diff --git a/surfsense_backend/alembic/versions/144_add_automation_tables.py b/surfsense_backend/alembic/versions/144_add_automation_tables.py
index 8b59ee969..6daf4075f 100644
--- a/surfsense_backend/alembic/versions/144_add_automation_tables.py
+++ b/surfsense_backend/alembic/versions/144_add_automation_tables.py
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ def upgrade() -> None:
             params JSONB NOT NULL,
             enabled BOOLEAN NOT NULL DEFAULT true,
             last_fired_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE,
+            next_fire_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE,
             created_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE NOT NULL DEFAULT NOW()
         );
         """
@@ -105,6 +106,17 @@ def upgrade() -> None:
     op.execute(
         "CREATE INDEX ix_automation_triggers_created_at ON automation_triggers(created_at);"
     )
+    # Partial index for the schedule tick: only enabled schedule triggers
+    # with a scheduled next fire are ever scanned for due rows.
+    op.execute(
+        """
+        CREATE INDEX ix_automation_triggers_due
+            ON automation_triggers (next_fire_at)
+            WHERE enabled = true
+              AND type = 'schedule'
+              AND next_fire_at IS NOT NULL;
+        """
+    )
 
     # automation_runs — the immutable per-fire execution record
     op.execute(
@@ -148,6 +160,7 @@ def downgrade() -> None:
     op.execute("DROP INDEX IF EXISTS ix_automation_runs_automation_id;")
     op.execute("DROP TABLE IF EXISTS automation_runs;")
 
+    op.execute("DROP INDEX IF EXISTS ix_automation_triggers_due;")
     op.execute("DROP INDEX IF EXISTS ix_automation_triggers_created_at;")
     op.execute("DROP INDEX IF EXISTS ix_automation_triggers_enabled;")
     op.execute("DROP INDEX IF EXISTS ix_automation_triggers_type;")
diff --git a/surfsense_backend/app/automations/persistence/models/trigger.py b/surfsense_backend/app/automations/persistence/models/trigger.py
index 7582234d4..b09bc3419 100644
--- a/surfsense_backend/app/automations/persistence/models/trigger.py
+++ b/surfsense_backend/app/automations/persistence/models/trigger.py
@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@ class AutomationTrigger(BaseModel, TimestampMixin):
 
     last_fired_at = Column(TIMESTAMP(timezone=True), nullable=True)
 
+    # Precomputed next fire moment in UTC; advanced after each fire by the
+    # schedule tick. NULL means the trigger has never been scheduled (the
+    # tick self-heals on first sight). Manual triggers leave this NULL.
+    next_fire_at = Column(TIMESTAMP(timezone=True), nullable=True)
+
     automation = relationship("Automation", back_populates="triggers")
     runs = relationship(
         "AutomationRun",
diff --git a/surfsense_backend/pyproject.toml b/surfsense_backend/pyproject.toml
index 71c53caae..2ed0acca4 100644
--- a/surfsense_backend/pyproject.toml
+++ b/surfsense_backend/pyproject.toml
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ dependencies = [
     "opentelemetry-instrumentation-httpx>=0.61b0",
     "opentelemetry-instrumentation-celery>=0.61b0",
     "opentelemetry-instrumentation-logging>=0.61b0",
+    "croniter>=2.0.0",
 ]
 
 [dependency-groups]
diff --git a/surfsense_backend/uv.lock b/surfsense_backend/uv.lock
index b902363dc..ba88153c5 100644
--- a/surfsense_backend/uv.lock
+++ b/surfsense_backend/uv.lock
@@ -1265,6 +1265,18 @@ wheels = [
     { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/8e/ca/6a667ccbe649856dcd3458bab80b016681b274399d6211187c6ab969fc50/courlan-1.3.2-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:d0dab52cf5b5b1000ee2839fbc2837e93b2514d3cb5bb61ae158a55b7a04c6be", size = 33848, upload-time = "2024-10-29T16:40:18.325Z" },
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "croniter"
+version = "6.2.2"
+source = { registry = "https://pypi.org/simple" }
+dependencies = [
+    { name = "python-dateutil" },
+]
+sdist = { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/df/de/5832661ed55107b8a09af3f0a2e71e0957226a59eb1dcf0a445cce6daf20/croniter-6.2.2.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:ba60832a5ec8e12e51b8691c3309a113d1cf6526bdf1a48150ce8ec7a532d0ab", size = 113762, upload-time = "2026-03-15T08:43:48.112Z" }
+wheels = [
+    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/d0/39/783980e78cb92c2d7bdb1fc7dbc86e94ccc6d58224d76a7f1f51b6c51e30/croniter-6.2.2-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:a5d17b1060974d36251ea4faf388233eca8acf0d09cbd92d35f4c4ac8f279960", size = 45422, upload-time = "2026-03-15T08:43:46.626Z" },
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "cryptography"
 version = "46.0.6"
@@ -8132,6 +8144,7 @@ dependencies = [
     { name = "celery", extra = ["redis"] },
     { name = "chonkie", extra = ["all"] },
     { name = "composio" },
+    { name = "croniter" },
     { name = "datasets" },
     { name = "daytona" },
     { name = "deepagents" },
@@ -8228,6 +8241,7 @@ requires-dist = [
     { name = "celery", extras = ["redis"], specifier = ">=5.5.3" },
     { name = "chonkie", extras = ["all"], specifier = ">=1.5.0" },
     { name = "composio", specifier = ">=0.10.9" },
+    { name = "croniter", specifier = ">=2.0.0" },
     { name = "datasets", specifier = ">=2.21.0" },
     { name = "daytona", specifier = ">=0.146.0" },
     { name = "deepagents", specifier = ">=0.4.12,<0.5" },