diff --git a/app/assets/api/routes.py b/app/assets/api/routes.py
index d156daa79..2f845b228 100644
--- a/app/assets/api/routes.py
+++ b/app/assets/api/routes.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import json
 import logging
 import os
 import urllib.parse
@@ -80,8 +81,6 @@ def _build_error_response(
 
 
 def _build_validation_error_response(code: str, ve: ValidationError) -> web.Response:
-    import json
-
     errors = json.loads(ve.json())
     return _build_error_response(400, code, "Validation failed.", {"errors": errors})
 
@@ -489,8 +488,6 @@ async def get_tags(request: web.Request) -> web.Response:
     try:
         query = schemas_in.TagsListQuery.model_validate(query_map)
     except ValidationError as e:
-        import json
-
         return _build_error_response(
             400,
             "INVALID_QUERY",
@@ -631,12 +628,22 @@ async def seed_assets(request: web.Request) -> web.Response:
     wait_param = request.query.get("wait", "").lower()
     should_wait = wait_param in ("true", "1", "yes")
 
+    # Temporarily enable seeder for explicit API calls (--disable-assets-autoscan
+    # only prevents the automatic startup scan, not manual triggers)
+    was_disabled = asset_seeder.is_disabled()
+    if was_disabled:
+        asset_seeder.enable()
+
     started = asset_seeder.start(roots=valid_roots)
     if not started:
+        if was_disabled:
+            asset_seeder.disable()
         return web.json_response({"status": "already_running"}, status=409)
 
     if should_wait:
         asset_seeder.wait()
+        if was_disabled:
+            asset_seeder.disable()
         status = asset_seeder.get_status()
         return web.json_response(
             {
diff --git a/app/assets/database/queries/asset.py b/app/assets/database/queries/asset.py
index ba711ed86..24aac350e 100644
--- a/app/assets/database/queries/asset.py
+++ b/app/assets/database/queries/asset.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from sqlalchemy import select
 from sqlalchemy.dialects import sqlite
 from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
 
-from app.assets.database.models import Asset
+from app.assets.database.models import Asset, AssetReference
 from app.assets.database.queries.common import calculate_rows_per_statement, iter_chunks
 
 
@@ -130,8 +130,6 @@ def reassign_asset_references(
 
     Used when merging a stub asset into an existing asset with the same hash.
     """
-    from app.assets.database.models import AssetReference
-
     ref = session.get(AssetReference, reference_id)
     if ref:
         ref.asset_id = to_asset_id
diff --git a/app/assets/database/queries/asset_reference.py b/app/assets/database/queries/asset_reference.py
index 0a0510fda..55e087b6e 100644
--- a/app/assets/database/queries/asset_reference.py
+++ b/app/assets/database/queries/asset_reference.py
@@ -32,11 +32,6 @@ from app.assets.database.queries.common import (
 from app.assets.helpers import escape_sql_like_string, get_utc_now, normalize_tags
 
 
-# =============================================================================
-# Metadata conversion helpers (from former asset_info.py)
-# =============================================================================
-
-
 def _check_is_scalar(v):
     if v is None:
         return True
@@ -84,11 +79,6 @@ def convert_metadata_to_rows(key: str, value) -> list[dict]:
     return [{"key": key, "ordinal": 0, "val_json": value}]
 
 
-# =============================================================================
-# Filter helpers
-# =============================================================================
-
-
 def _apply_tag_filters(
     stmt: sa.sql.Select,
     include_tags: Sequence[str] | None = None,
@@ -168,11 +158,6 @@ def _apply_metadata_filter(
     return stmt
 
 
-# =============================================================================
-# Basic CRUD operations
-# =============================================================================
-
-
 def get_reference_by_id(
     session: Session,
     reference_id: str,
@@ -302,11 +287,6 @@ def update_reference_timestamps(
     reference.updated_at = now
 
 
-# =============================================================================
-# Listing and pagination
-# =============================================================================
-
-
 def list_references_page(
     session: Session,
     owner_id: str = "",
@@ -440,11 +420,6 @@ def fetch_reference_and_asset(
     return pair[0], pair[1]
 
 
-# =============================================================================
-# Timestamp updates
-# =============================================================================
-
-
 def update_reference_access_time(
     session: Session,
     reference_id: str,
@@ -491,11 +466,6 @@ def update_reference_updated_at(
     )
 
 
-# =============================================================================
-# Metadata operations
-# =============================================================================
-
-
 def set_reference_metadata(
     session: Session,
     reference_id: str,
@@ -538,11 +508,6 @@ def set_reference_metadata(
         session.flush()
 
 
-# =============================================================================
-# Delete operations
-# =============================================================================
-
-
 def delete_reference_by_id(
     session: Session,
     reference_id: str,
@@ -576,11 +541,6 @@ def set_reference_preview(
     session.flush()
 
 
-# =============================================================================
-# Cache state operations (from former cache_state.py)
-# =============================================================================
-
-
 class CacheStateRow(NamedTuple):
     """Row from reference query with cache state data."""
 
@@ -867,11 +827,6 @@ def delete_orphaned_seed_asset(session: Session, asset_id: str) -> bool:
     return False
 
 
-# =============================================================================
-# Enrichment operations
-# =============================================================================
-
-
 class UnenrichedReferenceRow(NamedTuple):
     """Row for references needing enrichment."""
 
