diff --git a/core/artwork/artwork.go b/core/artwork/artwork.go
index b8c395c12..51fefcc18 100644
--- a/core/artwork/artwork.go
+++ b/core/artwork/artwork.go
@@ -25,14 +25,17 @@ type Artwork interface {
 }
 
 func NewArtwork(ds model.DataStore, cache cache.FileCache, ffmpeg ffmpeg.FFmpeg, provider external.Provider) Artwork {
-	return &artwork{ds: ds, cache: cache, ffmpeg: ffmpeg, provider: provider}
+	a := &artwork{ds: ds, cache: cache, ffmpeg: ffmpeg, provider: provider}
+	a.blurHashes = newBlurHashUpdater(a)
+	return a
 }
 
 type artwork struct {
-	ds       model.DataStore
-	cache    cache.FileCache
-	ffmpeg   ffmpeg.FFmpeg
-	provider external.Provider
+	ds         model.DataStore
+	cache      cache.FileCache
+	ffmpeg     ffmpeg.FFmpeg
+	provider   external.Provider
+	blurHashes *blurHashUpdater
 }
 
 type artworkReader interface {
@@ -70,6 +73,9 @@ func (a *artwork) Get(ctx context.Context, artID model.ArtworkID, size int, squa
 		}
 		return nil, time.Time{}, err
 	}
+	if a.blurHashes != nil {
+		a.blurHashes.Enqueue(artID)
+	}
 	return r, artReader.LastUpdated(), nil
 }
 
diff --git a/core/artwork/blurhash_updater.go b/core/artwork/blurhash_updater.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e031d82a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/artwork/blurhash_updater.go
@@ -0,0 +1,185 @@
+package artwork
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"image"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/consts"
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/core/artwork/blurhash"
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/log"
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/model"
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/model/request"
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/resources"
+)
+
+// blurHashUpdater keeps stored blurhashes in sync with the artwork actually served. Enqueue is
+// cheap (dedup map insert); the worker re-checks freshness against the DB and only decodes when
+// the hash is missing or was computed from an older artwork version.
+type blurHashUpdater struct {
+	a      *artwork
+	mutex  sync.Mutex
+	buffer map[model.ArtworkID]struct{}
+	wake   chan struct{}
+}
+
+func newBlurHashUpdater(a *artwork) *blurHashUpdater {
+	u := &blurHashUpdater{
+		a:      a,
+		buffer: make(map[model.ArtworkID]struct{}),
+		wake:   make(chan struct{}, 1),
+	}
+	// Playlist artwork readers require a user in the context.
+	ctx := request.WithUser(context.TODO(), model.User{IsAdmin: true})
+	go u.run(ctx)
+	return u
+}
+
+func (u *blurHashUpdater) Enqueue(artID model.ArtworkID) {
+	switch artID.Kind {
+	case model.KindAlbumArtwork, model.KindArtistArtwork, model.KindPlaylistArtwork:
+	default:
+		return
+	}
+	u.mutex.Lock()
+	u.buffer[artID] = struct{}{}
+	u.mutex.Unlock()
+	select {
+	case u.wake <- struct{}{}:
+	default:
+	}
+}
+
+func (u *blurHashUpdater) run(ctx context.Context) {
+	for range u.wake {
+		for {
+			artID, ok := u.next()
+			if !ok {
+				break
+			}
+			u.process(ctx, artID)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (u *blurHashUpdater) next() (model.ArtworkID, bool) {
+	u.mutex.Lock()
+	defer u.mutex.Unlock()
+	for artID := range u.buffer {
+		delete(u.buffer, artID)
+		return artID, true
+	}
+	return model.ArtworkID{}, false
+}
+
+func (u *blurHashUpdater) process(ctx context.Context, artID model.ArtworkID) {
+	// Artwork readers can touch storage, agents and plugins; a panic here must not kill the server.
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			log.Error(ctx, "BlurHash: recovered from panic", "artID", artID, "panic", r)
+		}
+	}()
+	stored, storedAt, version, err := u.loadState(ctx, artID)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Trace(ctx, "BlurHash: could not load entity", "artID", artID, err)
+		return
+	}
+	if stored != "" && storedAt != nil && storedAt.Equal(version) {
+		return
+	}
+	hash, err := u.computeFromArtwork(ctx, artID)
+	if err != nil || hash == "" {
+		log.Trace(ctx, "BlurHash: skipping", "artID", artID, err)
+		return
+	}
+	if err := u.persist(ctx, artID, hash, version); err != nil {
+		log.Warn(ctx, "BlurHash: error persisting", "artID", artID, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func (u *blurHashUpdater) loadState(ctx context.Context, artID model.ArtworkID) (string, *time.Time, time.Time, error) {
+	switch artID.Kind {
+	case model.KindAlbumArtwork:
+		al, err := u.a.ds.Album(ctx).Get(artID.ID)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", nil, time.Time{}, err
+		}
+		return al.BlurHash, al.BlurHashUpdatedAt, al.ArtworkUpdatedAt(), nil
+	case model.KindArtistArtwork:
+		ar, err := u.a.ds.Artist(ctx).Get(artID.ID)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", nil, time.Time{}, err
+		}
+		return ar.BlurHash, ar.BlurHashUpdatedAt, ar.ArtworkUpdatedAt(), nil
+	case model.KindPlaylistArtwork:
+		pl, err := u.a.ds.Playlist(ctx).Get(artID.ID)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", nil, time.Time{}, err
+		}
+		return pl.BlurHash, pl.BlurHashUpdatedAt, pl.ArtworkUpdatedAt(), nil
+	}
+	return "", nil, time.Time{}, model.ErrNotFound
+}
+
+func (u *blurHashUpdater) computeFromArtwork(ctx context.Context, artID model.ArtworkID) (string, error) {
+	artReader, err := u.a.getArtworkReader(ctx, artID, 0, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	// Bypasses artwork.Get so the worker's own fetch is never re-enqueued.
+	r, err := u.a.cache.Get(ctx, artReader)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	defer r.Close()
+	img, _, err := image.Decode(r)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	b := img.Bounds()
+	x, y := blurhash.Components(b.Dx(), b.Dy())
+	hash, err := blurhash.Encode(img, x, y)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if _, isPlaceholder := placeholderHashes()[hash]; isPlaceholder {
+		return "", nil
+	}
+	return hash, nil
+}
+
+func (u *blurHashUpdater) persist(ctx context.Context, artID model.ArtworkID, hash string, version time.Time) error {
+	switch artID.Kind {
+	case model.KindAlbumArtwork:
+		return u.a.ds.Album(ctx).UpdateBlurHash(artID.ID, hash, version)
+	case model.KindArtistArtwork:
+		return u.a.ds.Artist(ctx).UpdateBlurHash(artID.ID, hash, version)
+	case model.KindPlaylistArtwork:
+		return u.a.ds.Playlist(ctx).UpdateBlurHash(artID.ID, hash, version)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// placeholderHashes identifies placeholder bytes by their hash, since cached reads lose the
+// source path; placeholder artwork must never be persisted as an entity's blurhash.
+var placeholderHashes = sync.OnceValue(func() map[string]struct{} {
+	hashes := make(map[string]struct{})
+	for _, name := range []string{consts.PlaceholderAlbumArt, consts.PlaceholderArtistArt} {
+		f, err := resources.FS().Open(name)
+		if err != nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		img, _, err := image.Decode(f)
+		_ = f.Close()
+		if err != nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		b := img.Bounds()
+		x, y := blurhash.Components(b.Dx(), b.Dy())
+		if hash, err := blurhash.Encode(img, x, y); err == nil {
+			hashes[hash] = struct{}{}
+		}
+	}
+	return hashes
+})
diff --git a/core/artwork/blurhash_updater_internal_test.go b/core/artwork/blurhash_updater_internal_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..36c06686e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/artwork/blurhash_updater_internal_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+package artwork
+
+import (
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/model"
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/tests"
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+)
+
+var _ = Describe("blurHashUpdater", func() {
+	var u *blurHashUpdater
+	var ds *tests.MockDataStore
+
+	BeforeEach(func() {
+		ds = &tests.MockDataStore{}
+		// No run() goroutine: tests drive next()/process() directly.
+		u = &blurHashUpdater{
+			a:      &artwork{ds: ds},
+			buffer: make(map[model.ArtworkID]struct{}),
+			wake:   make(chan struct{}, 1),
+		}
+	})
+
+	Describe("Enqueue", func() {
+		It("accepts album, artist and playlist artwork and dedups", func() {
+			id := model.Album{ID: "al-1"}.CoverArtID()
+			u.Enqueue(id)
+			u.Enqueue(id)
+			u.Enqueue(model.Artist{ID: "ar-1"}.CoverArtID())
+			Expect(u.buffer).To(HaveLen(2))
+		})
+
+		It("ignores other artwork kinds", func() {
+			u.Enqueue(model.ArtworkID{Kind: model.KindMediaFileArtwork, ID: "mf-1"})
+			u.Enqueue(model.ArtworkID{Kind: model.KindRadioArtwork, ID: "ra-1"})
+			Expect(u.buffer).To(BeEmpty())
+		})
+	})
+
+	Describe("process", func() {
+		It("skips entities whose stored hash matches the current artwork version", func() {
+			version := time.Date(2024, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+			al := model.Album{ID: "al-1", UpdatedAt: version, BlurHash: "LEHV6nWB2yk8", BlurHashUpdatedAt: &version}
+			repo := tests.CreateMockAlbumRepo()
+			repo.SetData(model.Albums{al})
+			ds.MockedAlbum = repo
+
+			// u.a has no cache: if process tried to compute, it would panic. Not panicking proves the skip.
+			Expect(func() { u.process(GinkgoT().Context(), al.CoverArtID()) }).ToNot(Panic())
+			stored, err := ds.Album(GinkgoT().Context()).Get("al-1")
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(stored.BlurHash).To(Equal("LEHV6nWB2yk8"))
+		})
+
+		It("does nothing when the entity is gone", func() {
+			ds.MockedAlbum = tests.CreateMockAlbumRepo()
+			Expect(func() { u.process(GinkgoT().Context(), model.Album{ID: "missing"}.CoverArtID()) }).ToNot(Panic())
+		})
+	})
+
+	Describe("placeholderHashes", func() {
+		It("computes hashes for the embedded placeholder images", func() {
+			hashes := placeholderHashes()
+			Expect(hashes).To(HaveLen(2))
+			for h := range hashes {
+				Expect(len(h)).To(BeNumerically(">", 6))
+			}
+		})
+	})
+})