diff --git a/src/paperless/config.py b/src/paperless/config.py
index 418112e03..77fd8ce32 100644
--- a/src/paperless/config.py
+++ b/src/paperless/config.py
@@ -64,9 +64,14 @@ class OcrConfig(OutputTypeConfig):
         self.pages = app_config.pages or settings.OCR_PAGES
         self.language = app_config.language or settings.OCR_LANGUAGE
         self.mode = app_config.mode or settings.OCR_MODE
-        self.archive_file_generation = (
-            app_config.skip_archive_file or settings.ARCHIVE_FILE_GENERATION
-        )
+        # Task 4 renames the DB field from skip_archive_file to archive_file_generation.
+        # Until that migration runs, fall back to the old field name.
+        _db_archive = getattr(
+            app_config,
+            "archive_file_generation",
+            None,
+        ) or getattr(app_config, "skip_archive_file", None)
+        self.archive_file_generation = _db_archive or settings.ARCHIVE_FILE_GENERATION
         self.image_dpi = app_config.image_dpi or settings.OCR_IMAGE_DPI
         self.clean = app_config.unpaper_clean or settings.OCR_CLEAN
         self.deskew = (
diff --git a/src/paperless/tests/parsers/conftest.py b/src/paperless/tests/parsers/conftest.py
index 8747ac9bd..abe00efce 100644
--- a/src/paperless/tests/parsers/conftest.py
+++ b/src/paperless/tests/parsers/conftest.py
@@ -708,6 +708,7 @@ def null_app_config(mocker: MockerFixture) -> MagicMock:
         pages=None,
         language=None,
         mode=None,
+        archive_file_generation=None,
         skip_archive_file=None,
         image_dpi=None,
         unpaper_clean=None,
diff --git a/src/paperless/tests/test_ocr_config.py b/src/paperless/tests/test_ocr_config.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fe7deffeb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/paperless/tests/test_ocr_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+"""Tests for OcrConfig archive_file_generation field behavior."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
+import pytest
+from django.test import override_settings
+
+from paperless.config import OcrConfig
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+
+@pytest.fixture()
+def null_app_config(mocker) -> MagicMock:
+    """Mock ApplicationConfiguration with all fields None → falls back to Django settings."""
+    return mocker.MagicMock(
+        output_type=None,
+        pages=None,
+        language=None,
+        mode=None,
+        archive_file_generation=None,
+        skip_archive_file=None,
+        image_dpi=None,
+        unpaper_clean=None,
+        deskew=None,
+        rotate_pages=None,
+        rotate_pages_threshold=None,
+        max_image_pixels=None,
+        color_conversion_strategy=None,
+        user_args=None,
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.fixture()
+def make_ocr_config(mocker, null_app_config):
+    mocker.patch(
+        "paperless.config.BaseConfig._get_config_instance",
+        return_value=null_app_config,
+    )
+
+    def _make(**django_settings_overrides):
+        with override_settings(**django_settings_overrides):
+            return OcrConfig()
+
+    return _make
+
+
+class TestOcrConfigArchiveFileGeneration:
+    def test_auto_from_settings(self, make_ocr_config) -> None:
+        cfg = make_ocr_config(OCR_MODE="auto", ARCHIVE_FILE_GENERATION="auto")
+        assert cfg.archive_file_generation == "auto"
+
+    def test_always_from_settings(self, make_ocr_config) -> None:
+        cfg = make_ocr_config(ARCHIVE_FILE_GENERATION="always")
+        assert cfg.archive_file_generation == "always"
+
+    def test_never_from_settings(self, make_ocr_config) -> None:
+        cfg = make_ocr_config(ARCHIVE_FILE_GENERATION="never")
+        assert cfg.archive_file_generation == "never"
+
+    def test_db_value_overrides_setting(self, make_ocr_config, null_app_config) -> None:
+        null_app_config.archive_file_generation = "never"
+        cfg = make_ocr_config(ARCHIVE_FILE_GENERATION="always")
+        assert cfg.archive_file_generation == "never"