@@ -968,11 +923,6 @@ def bulk_update_enrichment_level(
     return result.rowcount
 
 
-# =============================================================================
-# Bulk operations
-# =============================================================================
-
-
 def bulk_insert_references_ignore_conflicts(
     session: Session,
     rows: list[dict],
diff --git a/app/assets/seeder.py b/app/assets/seeder.py
index 4003c8cd0..7ded8107b 100644
--- a/app/assets/seeder.py
+++ b/app/assets/seeder.py
@@ -247,7 +247,9 @@ class AssetSeeder:
             return True
 
     def resume(self) -> bool:
-        """Resume a paused scan.
+        """Resume a paused scan. 
+        
+        This is a noop if the scan is not in the PAUSED state
 
         Returns:
             True if resumed, False if not paused
diff --git a/app/assets/services/hashing.py b/app/assets/services/hashing.py
index c77f2f916..38aeae4d7 100644
--- a/app/assets/services/hashing.py
+++ b/app/assets/services/hashing.py
@@ -2,23 +2,10 @@ import asyncio
 import os
 from typing import IO
 
+from blake3 import blake3
+
 DEFAULT_CHUNK = 8 * 1024 * 1024
 
-_blake3 = None
-
-
-def _get_blake3():
-    global _blake3
-    if _blake3 is None:
-        try:
-            from blake3 import blake3 as _b3
-            _blake3 = _b3
-        except ImportError:
-            raise ImportError(
-                "blake3 is required for asset hashing. Install with: pip install blake3"
-            )
-    return _blake3
-
 
 def compute_blake3_hash(
     fp: str | IO[bytes],
@@ -55,7 +42,7 @@ def _hash_file_obj(file_obj: IO, chunk_size: int = DEFAULT_CHUNK) -> str:
         if orig_pos != 0:
             file_obj.seek(0)
 
-        h = _get_blake3()()
+        h = blake3()
         while True:
             chunk = file_obj.read(chunk_size)
             if not chunk:
diff --git a/app/assets/services/ingest.py b/app/assets/services/ingest.py
index 4af4ee7f0..38c286fa1 100644
--- a/app/assets/services/ingest.py
+++ b/app/assets/services/ingest.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from app.assets.database.queries import (
     add_tags_to_reference,
     fetch_reference_and_asset,
     get_asset_by_hash,
+    get_reference_by_file_path,
     get_reference_tags,
     get_or_create_reference,
     remove_missing_tag_for_asset_id,
@@ -83,7 +84,6 @@ def _ingest_file_from_path(
         )
 
         # Get the reference we just created/updated
-        from app.assets.database.queries import get_reference_by_file_path
         ref = get_reference_by_file_path(session, locator)
         if ref:
             reference_id = ref.id
diff --git a/app/assets/services/path_utils.py b/app/assets/services/path_utils.py
index 0bc1a62d0..8fdd59c23 100644
--- a/app/assets/services/path_utils.py
+++ b/app/assets/services/path_utils.py
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Literal
 
 import folder_paths
-from app.assets.helpers import normalize_tags
+from app.assets.database.queries import list_references_by_asset_id
+from app.assets.helpers import normalize_tags, select_best_live_path
 
 
 def get_comfy_models_folders() -> list[tuple[str, list[str]]]:
@@ -157,9 +158,6 @@ def compute_filename_for_reference(session, ref) -> str | None:
 
 def compute_filename_for_asset(session, asset_id: str) -> str | None:
     """Compute the relative filename for an asset from its best live reference path."""
-    from app.assets.database.queries import list_references_by_asset_id
-    from app.assets.helpers import select_best_live_path
-
     primary_path = select_best_live_path(
         list_references_by_asset_id(session, asset_id=asset_id)
     )
diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index 0b3eb3d56..0249da689 100644
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -259,10 +259,10 @@ def prompt_worker(q, server_instance):
                 extra_data[k] = sensitive[k]
 
             asset_seeder.pause()
-            try:
-                e.execute(item[2], prompt_id, extra_data, item[4])
-            finally:
-                asset_seeder.resume()
+            
+            e.execute(item[2], prompt_id, extra_data, item[4])
+            
+            asset_seeder.resume()
             need_gc = True
 
             remove_sensitive = lambda prompt: prompt[:5] + prompt[6:]
diff --git a/tests-unit/assets_test/helpers.py b/tests-unit/assets_test/helpers.py
index 72d875bea..770e011f4 100644
--- a/tests-unit/assets_test/helpers.py
+++ b/tests-unit/assets_test/helpers.py
@@ -1,14 +1,27 @@
 """Helper functions for assets integration tests."""
+import time
+
 import requests
 
 
 def trigger_sync_seed_assets(session: requests.Session, base_url: str) -> None:
-    """Force a synchronous sync/seed pass by calling the seed endpoint with wait=true."""
-    session.post(
-        base_url + "/api/assets/seed?wait=true",
-        json={"roots": ["models", "input", "output"]},
-        timeout=60,
-    )
+    """Force a synchronous sync/seed pass by calling the seed endpoint with wait=true.
+
+    Retries on 409 (already running) until the previous scan finishes.
+    """
+    deadline = time.monotonic() + 60
+    while True:
+        r = session.post(
+            base_url + "/api/assets/seed?wait=true",
+            json={"roots": ["models", "input", "output"]},
+            timeout=60,
+        )
+        if r.status_code != 409:
+            assert r.status_code == 200, f"seed endpoint returned {r.status_code}: {r.text}"
+            return
+        if time.monotonic() > deadline:
+            raise TimeoutError("seed endpoint stuck in 409 (already running)")
+        time.sleep(0.25)
 
 
 def get_asset_filename(asset_hash: str, extension: str) -> str:
diff --git a/tests-unit/assets_test/services/test_enrich.py b/tests-unit/assets_test/services/test_enrich.py
index cb3c8920f..54bab642a 100644
--- a/tests-unit/assets_test/services/test_enrich.py
+++ b/tests-unit/assets_test/services/test_enrich.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 from unittest.mock import patch
 
-import pytest
 from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
 
 from app.assets.database.models import Asset, AssetReference