diff --git a/surfsense_backend/app/connectors/google_drive/change_tracker.py b/surfsense_backend/app/connectors/google_drive/change_tracker.py
index dee828219..3b7f804ac 100644
--- a/surfsense_backend/app/connectors/google_drive/change_tracker.py
+++ b/surfsense_backend/app/connectors/google_drive/change_tracker.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ async def get_changes(
         params = {
             "pageToken": page_token,
             "pageSize": 100,
-            "fields": "nextPageToken, newStartPageToken, changes(fileId, removed, file(id, name, mimeType, modifiedTime, size, webViewLink, parents, trashed))",
+            "fields": "nextPageToken, newStartPageToken, changes(fileId, removed, file(id, name, mimeType, modifiedTime, md5Checksum, size, webViewLink, parents, trashed))",
             "supportsAllDrives": True,
             "includeItemsFromAllDrives": True,
         }
diff --git a/surfsense_backend/app/connectors/google_drive/client.py b/surfsense_backend/app/connectors/google_drive/client.py
index aec5704b8..a001e42be 100644
--- a/surfsense_backend/app/connectors/google_drive/client.py
+++ b/surfsense_backend/app/connectors/google_drive/client.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class GoogleDriveClient:
     async def list_files(
         self,
         query: str = "",
-        fields: str = "nextPageToken, files(id, name, mimeType, modifiedTime, size, webViewLink, parents, owners, createdTime, description)",
+        fields: str = "nextPageToken, files(id, name, mimeType, modifiedTime, md5Checksum, size, webViewLink, parents, owners, createdTime, description)",
         page_size: int = 100,
         page_token: str | None = None,
     ) -> tuple[list[dict[str, Any]], str | None, str | None]:
diff --git a/surfsense_backend/app/connectors/google_drive/content_extractor.py b/surfsense_backend/app/connectors/google_drive/content_extractor.py
index 28c14a757..61b427970 100644
--- a/surfsense_backend/app/connectors/google_drive/content_extractor.py
+++ b/surfsense_backend/app/connectors/google_drive/content_extractor.py
@@ -102,6 +102,8 @@ async def download_and_process_file(
             connector_info["metadata"]["file_size"] = file["size"]
         if "webViewLink" in file:
             connector_info["metadata"]["web_view_link"] = file["webViewLink"]
+        if "md5Checksum" in file:
+            connector_info["metadata"]["md5_checksum"] = file["md5Checksum"]
 
         if is_google_workspace_file(mime_type):
             connector_info["metadata"]["exported_as"] = "pdf"
diff --git a/surfsense_backend/app/connectors/google_drive/folder_manager.py b/surfsense_backend/app/connectors/google_drive/folder_manager.py
index e28505f11..c0535ee58 100644
--- a/surfsense_backend/app/connectors/google_drive/folder_manager.py
+++ b/surfsense_backend/app/connectors/google_drive/folder_manager.py
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ async def get_file_by_id(
     try:
         file, error = await client.get_file_metadata(
             file_id,
-            fields="id, name, mimeType, parents, createdTime, modifiedTime, size, webViewLink, iconLink",
+            fields="id, name, mimeType, parents, createdTime, modifiedTime, md5Checksum, size, webViewLink, iconLink",
         )
 
         if error:
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ async def list_folder_contents(
         while True:
             items, next_token, error = await client.list_files(
                 query=query,
-                fields="files(id, name, mimeType, parents, createdTime, modifiedTime, size, webViewLink, iconLink)",
+                fields="files(id, name, mimeType, parents, createdTime, modifiedTime, md5Checksum, size, webViewLink, iconLink)",
                 page_size=1000,  # Max allowed by Google Drive API
                 page_token=page_token,
             )
diff --git a/surfsense_backend/app/tasks/connector_indexers/google_drive_indexer.py b/surfsense_backend/app/tasks/connector_indexers/google_drive_indexer.py
index 142adf649..f655c290d 100644
--- a/surfsense_backend/app/tasks/connector_indexers/google_drive_indexer.py
+++ b/surfsense_backend/app/tasks/connector_indexers/google_drive_indexer.py
@@ -547,6 +547,117 @@ async def _index_with_delta_sync(
     return documents_indexed, documents_skipped
 
