diff --git a/server/src/index.ts b/server/src/index.ts
index 83698b45c..45c75ac8b 100755
--- a/server/src/index.ts
+++ b/server/src/index.ts
@@ -17,22 +17,31 @@ const startApp = async () => {
 	// Validate environment variables first
 	const env = validateEnv();
 
+	// Create settings service (env only — DB repository injected after connect)
+	const settingsService = new SettingsService(env);
+	const envSettings = settingsService.loadSettings();
+	// Create logger
+	logger = new Logger({ envSettings });
+
+	// Initialize services (connects DB, creates repositories, injects settingsRepository)
+	const services = await initializeServices({ logger, envSettings, settingsService, queueMode: envSettings.queueMode });
+
+	// If this is a worker instance, we're done.  No need for express
+	if (envSettings.queueMode === "worker") {
+		logger.info({
+			message: "Worker instance started. API will not be started",
+			service: SERVICE_NAME,
+		});
+		initShutdownListener(null, services);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	// FE path
 	const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
 	const __dirname = path.dirname(__filename);
 	const openApiSpec = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, "../openapi.json"), "utf8"));
 	const frontendPath = path.join(__dirname, "..", "public");
 
-	// Create settings service (env only — DB repository injected after connect)
-	const settingsService = new SettingsService(env);
-	const envSettings = settingsService.loadSettings();
-
-	// Create logger
-	logger = new Logger({ envSettings });
-
-	// Initialize services (connects DB, creates repositories, injects settingsRepository)
-	const services = await initializeServices({ logger, envSettings, settingsService });
-
 	// Initialize controllers
 	const controllers = initializeControllers(services);
 
diff --git a/server/src/shutdown.ts b/server/src/shutdown.ts
index 877aef325..3c1fc4ee7 100644
--- a/server/src/shutdown.ts
+++ b/server/src/shutdown.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { InitializedServices } from "./config/services.js";
 import { logger } from "./utils/logger.js";
 import type { Server } from "http";
 
-export const initShutdownListener = (server: Server, services: InitializedServices) => {
+export const initShutdownListener = (server: Server | null, services: InitializedServices) => {
 	const SERVICE_NAME = "Server";
 
 	let isShuttingDown = false;
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ export const initShutdownListener = (server: Server, services: InitializedServic
 		logger.info({ message: "Attempting graceful shutdown" });
 
 		try {
-			server.close();
+			server?.close();
 			await services.jobQueue.shutdown();
 			await services.db.disconnect();
 			logger.info({ message: "Graceful shutdown complete" });