingPipelineService:
             )
 
             t_step = time.perf_counter()
-            chunk_texts = chunk_text(
+            chunk_texts = await asyncio.to_thread(
+                chunk_text,
                 connector_doc.source_markdown,
                 use_code_chunker=connector_doc.should_use_code_chunker,
             )
 
             texts_to_embed = [content, *chunk_texts]
-            embeddings = embed_texts(texts_to_embed)
+            embeddings = await asyncio.to_thread(embed_texts, texts_to_embed)
             summary_embedding, *chunk_embeddings = embeddings
 
             chunks = [
diff --git a/surfsense_backend/tests/unit/indexing_pipeline/test_index_batch_parallel.py b/surfsense_backend/tests/unit/indexing_pipeline/test_index_batch_parallel.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7e23383ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/surfsense_backend/tests/unit/indexing_pipeline/test_index_batch_parallel.py
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+import asyncio
+from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, MagicMock, patch
+
+import pytest
+
+from app.config import config as app_config
+from app.db import Document, DocumentStatus, DocumentType
+from app.indexing_pipeline.document_hashing import compute_unique_identifier_hash
+from app.indexing_pipeline.indexing_pipeline_service import IndexingPipelineService
+
+_EMBEDDING_DIM = app_config.embedding_model_instance.dimension
+
+pytestmark = pytest.mark.unit
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def mock_session():
+    session = AsyncMock()
+    session.refresh = AsyncMock()
+    return session
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def pipeline(mock_session):
+    return IndexingPipelineService(mock_session)
+
+
+async def test_index_calls_embed_and_chunk_via_to_thread(
+    pipeline, make_connector_document, monkeypatch
+):
+    """index() runs embed_texts and chunk_text via asyncio.to_thread, not blocking the loop."""
+    to_thread_calls = []
+    original_to_thread = asyncio.to_thread
+
+    async def tracking_to_thread(func, *args, **kwargs):
+        to_thread_calls.append(func.__name__)
+        return await original_to_thread(func, *args, **kwargs)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(asyncio, "to_thread", tracking_to_thread)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "app.indexing_pipeline.indexing_pipeline_service.summarize_document",
+        AsyncMock(return_value="Summary."),
+    )
+    mock_chunk = MagicMock(return_value=["chunk1"])
+    mock_chunk.__name__ = "chunk_text"
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "app.indexing_pipeline.indexing_pipeline_service.chunk_text",
+        mock_chunk,
+    )
+    mock_embed = MagicMock(side_effect=lambda texts: [[0.1] * _EMBEDDING_DIM for _ in texts])
+    mock_embed.__name__ = "embed_texts"
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "app.indexing_pipeline.indexing_pipeline_service.embed_texts",
+        mock_embed,
+    )
+
+    connector_doc = make_connector_document(
+        document_type=DocumentType.GOOGLE_GMAIL_CONNECTOR,
+        unique_id="msg-1",
+        search_space_id=1,
+    )
+    document = MagicMock(spec=Document)
+    document.id = 1
+    document.status = DocumentStatus.pending()
+
+    await pipeline.index(document, connector_doc, llm=MagicMock())
+
+    assert "chunk_text" in to_thread_calls
+    assert "embed_texts" in to_thread_calls
diff --git a/surfsense_web/contracts/enums/toolIcons.tsx b/surfsense_web/contracts/enums/toolIcons.tsx
index 90ec7a544..6ca6550b5 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/contracts/enums/toolIcons.tsx
+++ b/surfsense_web/contracts/enums/toolIcons.tsx
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@ import {
 	FileText,
 	Film,
 	Globe,
+	ImageIcon,
 	type LucideIcon,
 	Podcast,
 	ScanLine,
-	Sparkles,
 	Wrench,
 } from "lucide-react";
 
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ const TOOL_ICONS: Record<string, LucideIcon> = {
 	generate_podcast: Podcast,
 	generate_video_presentation: Film,
 	generate_report: FileText,
-	generate_image: Sparkles,
+	generate_image: ImageIcon,
 	scrape_webpage: ScanLine,
 	web_search: Globe,
 	search_surfsense_docs: BookOpen,