diff --git a/backend/app/main.py b/backend/app/main.py
index 4cd1595..79de12e 100755
--- a/backend/app/main.py
+++ b/backend/app/main.py
@@ -83,6 +83,32 @@ async def lifespan(app: FastAPI):
         knowledge_base_service = KnowledgeBaseService(llamaparse_service, gemini_service, reference_docs)
         app.state.knowledge_base_service = knowledge_base_service
         print("Knowledge Base pipeline ready!")
+
+        if db_available:
+            import asyncio as _asyncio
+            from app.models.database import async_session_factory as _session_factory
+            from app.repositories.knowledge_base_repository import KnowledgeBaseRepository as _KBRepo
+            try:
+                async with _session_factory() as _session:
+                    _repo = _KBRepo(_session)
+                    _stale = await _repo.get_all_stale_active_jobs()
+                    if _stale:
+                        print(f"Resuming {len(_stale)} interrupted processing job(s)...")
+                        for _job in _stale:
+                            _kb = await _repo.get_knowledge_base(_job.knowledge_base_id)
+                            if _kb:
+                                _asyncio.create_task(
+                                    knowledge_base_service.process_documents(
+                                        kb_id=_job.knowledge_base_id,
+                                        job_id=_job.id,
+                                        agent_key=_kb.agent_key,
+                                        user_id=_job.triggered_by_id,
+                                        user_name=_job.triggered_by_name,
+                                    )
+                                )
+                                print(f"  Resumed: {_kb.display_name} (job {_job.id}, was {_job.status})")
+            except Exception as _e:
+                logger.warning(f"Startup job recovery failed: {_e}")
     else:
         print("LLAMA_CLOUD_API_KEY not set - Knowledge Base processing pipeline disabled")
 
diff --git a/backend/app/repositories/knowledge_base_repository.py b/backend/app/repositories/knowledge_base_repository.py
index cef9787..8402d9e 100644
--- a/backend/app/repositories/knowledge_base_repository.py
+++ b/backend/app/repositories/knowledge_base_repository.py
@@ -314,3 +314,29 @@ class KnowledgeBaseRepository:
         )
         result = await self.session.execute(query)
         return result.scalar() > 0
+
+    async def get_all_stale_active_jobs(self, stale_minutes: int = 5) -> list[ProcessingJob]:
+        """Get all active jobs across all KBs older than stale_minutes (for startup recovery)."""
+        cutoff = datetime.now(timezone.utc) - timedelta(minutes=stale_minutes)
+        active_statuses = ["pending", "parsing_documents", "distilling"]
+        query = (
+            select(ProcessingJob)
+            .where(ProcessingJob.status.in_(active_statuses))
+            .where(ProcessingJob.created_at < cutoff)
+        )
+        result = await self.session.execute(query)
+        return list(result.scalars().all())
+
+    async def reset_stuck_parsing_docs(self, kb_id: uuid.UUID) -> int:
+        """Reset docs stuck at 'parsing' back to 'pending' so they can be re-parsed."""
+        query = (
+            select(SourceDocument)
+            .where(SourceDocument.knowledge_base_id == kb_id)
+            .where(SourceDocument.parse_status == "parsing")
+        )
+        result = await self.session.execute(query)
+        docs = result.scalars().all()
+        for doc in docs:
+            doc.parse_status = "pending"
+        await self.session.flush()
+        return len(docs)
diff --git a/backend/app/services/knowledge_base_service.py b/backend/app/services/knowledge_base_service.py
index 7863184..6a3d89b 100644
--- a/backend/app/services/knowledge_base_service.py
+++ b/backend/app/services/knowledge_base_service.py
@@ -162,6 +162,8 @@ class KnowledgeBaseService:
 
                 # Update job status to parsing
                 await repo.update_processing_job(job_id, status="parsing_documents")
+                # Reset docs stuck at "parsing" from a previous interrupted run
+                await repo.reset_stuck_parsing_docs(kb_id)
                 await session.commit()
 
                 # Get all source documents for this KB
@@ -182,6 +184,15 @@ class KnowledgeBaseService:
 
                 async def _parse_doc(doc):
                     nonlocal parsed_count
+                    # Resume: skip docs already parsed in a previous interrupted run
+                    if doc.parse_status in ("parsed", "partial"):
+                        async with progress_lock:
+                            parsed_count += 1
+                            await repo.update_processing_job(job_id, parsed_documents=parsed_count)
+                            await session.commit()
+                        if doc.parsed_markdown and doc.parsed_markdown.strip():
+                            return (doc.filename, str(doc.id), doc.parsed_markdown)
+                        return None
                     async with semaphore:
                         try:
                             async with async_session_factory() as doc_session: