diff --git a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/client/processing.py b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/client/processing.py
index 9513733a..a56ff50f 100644
--- a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/client/processing.py
+++ b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/client/processing.py
@@ -132,8 +132,11 @@ async def convert(
         return doc
 
     else:
-        # Treat as text content
-        return await converter.convert_text(source, format=format)
+        # Raw text content — HTML and markdown can still embed pictures
+        # via <img>/![](...) so the same description check applies.
+        doc = await converter.convert_text(source, format=format)
+        _warn_if_descriptions_missing(config, doc, "<text input>")
+        return doc
 
 
 async def chunk(
@@ -205,7 +208,7 @@ def build_picture_chunks(
     its picture URIs stripped). Pictures with no available bytes are skipped.
 
     The bytes ride on ``Chunk._picture_data`` (a PrivateAttr — not serialized)
-    so ``embed_chunks`` can route them through ``embed_image_query``. The
+    so ``embed_chunks`` can route them through ``embed_image``. The
     ``order`` field is left at its default (0); the caller (``chunk()``)
     reassigns it after merging with text chunks in structural order.
     """
diff --git a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/client/search.py b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/client/search.py
index 9009ec38..6d19ef4f 100644
--- a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/client/search.py
+++ b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/client/search.py
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ async def search(
                 "Image queries require a multimodal embedder. Configure "
                 "provider='vllm' (or another image-capable provider)."
             )
-        query_vector = await embedder.embed_image_query(query)
+        query_vector = await embedder.embed_image(query)
         chunk_results = await client.chunk_repository.search(
             query="",
             limit=limit,
diff --git a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/embeddings/__init__.py b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/embeddings/__init__.py
index 5d00e1d3..3cd77a4f 100644
--- a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/embeddings/__init__.py
+++ b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/embeddings/__init__.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class EmbedderWrapper:
         result = await self._embedder.embed_documents(texts)
         return [list(e) for e in result.embeddings]
 
-    async def embed_image_query(self, image: "Any") -> list[float]:
+    async def embed_image(self, image: "Any") -> list[float]:
         """Embed a single image into the same vector space as text.
 
         Multimodal providers override this. Picture embedding is single-image:
@@ -125,9 +125,7 @@ async def embed_chunks(
                 "provider='vllm', or omit picture chunks."
             )
         for chunk in picture_chunks:
-            picture_embeddings.append(
-                await embedder.embed_image_query(chunk._picture_data)
-            )
+            picture_embeddings.append(await embedder.embed_image(chunk._picture_data))
 
     text_iter = iter(text_embeddings)
     picture_iter = iter(picture_embeddings)
diff --git a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/embeddings/vllm.py b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/embeddings/vllm.py
index c37c4f4f..6535f7ec 100644
--- a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/embeddings/vllm.py
+++ b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/embeddings/vllm.py
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ class VLLMMultimodalEmbedder(EmbedderWrapper):
             }
         )
 
-    async def embed_image_query(self, image: "bytes | PILImage.Image") -> list[float]:
+    async def embed_image(self, image: "bytes | PILImage.Image") -> list[float]:
         rows = await self._post(
             {
                 "model": self._model_name,
diff --git a/tests/test_embedder.py b/tests/test_embedder.py
index 2a5d62c0..43f788aa 100644
--- a/tests/test_embedder.py
+++ b/tests/test_embedder.py
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ async def test_embed_chunks_empty_list():
 
 async def test_embed_chunks_picture_with_text_only_embedder_raises():
     """A picture chunk fed through a text-only embedder must surface a
-    clear error, not silently drop the chunk or call ``embed_image_query``
+    clear error, not silently drop the chunk or call ``embed_image``
     on something that doesn't support it."""
     chunk = Chunk(id="pic", content="x")
     chunk._picture_data = b"\x89PNG\r\n\x1a\nfake"
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ async def test_text_only_embedder_does_not_support_images():
     embedder = get_embedder(_ollama_text_only_config())
     assert embedder.supports_images is False
     with pytest.raises(NotImplementedError, match="multimodal provider"):
-        await embedder.embed_image_query(b"\x89PNG\r\n\x1a\n")
+        await embedder.embed_image(b"\x89PNG\r\n\x1a\n")
 
 
 async def test_vllm_embed_text_request_shape(monkeypatch):
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ async def test_vllm_embed_image_request_shape(monkeypatch):
         base_url="http://localhost:8000/v1",
     )
     raw = b"\x89PNG\r\n\x1a\nfake"
-    vec = await embedder.embed_image_query(raw)
+    vec = await embedder.embed_image(raw)
     assert vec == [0.4, 0.4, 0.4, 0.4]
     content = captured["body"]["messages"][0]["content"]
     assert len(content) == 1
@@ -623,6 +623,6 @@ async def test_vllm_embed_text_and_image_end_to_end():
     assert all(len(v) == vector_dim for v in text_batch)
 
     image = Image.new("RGB", (64, 64), color=(255, 0, 0))
-    image_vec = await embedder.embed_image_query(image)
+    image_vec = await embedder.embed_image(image)
     assert len(image_vec) == vector_dim
     assert any(abs(x) > 1e-6 for x in image_vec), "image embedding is all zeros"
diff --git a/tests/test_mcp.py b/tests/test_mcp.py
index a88dd2b3..74bd866a 100644
--- a/tests/test_mcp.py
+++ b/tests/test_mcp.py
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ class TestMCPImageQuery:
             def __init__(self):
                 super().__init__(embedder=None, vector_dim=2560)
 
