diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 92ab29d..de34378 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ chrono = { version = "0.4", features = ["serde"] }
 directories = "5"
 bytes = "1"
 tokio-util = "0.7"
+futures-util = "0.3"
 async-trait = "0.1"
 dotenvy = "0.15"
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/App.svelte b/frontend/src/App.svelte
index 3fac963..9992adf 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/App.svelte
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@
   import SettingsPanel from './lib/components/SettingsPanel.svelte';
 
   // Configuration constants
-  const POLL_INTERVAL_MS = 500; // Progress polling interval during job execution
   const STORAGE_KEY_PERSON = 'immich-timelapse-selected-person';
+  const WS_RECONNECT_DELAY_MS = 1000; // WebSocket reconnection delay
 
   // Load persisted state from localStorage
   function loadPersistedPersonId() {
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@
   let initialSelectedPersonId = $state(loadPersistedPersonId());
   let jobStatus = $state('idle');
   let progress = $state({ completed: 0, total: 0, message: '' });
-  let pollInterval = $state(null);
+  let ws = $state(null);
+  let wsReconnectTimeout = $state(null);
 
   // View state management for gallery
   let currentView = $state('main'); // 'main' | 'gallery'
@@ -130,66 +131,82 @@
   function handleJobUpdate(data) {
     jobStatus = data.status;
     progress = data;
-
-    // Start polling if job just started
-    if (data.status === 'running' || data.status === 'compiling_video') {
-      startPolling();
-    }
   }
 
   async function checkAndPollProgress() {
-    try {
-      const res = await fetch('/api/progress');
-      const data = await res.json();
-
-      // Only restore status if a job is actively running, or if we're not in idle state.
-      // This prevents restoring 'completed' status after we've manually dismissed it.
-      const isActiveJob = data.status === 'running' || data.status === 'compiling_video' || data.status === 'cancelling';
-      if (isActiveJob || jobStatus !== 'idle') {
-        jobStatus = data.status;
-        progress = data;
-      }
-
-      // If a job is running, start polling
-      if (isActiveJob) {
-        startPolling();
-      }
-    } catch (e) {
-      console.error('Failed to check progress:', e);
-    }
+    // Connect WebSocket if not already connected
+    connectWebSocket();
   }
 
-  async function pollProgress() {
-    try {
-      const res = await fetch('/api/progress');
-      const data = await res.json();
+  function connectWebSocket() {
+    if (ws && (ws.readyState === WebSocket.CONNECTING || ws.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN)) {
+      return; // Already connected or connecting
+    }
 
-      const previousStatus = jobStatus;
-      jobStatus = data.status;
-      progress = data;
+    const protocol = window.location.protocol === 'https:' ? 'wss:' : 'ws:';
+    const wsUrl = `${protocol}//${window.location.host}/api/ws`;
 
-      // Stop polling when job completes
-      if (data.status === 'completed' || data.status === 'cancelled' || data.status === 'error' || data.status === 'idle') {
-        stopPolling();
-        // Refresh output folders when job finishes (was running before)
-        if (previousStatus === 'running' || previousStatus === 'compiling_video' || previousStatus === 'cancelling') {
-          outputFolderRefreshKey++;
+    ws = new WebSocket(wsUrl);
+
+    ws.onopen = () => {
+      console.log('WebSocket connected');
+    };
+
+    ws.onmessage = (event) => {
+      try {
+        const data = JSON.parse(event.data);
+        const previousStatus = jobStatus;
+
+        // Only restore status if a job is actively running, or if we're not in idle state
+        const isActiveJob = data.status === 'running' || data.status === 'compiling_video' || data.status === 'cancelling';
+        if (isActiveJob || jobStatus !== 'idle') {
+          jobStatus = data.status;
+          progress = data;
         }
+
+        // Refresh output folders when job finishes (was running before)
+        if (data.status === 'completed' || data.status === 'cancelled' || data.status === 'error') {
+          if (previousStatus === 'running' || previousStatus === 'compiling_video' || previousStatus === 'cancelling') {
+            outputFolderRefreshKey++;
+          }
+        }
+      } catch (e) {
+        console.error('Failed to parse WebSocket message:', e);
       }
-    } catch (e) {
-      console.error('Poll failed:', e);
+    };
+
+    ws.onclose = () => {
+      console.log('WebSocket disconnected');
+      ws = null;
+      // Reconnect if connection was established (connectionOk is true)
+      if (connectionOk) {
+        scheduleReconnect();
+      }
+    };
+
+    ws.onerror = (error) => {
+      console.error('WebSocket error:', error);
+    };
+  }
+
+  function scheduleReconnect() {
+    if (wsReconnectTimeout) return; // Already scheduled
+    wsReconnectTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
+      wsReconnectTimeout = null;
+      if (connectionOk) {
+        connectWebSocket();
+      }
+    }, WS_RECONNECT_DELAY_MS);
+  }
+
+  function disconnectWebSocket() {
+    if (wsReconnectTimeout) {
+      clearTimeout(wsReconnectTimeout);
+      wsReconnectTimeout = null;
     }
-  }
-
-  function startPolling() {
-    if (pollInterval) return; // Already polling
-    pollInterval = setInterval(pollProgress, POLL_INTERVAL_MS);
-  }
-
-  function stopPolling() {
-    if (pollInterval) {
-      clearInterval(pollInterval);
-      pollInterval = null;
+    if (ws) {
+      ws.close();
+      ws = null;
     }
   }
 
