diff --git a/webui/index.html b/webui/index.html
index 218ed21a..066ae278 100644
--- a/webui/index.html
+++ b/webui/index.html
@@ -3855,6 +3855,15 @@
                                             • <strong>Discogs</strong> — needs a personal access token.<br><br>
                                             Tip: if you pick <strong>Spotify Free</strong> and later connect a real Spotify account, it uses the official account normally and only falls back to free while Spotify is rate-limited — then switches back automatically.</div>
                                     </div>
+                                    <div class="form-group" style="margin-top: 12px;">
+                                        <label style="display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 8px; cursor: pointer; font-weight: normal;">
+                                            <input type="checkbox" id="metadata-spotify-free-enrichment" style="width: auto; margin: 0;">
+                                            <span>Use Spotify Free for background enrichment</span>
+                                        </label>
+                                        <div class="callback-info">
+                                            <div class="callback-help">Runs the background enrichment worker on the no-credentials Spotify Free source even when your Spotify account is connected — sparing your official API quota (and avoiding rate-limit bans) for interactive search and playlist sync, since bulk enrichment is what usually trips Spotify's limits. Needs the bundled Spotify Free package. Trade-off: Spotify Free can't provide artist genres. Leave off to enrich via your official account as usual.</div>
+                                        </div>
+                                    </div>
                                 </div>
 
                                 <!-- Spotify Settings -->
diff --git a/webui/static/settings.js b/webui/static/settings.js
index f0defa8f..d9d1e33c 100644
--- a/webui/static/settings.js
+++ b/webui/static/settings.js
@@ -1061,6 +1061,8 @@ async function loadSettingsData() {
         const _metaSel = (_fbSrc === 'spotify' && settings.metadata?.spotify_free === true)
             ? 'spotify_free' : _fbSrc;
         document.getElementById('metadata-fallback-source').value = _metaSel;
+        const _efEl = document.getElementById('metadata-spotify-free-enrichment');
+        if (_efEl) _efEl.checked = settings.metadata?.spotify_free_enrichment === true;
 
         // Populate Hydrabase settings
         const hbConfig = settings.hydrabase || {};
@@ -2886,7 +2888,10 @@ async function saveSettings(quiet = false) {
             // 'Spotify Free' is stored as the spotify source + a flag, so all
             // downstream 'spotify' routing is unchanged.
             fallback_source: metadataSource === 'spotify_free' ? 'spotify' : metadataSource,
-            spotify_free: metadataSource === 'spotify_free'
+            spotify_free: metadataSource === 'spotify_free',
+            // Independent opt-in: run the enrichment worker on Spotify Free even
+            // when an official account is connected (spares the official quota).
+            spotify_free_enrichment: document.getElementById('metadata-spotify-free-enrichment')?.checked || false
         },
         hydrabase: {
             url: document.getElementById('hydrabase-url').value,