diff --git a/src/paperless_ai/indexing.py b/src/paperless_ai/indexing.py
index 307ee840f..499990799 100644
--- a/src/paperless_ai/indexing.py
+++ b/src/paperless_ai/indexing.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ from paperless_ai.embedding import get_embedding_model
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from llama_index.core.schema import BaseNode
+    from llama_index.core.schema import NodeWithScore
 
     from paperless_ai.vector_store import PaperlessSqliteVecVectorStore
 
@@ -449,12 +450,19 @@ def normalize_document_ids(document_ids: Iterable[int | str] | None) -> set[str]
     return {str(document_id) for document_id in document_ids}
 
 
-def query_similar_documents(
+def retrieve_similar_nodes(
     document: Document,
-    top_k: int = 5,
     document_ids: Iterable[int | str] | None = None,
-) -> list[Document]:
-    """Return up to ``top_k`` Documents most similar to ``document``."""
+    top_k: int = 5,
+) -> list["NodeWithScore"]:
+    """Run ANN retrieval and return the raw NodeWithScore results.
+
+    Returns ``[]`` when the allow-list normalizes to empty, or when no index
+    exists yet (queuing a build in that case). The ``retrieve()`` call is a slow
+    embedding request, so it runs inside ``db_connection_released()`` to avoid
+    pinning the pooled DB connection (#12976). Both ``query_similar_documents``
+    and the taxonomy-hints path go through here, so they share that behavior.
+    """
     allowed_document_ids = normalize_document_ids(document_ids)
     if allowed_document_ids is not None and not allowed_document_ids:
         return []
@@ -494,7 +502,21 @@ def query_similar_documents(
             filters=filters,
         )
         with db_connection_released():
-            results = retriever.retrieve(query_text)
+            return retriever.retrieve(query_text)
+
+
+def query_similar_documents(
+    document: Document,
+    top_k: int = 5,
+    document_ids: Iterable[int | str] | None = None,
+) -> list[Document]:
+    """Return up to ``top_k`` Documents most similar to ``document``."""
+    allowed_document_ids = normalize_document_ids(document_ids)
+    results = retrieve_similar_nodes(
+        document=document,
+        document_ids=allowed_document_ids,
+        top_k=top_k,
+    )
 
     retrieved_document_ids: list[int] = []
     for node in results:
diff --git a/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_ai_indexing.py b/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_ai_indexing.py
index 42062e82d..8deb9658f 100644
--- a/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_ai_indexing.py
+++ b/src/paperless_ai/tests/test_ai_indexing.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from pathlib import Path
+from types import SimpleNamespace
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock
 from unittest.mock import patch
 
@@ -726,3 +727,58 @@ class TestQuerySimilarDocuments:
         results = indexing.query_similar_documents(a, document_ids=[b.id])
 
         assert all(doc.id == b.id for doc in results)
+
+
+class TestRetrieveSimilarNodes:
+    @pytest.mark.django_db
+    def test_returns_raw_nodes_from_retriever(
+        self,
+        temp_llm_index_dir: Path,
+        real_document: Document,
+        mocker: pytest_mock.MockerFixture,
+    ) -> None:
+        mocker.patch("paperless_ai.indexing.llm_index_exists", return_value=True)
+        mocker.patch("paperless_ai.indexing.load_or_build_index")
+        node1 = SimpleNamespace(metadata={"document_id": "1"})
+        node2 = SimpleNamespace(metadata={"document_id": "2"})
+        retriever = mocker.MagicMock()
+        retriever.retrieve.return_value = [node1, node2]
+        mocker.patch(
+            "llama_index.core.retrievers.VectorIndexRetriever",
+            return_value=retriever,
+        )
+
+        result = indexing.retrieve_similar_nodes(real_document, top_k=3)
+
+        assert result == [node1, node2]
+
+    @pytest.mark.django_db
+    def test_empty_allow_list_fails_closed(
+        self,
+        real_document: Document,
+        mocker: pytest_mock.MockerFixture,
+    ) -> None:
+        load = mocker.patch("paperless_ai.indexing.load_or_build_index")
+
+        result = indexing.retrieve_similar_nodes(real_document, document_ids=[])
+
+        assert result == []
+        load.assert_not_called()
+
+    @pytest.mark.django_db
+    def test_queues_update_when_index_missing(
+        self,
+        temp_llm_index_dir: Path,
+        real_document: Document,
+        mocker: pytest_mock.MockerFixture,
+    ) -> None:
+        mocker.patch("paperless_ai.indexing.llm_index_exists", return_value=False)
+        queue = mocker.patch("paperless_ai.indexing.queue_llm_index_update_if_needed")
+
+        result = indexing.retrieve_similar_nodes(real_document, top_k=2)
+
+        assert result == []
+        queue.assert_called_once_with(
+            rebuild=False,
+            reason="LLM index not found for similarity query.",
+        )