diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index ae6d229b..ce535de7 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -799,9 +799,10 @@ EMBEDDING_GATEWAY_TOKEN_URL=...
 EMBEDDING_GATEWAY_CLIENT_ID=...
 EMBEDDING_GATEWAY_CLIENT_SECRET=...
 
-# Ingest queue backend. Default (unset) auto-derives from DATABASE_URL:
-#   - PostgreSQL DATABASE_URL → "postgres" (the procrastinate queue)
-#   - SQLite / unset          → "memory"   (the in-process anyio queue)
+# Ingest queue backend. Default (unset) is "memory" — the in-process anyio
+# queue — *regardless of DATABASE_URL*. procrastinate is strictly opt-in: set
+# INGEST_QUEUE=postgres to split ingest into a separate worker (requires a
+# PostgreSQL DATABASE_URL). A Postgres DATABASE_URL alone never enables it.
 INGEST_QUEUE=postgres         # memory | postgres
 # Process role (informational; the worker is launched via the `worker` command):
 MCP_ROLE=all                  # api | worker | all (default)
@@ -810,8 +811,13 @@ TENANT_ID=<uuid>              # per-tenant identity (used in collection naming)
 
 ### Postgres ingest queue + worker (api/worker split)
 
-When `INGEST_QUEUE=postgres` (a PostgreSQL `DATABASE_URL`), the scanner **defers**
-one job per changed document into the app's Postgres via
+This is **opt-in**. By default (`INGEST_QUEUE=memory`) the scanner processes
+changed documents in-process via anyio task groups in the API pod — no
+procrastinate, no separate worker, even when `DATABASE_URL` is Postgres.
+
+When you explicitly set `INGEST_QUEUE=postgres` (against a PostgreSQL
+`DATABASE_URL`), the scanner instead **defers** one job per changed document
+into the app's Postgres via
 [procrastinate](https://procrastinate.readthedocs.io); a separate **worker**
 process drains the queue (fetch → chunk → embed → upsert Qdrant). Run the two
 roles as separate Deployments from the same image:
diff --git a/nextcloud_mcp_server/config.py b/nextcloud_mcp_server/config.py
index 37516c13..96cce29b 100644
--- a/nextcloud_mcp_server/config.py
+++ b/nextcloud_mcp_server/config.py
@@ -171,9 +171,10 @@ _DEFAULTS: dict[str, Any] = {
     # the current monolithic behavior; self-hosters who set none are
     # unaffected. See docs/architecture/mcp-decomposition.md (sibling repo).
     "embedding_provider": "autodetect",  # autodetect | gateway
-    # Ingest queue backend (Deck #183). None → auto: ``postgres`` (procrastinate)
-    # when DATABASE_URL is Postgres, else ``memory`` (the in-process anyio queue
-    # for SQLite/dev). procrastinate requires PostgreSQL.
+    # Ingest queue backend (Deck #183). None → ``memory`` (the in-process anyio
+    # queue): procrastinate is strictly opt-in, even on a Postgres DATABASE_URL.
+    # Set ``postgres`` explicitly to split ingest into a procrastinate worker;
+    # that requires a PostgreSQL DATABASE_URL.
     "ingest_queue": None,  # memory | postgres
     # Process role for the per-tenant two-pod model (Deck #183). ``api`` runs the
     # MCP/query server + scanner (defers jobs); the ``worker`` role is the
@@ -829,13 +830,15 @@ class Settings:
                     f"{_field.upper()} must be one of {sorted(_allowed)}; got {_val!r}"
                 )
 
-        # Ingest queue backend (Deck #183). Unset → auto-derive from the
-        # database backend: procrastinate needs PostgreSQL, so SQLite/dev falls
-        # back to the in-process anyio queue. An explicit ``postgres`` against a
-        # SQLite DATABASE_URL is a misconfiguration — fail loudly.
+        # Ingest queue backend (Deck #183). Procrastinate is opt-in: unset →
+        # ``memory`` (the in-process anyio queue) regardless of DB backend, so a
+        # Postgres DATABASE_URL alone never silently spins up a procrastinate
+        # worker. ``postgres`` must be set explicitly, and an explicit
+        # ``postgres`` against a SQLite DATABASE_URL is a misconfiguration —
+        # fail loudly below.
         _queue = (self.ingest_queue or "").strip().lower()
         if not _queue:
-            _queue = "memory" if is_sqlite_url(get_database_url()) else "postgres"
+            _queue = "memory"
         if _queue not in {"memory", "postgres"}:
             raise ValueError(
                 f"INGEST_QUEUE must be one of ['memory', 'postgres']; got {_queue!r}"
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_decomposition_config.py b/tests/unit/test_decomposition_config.py
index 9a2869a0..7f4b31a1 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_decomposition_config.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_decomposition_config.py
@@ -59,13 +59,24 @@ class TestIngestQueueResolution:
         with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="INGEST_QUEUE=postgres requires"):
             Settings(ingest_queue="postgres")
 
-    def test_auto_postgres_when_database_url_is_postgres(self, monkeypatch):
+    def test_memory_default_even_on_postgres_url(self, monkeypatch):
+        # Procrastinate is opt-in: a Postgres DATABASE_URL with INGEST_QUEUE
+        # unset must NOT silently enable procrastinate. Default → memory.
         monkeypatch.setattr(
             config_module,
             "get_database_url",
             lambda: "postgresql+asyncpg://mcp:mcp@db/mcp",
         )
-        assert Settings().ingest_queue == "postgres"
+        assert Settings().ingest_queue == "memory"
+
+    def test_explicit_postgres_on_postgres_url(self, monkeypatch):
+        # Opting in explicitly against a Postgres URL is the supported path.
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            config_module,
+            "get_database_url",
+            lambda: "postgresql+asyncpg://mcp:mcp@db/mcp",
+        )
+        assert Settings(ingest_queue="postgres").ingest_queue == "postgres"
 
     def test_explicit_memory_on_postgres_url(self, monkeypatch):
         monkeypatch.setattr(