 
+async def _check_rename_only_update(
+    session: AsyncSession,
+    file: dict,
+    search_space_id: int,
+) -> tuple[bool, str | None]:
+    """
+    Check if a file only needs a rename update (no content change).
+    
+    Uses md5Checksum comparison (preferred) or modifiedTime (fallback for Google Workspace files)
+    to detect if content has changed. This optimization prevents unnecessary ETL API calls
+    (Docling/LlamaCloud) for rename-only operations.
+    
+    Args:
+        session: Database session
+        file: File metadata from Google Drive API
+        search_space_id: ID of the search space
+    
+    Returns:
+        Tuple of (is_rename_only, message)
+        - (True, message): Only filename changed, document was updated
+        - (False, None): Content changed or new file, needs full processing
+    """
+    from sqlalchemy import select
+    from sqlalchemy.orm.attributes import flag_modified
+    from app.db import Document
+    
+    file_id = file.get("id")
+    file_name = file.get("name", "Unknown")
+    incoming_md5 = file.get("md5Checksum")  # None for Google Workspace files
+    incoming_modified_time = file.get("modifiedTime")
+    
+    if not file_id:
+        return False, None
+    
+    # Try to find existing document by file_id-based hash (primary method)
+    primary_hash = generate_unique_identifier_hash(
+        DocumentType.GOOGLE_DRIVE_FILE, file_id, search_space_id
+    )
+    existing_document = await check_document_by_unique_identifier(session, primary_hash)
+    
+    # If not found by primary hash, try searching by metadata (for legacy documents)
+    if not existing_document:
+        result = await session.execute(
+            select(Document).where(
+                Document.search_space_id == search_space_id,
+                Document.document_type == DocumentType.GOOGLE_DRIVE_FILE,
+                Document.document_metadata["google_drive_file_id"].astext == file_id
+            )
+        )
+        existing_document = result.scalar_one_or_none()
+        if existing_document:
+            logger.debug(f"Found legacy document by metadata for file_id: {file_id}")
+    
+    if not existing_document:
+        # New file, needs full processing
+        return False, None
+    
+    # Get stored checksums/timestamps from document metadata
+    doc_metadata = existing_document.document_metadata or {}
+    stored_md5 = doc_metadata.get("md5_checksum")
+    stored_modified_time = doc_metadata.get("modified_time")
+    
+    # Determine if content changed using md5Checksum (preferred) or modifiedTime (fallback)
+    content_unchanged = False
+    
+    if incoming_md5 and stored_md5:
+        # Best case: Compare md5 checksums (only changes when content changes, not on rename)
+        content_unchanged = (incoming_md5 == stored_md5)
+        logger.debug(f"MD5 comparison for {file_name}: unchanged={content_unchanged}")
+    elif incoming_md5 and not stored_md5:
+        # Have incoming md5 but no stored md5 (legacy doc) - need to reprocess to store it
+        logger.debug(f"No stored md5 for {file_name}, will reprocess to store md5_checksum")
+        return False, None
+    elif not incoming_md5:
+        # Google Workspace file (no md5Checksum available) - fall back to modifiedTime
+        # Note: modifiedTime is less reliable as it changes on rename too, but it's the best we have
+        if incoming_modified_time and stored_modified_time:
+            content_unchanged = (incoming_modified_time == stored_modified_time)
+            logger.debug(f"ModifiedTime fallback for Google Workspace file {file_name}: unchanged={content_unchanged}")
+        else:
+            # No stored modifiedTime (legacy) - reprocess to store it
+            return False, None
+    
+    if content_unchanged:
+        # Content hasn't changed - check if filename changed
+        old_name = doc_metadata.get("FILE_NAME") or doc_metadata.get("google_drive_file_name")
+        
+        if old_name and old_name != file_name:
+            # Rename-only update - update the document without re-processing
+            existing_document.title = file_name
+            if not existing_document.document_metadata:
+                existing_document.document_metadata = {}
+            existing_document.document_metadata["FILE_NAME"] = file_name
+            existing_document.document_metadata["google_drive_file_name"] = file_name
+            # Also update modified_time for Google Workspace files (since it changed on rename)
+            if incoming_modified_time:
+                existing_document.document_metadata["modified_time"] = incoming_modified_time
+            flag_modified(existing_document, "document_metadata")
+            await session.commit()
+            
+            logger.info(f"Rename-only update: '{old_name}' → '{file_name}' (skipped ETL)")
+            return True, f"File renamed: '{old_name}' → '{file_name}' (no content change)"
+        else:
+            # Neither content nor name changed
+            logger.debug(f"File unchanged: {file_name}")
+            return True, "File unchanged (same content and name)"
+    
+    # Content changed - needs full processing
+    return False, None
+
+
 async def _process_single_file(
     drive_client: GoogleDriveClient,
     session: AsyncSession,
@@ -569,6 +680,27 @@ async def _process_single_file(
     try:
         logger.info(f"Processing file: {file_name} ({mime_type})")
 
+        # Early check: Is this a rename-only update?
+        # This optimization prevents downloading and ETL processing for files
+        # where only the name changed but content is the same.
+        is_rename_only, rename_message = await _check_rename_only_update(
+            session=session,
+            file=file,
+            search_space_id=search_space_id,
+        )
+        
+        if is_rename_only:
+            await task_logger.log_task_progress(
+                log_entry,
+                f"Skipped ETL for {file_name}: {rename_message}",
+                {"status": "rename_only", "reason": rename_message},
+            )
+            # Return 1 for renamed files (they are "indexed" in the sense that they're updated)
+            # Return 0 for unchanged files
+            if "renamed" in (rename_message or "").lower():
+                return 1, 0
+            return 0, 1
+
         _, error, _ = await download_and_process_file(
             client=drive_client,
             file=file,