diff --git a/frigate/detectors/plugins/axelera.py b/frigate/detectors/plugins/axelera.py
index d8d12fbf66..4a0e02850e 100644
--- a/frigate/detectors/plugins/axelera.py
+++ b/frigate/detectors/plugins/axelera.py
@@ -216,12 +216,20 @@ class _AxeleraInference:
             )
 
     def run(self, tensor_input, timeout: float = INFERENCE_TIMEOUT) -> np.ndarray:
-        if tensor_input is None or getattr(tensor_input, "ndim", 0) != 3:
+        if tensor_input is None or getattr(tensor_input, "ndim", 0) < 3:
             raise ValueError(
                 f"Unexpected frame shape: {getattr(tensor_input, 'shape', tensor_input)}"
             )
 
-        frame = np.ascontiguousarray(tensor_input)
+        frame = np.asarray(tensor_input)
+        if frame.ndim == 4:
+            # Frigate feeds a batched NHWC frame (1, H, W, C); drop the batch dim
+            if frame.shape[0] != 1:
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"Unexpected batch dimension in frame: {frame.shape}"
+                )
+            frame = frame[0]
+        frame = np.ascontiguousarray(frame)
         request_id = self._input.put(frame)
         with self._lock:
             self._pending.append(request_id)
diff --git a/frigate/test/test_axelera_detector.py b/frigate/test/test_axelera_detector.py
index d1b6a187a4..eb4258135e 100644
--- a/frigate/test/test_axelera_detector.py
+++ b/frigate/test/test_axelera_detector.py
@@ -233,6 +233,18 @@ class TestAxeleraInference(unittest.TestCase):
         finally:
             engine.stop()
 
+    def test_batched_nhwc_frame_is_squeezed(self):
+        # Frigate feeds a batched NHWC frame (1, H, W, C); covers the live
+        # `type: zmq` worker crash (ValueError: unexpected shape) on every frame
+        engine = self._engine()
+        try:
+            flat = engine.run(np.zeros((320, 320, 3), np.uint8))
+            batched = engine.run(np.zeros((1, 320, 320, 3), np.uint8))
+            self.assertEqual(batched.shape, (20, 6))
+            np.testing.assert_array_equal(batched, flat)
+        finally:
+            engine.stop()
+
     def test_timeout_returns_zeros_when_stream_blocks(self):
         engine = self._engine(hold=True)
         try: