diff --git a/src/servers/sidecar/email-cron.ts b/src/servers/sidecar/email-cron.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1e6dd86f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/servers/sidecar/email-cron.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+import { getAllSyncedAccounts, getUserById, getUserIntegration } from 'officerdb';
+import * as queueRunner from './queue-runner';
+
+const INTERVAL_MS = 10 * 60 * 1000; // 10 minutes
+
+let timer: ReturnType<typeof setInterval> | null = null;
+
+async function tick() {
+  try {
+    const accounts = await getAllSyncedAccounts();
+    if (accounts.length === 0) return;
+
+    const allJobs = await queueRunner.listAllJobs();
+    const activeEmailSyncIds = new Set(
+      allJobs
+        .filter((j) => j.type === 'email-sync' && (j.status === 'queued' || j.status === 'running'))
+        .map((j) => (j.meta as Record<string, unknown> | undefined)?.emailAccountId),
+    );
+
+    for (const account of accounts) {
+      if (activeEmailSyncIds.has(account.id)) continue;
+
+      const user = await getUserById(account.userId);
+      if (!user) continue;
+
+      // Resolve IMAP auth
+      const imapAuth: Record<string, unknown> = { user: account.email };
+      if (account.authType === 'oauth') {
+        const integration = await getUserIntegration(account.userId, 'google');
+        const config = integration?.config as Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
+        const accessToken = config?.accessToken as string | undefined;
+        if (!accessToken) {
+          console.log(`[email-cron] Skipping ${account.email}: no OAuth access token`);
+          continue;
+        }
+        imapAuth.accessToken = accessToken;
+      } else {
+        const creds = account.credentials as Record<string, unknown>;
+        imapAuth.pass = creds.password;
+      }
+
+      try {
+        await queueRunner.enqueue({
+          lane: 'email',
+          type: 'email-sync',
+          userId: user.email,
+          meta: {
+            emailAccountId: account.id,
+            userEmail: user.email,
+            account: {
+              id: account.id,
+              userId: account.userId,
+              email: account.email,
+              imapHost: account.imapHost,
+              imapPort: account.imapPort,
+              imapSecure: account.imapSecure,
+              provider: account.provider,
+              authType: account.authType,
+              credentials: account.credentials,
+            },
+            imapAuth,
+          },
+        });
+        console.log(`[email-cron] Enqueued incremental sync for ${account.email}`);
+      } catch (err) {
+        console.error(`[email-cron] Failed to enqueue sync for ${account.email}:`, err instanceof Error ? err.message : err);
+      }
+    }
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error('[email-cron] Error:', err instanceof Error ? err.message : err);
+  }
+}
+
+export function initEmailCron() {
+  if (timer) return;
+  console.log(`[email-cron] Starting email sync cron (every ${INTERVAL_MS / 60_000} min)`);
+  timer = setInterval(tick, INTERVAL_MS);
+  // Run first tick after a short delay to let the queue initialize
+  setTimeout(tick, 30_000);
+}
+
+export function stopEmailCron() {
+  if (timer) {
+    clearInterval(timer);
+    timer = null;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/servers/sidecar/queue-runner.ts b/src/servers/sidecar/queue-runner.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2811387
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/servers/sidecar/queue-runner.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,285 @@
+import { type Job, type JobProgress, type EnqueueParams, type StepContext, PermanentError } from '../queue/types';
+import { readJob, writeJob, listAllJobs, ensureQueueDir } from '../queue/storage';
+import { getHandler } from '../queue/handler-registry';
+
+// Import handlers to register them
+import '../queue/handlers';
+
+function formatDuration(ms: number): string {
+  const s = Math.floor(ms / 1000);
+  if (s < 60) return `${s}s`;
+  const m = Math.floor(s / 60);
+  const rem = s % 60;
+  if (m < 60) return rem > 0 ? `${m}m${rem}s` : `${m}m`;
+  const h = Math.floor(m / 60);
+  const remM = m % 60;
+  return remM > 0 ? `${h}h${remM}m` : `${h}h`;
+}
+
+const activeLanes = new Map<string, boolean>();
+const PROGRESS_THROTTLE_MS = 1000;
+
+export async function initQueue() {
+  await ensureQueueDir();
+  await resumeInterruptedJobs();
+  console.log('[sidecar:queue] initialized');
+}
+
+export async function enqueue(params: EnqueueParams): Promise<Job> {
+  const handler = getHandler(params.type);
+  if (!handler) throw new Error(`No handler registered for job type: ${params.type}`);
+
+  const job: Job = {
+    id: crypto.randomUUID(),
+    lane: params.lane,
+    type: params.type,
+    userId: params.userId,
+    status: 'queued',
+    steps: handler.steps.map((s) => ({ name: s.name, status: 'pending' as const })),
+    currentStep: 0,
+    createdAt: Date.now(),
+    meta: params.meta,
+    notify: params.notify,
+  };
+
+  await writeJob(job);
+  console.log(`[sidecar:queue] enqueued job ${job.id} (${job.type}) in lane ${job.lane}`);
+  kickLane(job.lane);
+  return job;
+}
+
+export async function cancelJob(id: string): Promise<Job | null> {
+  const job = await readJob(id);
+  if (!job) return null;
+  if (job.status === 'completed' || job.status === 'failed' || job.status === 'cancelled') return job;
+
+  job.status = 'cancelled';
+  job.completedAt = Date.now();
+  for (const step of job.steps) {
+    if (step.status === 'pending' || step.status === 'running') {
+      step.status = 'failed';
+      step.error = 'Cancelled';
+    }
+  }
+  await writeJob(job);
+  console.log(`[sidecar:queue] cancelled job ${job.id}`);
+  return job;
+}
+
+async function resumeInterruptedJobs() {
+  const jobs = await listAllJobs();
+  const lanesToKick = new Set<string>();
+
+  for (const job of jobs) {
+    if (job.status === 'running') {
+      job.status = 'queued';
+      job.startedAt = undefined;
+      for (const step of job.steps) {
+        if (step.status === 'running') {
+          step.status = 'pending';
+          step.startedAt = undefined;
+        }
+      }
+      await writeJob(job);
+      console.log(`[sidecar:queue] reset interrupted job ${job.id} back to queued`);
+      lanesToKick.add(job.lane);
+    } else if (job.status === 'queued') {
+      // Clear retry delay on restart — no reason to wait after a sidecar restart
+      if (job.retryAt) {
+        job.retryAt = undefined;
+        await writeJob(job);
+        console.log(`[sidecar:queue] cleared retry delay for job ${job.id}`);
+      }
+      lanesToKick.add(job.lane);
+    }
+  }
+
+  for (const lane of lanesToKick) {
+    kickLane(lane);
+  }
+}
+
+function kickLane(lane: string) {
+  if (activeLanes.get(lane)) return;
+  activeLanes.set(lane, true);
+  processNextInLane(lane);
+}
+
+function scheduleRetry(lane: string, delayMs: number) {
+  setTimeout(() => kickLane(lane), delayMs);
+}
+
+async function processNextInLane(lane: string) {
+  try {
+    const jobs = await listAllJobs();
+    const now = Date.now();
+    const next = jobs
+      .filter((j) => j.lane === lane && j.status === 'queued' && (!j.retryAt || j.retryAt <= now))
+      .sort((a, b) => a.createdAt - b.createdAt)[0];
+
+    if (!next) {
+      activeLanes.set(lane, false);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    await runJob(next);
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error(`[sidecar:queue] lane ${lane} processing error:`, err);
+  } finally {
+    const jobs = await listAllJobs();
+    const hasMore = jobs.some(
+      (j) => j.lane === lane && j.status === 'queued' && (!j.retryAt || j.retryAt <= Date.now()),
+    );
+    if (hasMore) {
+      processNextInLane(lane);
+    } else {
+      activeLanes.set(lane, false);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+async function runJob(job: Job) {
+  const handler = getHandler(job.type);
+  if (!handler) {
+    job.status = 'failed';
+    job.error = `No handler for type: ${job.type}`;
+    job.completedAt = Date.now();
+    await writeJob(job);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  job.status = 'running';
+  job.startedAt = Date.now();
+  job.retryAt = undefined;
+  await writeJob(job);
+  const isRetry = (job.retries ?? 0) > 0;
+  const startTime = Date.now();