-            async def embed_image_query(self, image):
+            async def embed_image(self, image):
                 # Produce a deterministic-ish vector of the right dim.
                 return [0.0] * 2560
 
diff --git a/tests/test_picture_in_context.py b/tests/test_picture_in_context.py
index bc3675eb..c675225d 100644
--- a/tests/test_picture_in_context.py
+++ b/tests/test_picture_in_context.py
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ async def test_chunk_interleaves_picture_in_structural_order(monkeypatch):
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_embed_chunks_dispatches_text_vs_picture(monkeypatch):
     """embed_chunks routes text chunks through embed_documents (batched) and
-    picture chunks through embed_image_query (one at a time), reassembling
+    picture chunks through embed_image (one at a time), reassembling
     in original order."""
     from haiku.rag.embeddings import EmbedderWrapper, embed_chunks
     from haiku.rag.store.models.chunk import Chunk
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ async def test_embed_chunks_dispatches_text_vs_picture(monkeypatch):
             text_calls.append(list(texts))
             return [[0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4] for _ in texts]
 
-        async def embed_image_query(self, image):
+        async def embed_image(self, image):
             image_calls.append(image)
             return [0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6]
 
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ async def test_ingest_emits_picture_chunks_with_multimodal_embedder(
         async def embed_documents(self, texts):
             return [[0.1] * 4 for _ in texts]
 
-        async def embed_image_query(self, image):
+        async def embed_image(self, image):
             return [0.9] * 4
 
     monkeypatch.setattr(
diff --git a/tests/test_processing.py b/tests/test_processing.py
index fe3019ff..b02624fe 100644
--- a/tests/test_processing.py
+++ b/tests/test_processing.py
@@ -89,9 +89,10 @@ def test_no_warning_when_doc_has_no_pictures(caplog_warnings):
 
 
 def test_warns_when_pictures_present_but_no_descriptions(caplog_warnings):
-    """The silent-failure case: VLM was requested, the doc has pictures,
-    but the converter returned zero descriptions. Warn loudly so the user
-    can fix their VLM config before a long ingest."""
+    """VLM was requested via ``picture_description.enabled = True``, the
+    doc has pictures, but the converter returned zero descriptions
+    (docling-serve swallows VLM errors). Warn loudly so the user can fix
+    their VLM config before a long ingest."""
     config = AppConfig()
     config.processing.conversion_options.picture_description.enabled = True
     config.processing.conversion_options.picture_description.model.name = "qwen3.6"
@@ -128,9 +129,10 @@ def test_no_warning_when_at_least_one_description_came_back(caplog_warnings):
 async def test_convert_emits_warning_via_chokepoint(
     monkeypatch, tmp_path, caplog_warnings
 ):
-    """End-to-end: ``convert(...)`` invokes the guard after the converter
-    returns, so a silent VLM failure surfaces as a warning to the user
-    regardless of which converter (local vs serve) actually ran."""
+    """End-to-end: ``convert(...)`` runs the description-missing check
+    after the converter returns, so a VLM error swallowed inside
+    docling-serve still surfaces as a warning at the haiku.rag layer
+    regardless of which converter (local vs serve) ran."""
     from haiku.rag.converters.base import DocumentConverter
 
     pdf = tmp_path / "fake.pdf"
@@ -162,3 +164,38 @@ async def test_convert_emits_warning_via_chokepoint(
         "0 described" in r.getMessage() and "fake.pdf" in r.getMessage()
         for r in caplog_warnings
     )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_convert_text_path_also_warns(monkeypatch, caplog_warnings):
+    """Raw text input (HTML, markdown) can still produce pictures via
+    docling, so the description-missing check must run on the
+    convert_text branch too — otherwise an HTML-with-images source
+    would never trigger the warning even when picture_description is
+    enabled and the VLM didn't actually run."""
+    from haiku.rag.converters.base import DocumentConverter
+
+    class StubConverter(DocumentConverter):
+        @property
+        def supported_extensions(self) -> list[str]:
+            return [".html"]
+
+        async def convert_file(self, path: Path):
+            return _doc_without_pictures()
+
+        async def convert_text(
+            self, text: str, name: str = "content.md", format: str = "md"
+        ):
+            return _doc_with_pictures(with_descriptions=False)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "haiku.rag.client.processing.get_converter", lambda config: StubConverter()
+    )
+
+    config = AppConfig()
+    config.processing.conversion_options.picture_description.enabled = True
+
+    # No URL scheme, no Path → drops into the convert_text branch.
+    await convert(config, "<html><img src='...'/></html>")
+
+    assert any("0 described" in r.getMessage() for r in caplog_warnings)
diff --git a/tests/test_search.py b/tests/test_search.py
index 8ab46e14..6ec7b827 100644
--- a/tests/test_search.py
+++ b/tests/test_search.py
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ def test_search_result_primary_label_prioritizes_structural_types():
 async def test_search_with_bytes_query_uses_multimodal_embedder(
     temp_db_path, monkeypatch
 ):
-    """``client.search(bytes)`` embeds via ``embed_image_query`` and dispatches
+    """``client.search(bytes)`` embeds via ``embed_image`` and dispatches
     to vector-only chunk search (skipping FTS and reranker)."""
     from haiku.rag.embeddings import EmbedderWrapper
     from haiku.rag.store.models.chunk import Chunk
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ async def test_search_with_bytes_query_uses_multimodal_embedder(
         def __init__(self):
             super().__init__(embedder=None, vector_dim=4)
 
-        async def embed_image_query(self, image):
+        async def embed_image(self, image):
             image_calls.append(image)
             return [0.5, 0.5, 0.5, 0.5]
 
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ async def test_search_with_pil_image_works_like_bytes(temp_db_path, monkeypatch)
         def __init__(self):
             super().__init__(embedder=None, vector_dim=4)
 
-        async def embed_image_query(self, image):
+        async def embed_image(self, image):
             seen_types.append(type(image))
             return [0.1] * 4