diff --git a/src/app/api/email-watch/route.ts b/src/app/api/email-watch/route.ts
index 2080c7d..dc3f9e6 100644
--- a/src/app/api/email-watch/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/email-watch/route.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
   startEmailWatching,
   stopEmailWatching,
   isEmailWatching,
+  scanInbox,
 } from "@/lib/email-watcher";
 
 export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
@@ -11,13 +12,21 @@ export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
     const body = await request.json().catch(() => ({}));
     const action = body.action as string | undefined;
 
-    if (!action || !["start", "stop"].includes(action)) {
+    if (!action || !["start", "stop", "scan"].includes(action)) {
       return NextResponse.json(
-        { error: "Invalid action. Use 'start' or 'stop'" },
+        { error: "Invalid action. Use 'start', 'stop', or 'scan'" },
         { status: 400 }
       );
     }
 
+    if (action === "scan") {
+      const result = await scanInbox();
+      if (result.error) {
+        return NextResponse.json({ error: result.error, ...result }, { status: 500 });
+      }
+      return NextResponse.json({ ok: true, ...result });
+    }
+
     if (action === "start") {
       const settings = await prisma.appSettings.findUnique({
         where: { id: "singleton" },
diff --git a/src/app/settings/page.tsx b/src/app/settings/page.tsx
index 1ddfd2f..9dde639 100644
--- a/src/app/settings/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/settings/page.tsx
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ export default function SettingsPage() {
   const [cleanupStatus, setCleanupStatus] = React.useState<{ sourcesEligible: number; imagesEligible: number } | null>(null);
   const [cleaning, setCleaning] = React.useState(false);
   const [emailTestStatus, setEmailTestStatus] = React.useState<"idle" | "testing" | "success" | "error">("idle");
+  const [scanning, setScanning] = React.useState(false);
   const [mondayColumns, setMondayColumns] = React.useState<MondayColumn[]>([]);
   const [fetchingColumns, setFetchingColumns] = React.useState(false);
   const [subscribing, setSubscribing] = React.useState(false);
@@ -327,6 +328,32 @@ export default function SettingsPage() {
     }
   };
 
+  const scanInbox = async () => {
+    setScanning(true);
+    try {
+      const res = await fetch("/api/email-watch", {
+        method: "POST",
+        headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
+        body: JSON.stringify({ action: "scan" }),
+      });
+      const data = await res.json();
+      if (!res.ok) {
+        toast.error(data.error || "Scan failed");
+      } else if (data.processed === 0 && data.skipped === 0) {
+        toast.info("No unread emails found in inbox");
+      } else {
+        const parts: string[] = [];
+        if (data.processed > 0) parts.push(`${data.processed} processed`);
+        if (data.skipped > 0) parts.push(`${data.skipped} skipped`);
+        toast.success(`Inbox scan: ${parts.join(", ")}`);
+      }
+    } catch {
+      toast.error("Failed to scan inbox");
+    } finally {
+      setScanning(false);
+    }
+  };
+
   const testEmailConnection = async () => {
     setEmailTestStatus("testing");
     try {
@@ -925,6 +952,16 @@ export default function SettingsPage() {
                   >
                     {settings.emailWatching ? "Stop Monitoring" : "Start Monitoring"}
                   </Button>
+                  <Button
+                    variant="outline"
+                    size="sm"
+                    className="rounded-xl"
+                    onClick={scanInbox}
+                    disabled={scanning || !settings.emailImapHost || !settings.emailImapUser || !settings.emailImapPass}
+                  >
+                    {scanning ? <Loader2 className="mr-2 size-3 animate-spin" /> : <RefreshCw className="mr-2 size-3" />}
+                    Scan Inbox
+                  </Button>
                   {settings.emailWatching && (
                     <Badge className="bg-emerald-500/10 text-emerald-700 dark:text-emerald-300">
                       Active
diff --git a/src/lib/email-watcher.ts b/src/lib/email-watcher.ts
index 0a6910c..694ab74 100644
--- a/src/lib/email-watcher.ts
+++ b/src/lib/email-watcher.ts
@@ -241,6 +241,70 @@ export function getEmailWatchStatus() {
   };
 }
 
+export async function scanInbox(): Promise<{ processed: number; skipped: number; error?: string }> {
+  const settings = await prisma.appSettings.findUnique({ where: { id: "singleton" } });
+  if (!settings?.emailImapHost || !settings?.emailImapUser || !settings?.emailImapPass) {
+    return { processed: 0, skipped: 0, error: "IMAP not configured" };
+  }
+
+  const config: EmailConfig = {
+    host: settings.emailImapHost,
+    port: settings.emailImapPort,
+    user: settings.emailImapUser,
+    pass: settings.emailImapPass,
+    tls: settings.emailImapTls,
+    folder: settings.emailFolder,
+    processedAction: settings.emailProcessed,
+    processedFolder: settings.emailProcessedFolder,
+  };
+
+  const scanClient = new ImapFlow({
+    host: config.host,
+    port: config.port,
+    secure: config.tls,
+    auth: { user: config.user, pass: config.pass },
+    logger: false,
+    emitLogs: false,
+  });
+
+  let processed = 0;
+  let skipped = 0;
+
+  try {
+    await scanClient.connect();
+    log(`[scan] Connected for manual inbox scan`);
+
+    const lock = await scanClient.getMailboxLock(config.folder);
+    try {
+      const searchResult = await scanClient.search({ seen: false }, { uid: true });
+      const unseen = Array.isArray(searchResult) ? searchResult : [];
+      log(`[scan] Found ${unseen.length} unseen message(s)`);
+
+      for (const uid of unseen) {
+        try {
+          await handleMessage(scanClient, uid, config);
+          processed++;
+        } catch (err) {
+          logError(`[scan] Error handling message UID ${uid}:`, err);
+          skipped++;
+        }
+      }
+    } finally {
+      lock.release();
+    }
+
+    await scanClient.logout();
+  } catch (err) {
+    const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : "Scan failed";
+    logError("[scan] Error:", message);
+    try { await scanClient.logout(); } catch {}
+    return { processed, skipped, error: message };
+  }
+
+  log(`[scan] Complete: ${processed} processed, ${skipped} skipped`);
+  return { processed, skipped };
+}
+
 export async function testEmailConnection(config: Omit<EmailConfig, "processedAction" | "processedFolder">): Promise<{ ok: boolean; folders?: string[]; error?: string }> {
   let testClient: ImapFlow | null = null;
   try {