+  console.log(
+    `[sidecar:queue] ▶ ${isRetry ? 'resuming' : 'running'} job ${job.id} (${job.type})${isRetry ? ` retry ${job.retries}` : ''}`,
+  );
+
+  const sharedMeta: Record<string, unknown> = { ...(job.meta ?? {}) };
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < handler.steps.length; i++) {
+    const fresh = await readJob(job.id);
+    if (!fresh || fresh.status === 'cancelled') {
+      console.log(`[sidecar:queue] job ${job.id} was cancelled, stopping`);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const handlerStep = handler.steps[i]!;
+    const step = fresh.steps[i]!;
+
+    if (step.status === 'completed') continue;
+
+    fresh.currentStep = i;
+    step.status = 'running';
+    step.startedAt = Date.now();
+    await writeJob(fresh);
+
+    let lastProgressWrite = 0;
+    let pendingProgress: JobProgress | null = null;
+
+    const updateProgress = async (progress: JobProgress) => {
+      step.progress = progress;
+      const now = Date.now();
+      if (now - lastProgressWrite >= PROGRESS_THROTTLE_MS) {
+        lastProgressWrite = now;
+        pendingProgress = null;
+        await writeJob(fresh);
+      } else {
+        pendingProgress = progress;
+      }
+    };
+
+    const ctx: StepContext = { job: fresh, step, updateProgress, meta: sharedMeta };
+
+    try {
+      await handlerStep.run(ctx);
+
+      if (pendingProgress) {
+        step.progress = pendingProgress;
+      }
+      step.status = 'completed';
+      step.completedAt = Date.now();
+      await writeJob(fresh);
+    } catch (err) {
+      const errorMessage = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+      console.error(`[sidecar:queue] step "${step.name}" failed: ${errorMessage}`);
+      step.status = 'failed';
+      step.error = errorMessage;
+      step.completedAt = Date.now();
+
+      const isPermanent = err instanceof PermanentError;
+      const retries = (fresh.retries ?? 0) + 1;
+      if (!isPermanent && handler.retry && retries <= handler.retry.maxRetries) {
+        step.status = 'pending';
+        step.error = undefined;
+        step.startedAt = undefined;
+        step.completedAt = undefined;
+        step.progress = undefined;
+        fresh.status = 'queued';
+        fresh.error = undefined;
+        fresh.completedAt = undefined;
+        fresh.startedAt = undefined;
+        fresh.retries = retries;
+        fresh.retryAt = Date.now() + handler.retry.delayMs;
+        await writeJob(fresh);
+        console.log(
+          `[sidecar:queue] job ${fresh.id} will retry (${retries}/${handler.retry.maxRetries}) in ${handler.retry.delayMs / 1000}s`,
+        );
+        scheduleRetry(fresh.lane, handler.retry.delayMs);
+        return;
+      }
+
+      fresh.status = 'failed';
+      fresh.error = `Step "${step.name}" failed: ${errorMessage}`;
+      fresh.completedAt = Date.now();
+      fresh.meta = { ...fresh.meta, ...sharedMeta };
+      await writeJob(fresh);
+      console.error(`[sidecar:queue] ✗ job ${fresh.id} failed at step "${step.name}" in ${formatDuration(Date.now() - startTime)}:`, errorMessage);
+      await notifyFailure(fresh);
+      return;
+    }
+  }
+
+  const final = await readJob(job.id);
+  if (final && final.status === 'running') {
+    final.status = 'completed';
+    final.completedAt = Date.now();
+    final.meta = { ...final.meta, ...sharedMeta };
+    await writeJob(final);
+    console.log(`[sidecar:queue] ✓ job ${final.id} completed in ${formatDuration(Date.now() - startTime)}`);
+    await notifyCompletion(final);
+  }
+}
+
+async function notifyCompletion(job: Job) {
+  try {
+    const { sendMail } = await import('emailer');
+    await sendMail({
+      template: 'JobCompleted',
+      subject: `Job completed: ${job.type}`,
+      to: job.userId,
+      data: { job },
+    });
+  } catch {
+    // SMTP might not be configured — non-fatal
+  }
+}
+
+async function notifyFailure(job: Job) {
+  try {
+    const { sendMail } = await import('emailer');
+    await sendMail({
+      template: 'JobFailed',
+      subject: `Job failed: ${job.type}`,
+      to: job.userId,
+      data: { job },
+    });
+  } catch {
+    // SMTP might not be configured — non-fatal
+  }
+}
+
+export { readJob, listAllJobs };