@@ -198,7 +215,7 @@
   });
 
   onDestroy(() => {
-    stopPolling();
+    disconnectWebSocket();
   });
 </script>
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/ProcessingControls.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/ProcessingControls.svelte
index 7963c34..e3b5806 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/ProcessingControls.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/ProcessingControls.svelte
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
       const data = await res.json();
 
       if (res.ok && data.success) {
-        // Notify parent to start polling
+        // Notify parent of job start
         onupdate?.({
           status: 'running',
           completed: 0,
diff --git a/src/web/handlers/mod.rs b/src/web/handlers/mod.rs
index 47730b2..39ac9ab 100644
--- a/src/web/handlers/mod.rs
+++ b/src/web/handlers/mod.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ mod health;
 mod output;
 mod people;
 mod processing;
+mod ws;
 
 use crate::web::state::AppState;
 use axum::{
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ use output::{
 };
 use people::{get_people, get_person_asset_count, get_person_thumbnail};
 use processing::{cancel_processing, get_progress, start_processing};
+use ws::ws_handler;
 
 // Re-export types that may be needed by other modules
 pub use config::ConfigResponse;
@@ -72,6 +74,7 @@ pub fn create_router(state: AppState) -> Router {
             get(get_person_asset_count),
         )
         .route("/api/progress", get(get_progress))
+        .route("/api/ws", get(ws_handler))
         .route("/api/start", post(start_processing))
         .route("/api/cancel", post(cancel_processing))
         .route("/api/output", get(list_output_folders))
diff --git a/src/web/handlers/ws.rs b/src/web/handlers/ws.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..552e61a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/web/handlers/ws.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+//! WebSocket handler for real-time progress updates.
+
+use crate::web::handlers::ProgressResponse;
+use crate::web::state::{AppState, JobStatus};
+use axum::{
+    extract::{
+        ws::{Message, WebSocket},
+        State, WebSocketUpgrade,
+    },
+    response::IntoResponse,
+};
+use futures_util::{stream::StreamExt, SinkExt};
+
+/// WebSocket upgrade handler.
+pub async fn ws_handler(
+    ws: WebSocketUpgrade,
+    State(state): State<AppState>,
+) -> impl IntoResponse {
+    ws.on_upgrade(|socket| handle_socket(socket, state))
+}
+
+/// Handle an individual WebSocket connection.
+async fn handle_socket(socket: WebSocket, state: AppState) {
+    let (mut sender, mut receiver) = socket.split();
+
+    // Subscribe to progress updates
+    let mut progress_rx = state.progress_tx.subscribe();
+
+    // Send current progress immediately on connect
+    {
+        let progress = state.progress.read().await;
+        let response = progress_to_response(&progress);
+        if let Ok(json) = serde_json::to_string(&response) {
+            if sender.send(Message::Text(json.into())).await.is_err() {
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Spawn a task to handle incoming messages (ping/pong, close)
+    let mut recv_task = tokio::spawn(async move {
+        while let Some(msg) = receiver.next().await {
+            match msg {
+                Ok(Message::Close(_)) => break,
+                Err(_) => break,
+                _ => {} // Ignore other messages
+            }
+        }
+    });
+
+    // Send progress updates to the client
+    let mut send_task = tokio::spawn(async move {
+        while let Ok(progress) = progress_rx.recv().await {
+            let response = progress_to_response(&progress);
+            match serde_json::to_string(&response) {
+                Ok(json) => {
+                    if sender.send(Message::Text(json.into())).await.is_err() {
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+                Err(_) => break,
+            }
+        }
+    });
+
+    // Wait for either task to complete
+    tokio::select! {
+        _ = &mut recv_task => {
+            send_task.abort();
+        }
+        _ = &mut send_task => {
+            recv_task.abort();
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Convert Progress to ProgressResponse for JSON serialization.
+fn progress_to_response(progress: &crate::web::state::Progress) -> ProgressResponse {
+    use crate::web::handlers::SkipStatsResponse;
+
+    let status_str = match &progress.status {
+        JobStatus::Idle => "idle",
+        JobStatus::Running => "running",
+        JobStatus::Cancelling => "cancelling",
+        JobStatus::CompilingVideo => "compiling_video",
+        JobStatus::Completed => "completed",
+        JobStatus::Cancelled => "cancelled",
+        JobStatus::Error(_) => "error",
+    };
+
+    ProgressResponse {
+        status: status_str.to_string(),
+        completed: progress.completed,
+        total: progress.total,
+        message: progress.message.clone(),
+        skip_stats: SkipStatsResponse::from(&progress.skip_stats),
+        person_id: progress.person_id.clone(),
+        person_name: progress.person_name.clone(),
+    }
+}