diff --git a/database/schema/schema.sql b/database/schema/schema.sql
index e84419ec..ab80855d 100644
--- a/database/schema/schema.sql
+++ b/database/schema/schema.sql
@@ -100,7 +100,9 @@ INSERT INTO system_settings (setting_key, setting_value, description, setting_ty
 ('sync_queue_interval_seconds', '5', 'How often the sync queue flushes', 'int', '1', '3600', TRUE, 'sync'),
 ('sync_queue_batch_size', '50', 'Maximum items processed per sync queue flush', 'int', '1', '10000', TRUE, 'sync'),
 ('worker_pool_size', '3', 'Number of background worker goroutines', 'int', '1', '100', TRUE, 'performance'),
-('worker_queue_cap', '100', 'Background worker job queue capacity', 'int', '1', '10000', TRUE, 'performance')
+('worker_queue_cap', '100', 'Background worker job queue capacity', 'int', '1', '10000', TRUE, 'performance'),
+-- podcasts
+('podcast_poll_interval_seconds', '3600', 'How often to poll podcast feeds for new episodes (seconds; complete feeds back off)', 'int', '300', '604800', FALSE, 'podcasts')
 ON CONFLICT (setting_key) DO NOTHING;
 
 -- Create refresh_tokens table
diff --git a/internal/database/queries/queries.sql b/internal/database/queries/queries.sql
index 9372f5e5..59209fce 100644
--- a/internal/database/queries/queries.sql
+++ b/internal/database/queries/queries.sql
@@ -4943,7 +4943,7 @@ WHERE source_feed_id = $1
 -- source filter keeps scan items out of podcast search.
 SELECT * FROM media_items
 WHERE source = 'podcast_episode'
-  AND ($1 = '' OR title ILIKE '%' || $1 || '%' OR description ILIKE '%' || $1 || '%')
+  AND (sqlc.arg('search_query')::text = '' OR title ILIKE '%' || sqlc.arg('search_query')::text || '%' OR description ILIKE '%' || sqlc.arg('search_query')::text || '%')
 ORDER BY feed_position ASC NULLS LAST, date_published ASC NULLS LAST
 LIMIT 50;
 
@@ -4957,9 +4957,43 @@ SELECT f.*,
        s.created_at AS subscribed_at
 FROM podcast_subscriptions s
 JOIN podcast_feeds f ON f.id = s.feed_id
-WHERE s.user_id = $1
-  AND ($2 = '' OR f.title ILIKE '%' || $2 || '%'
-       OR COALESCE(s.display_name, '') ILIKE '%' || $2 || '%'
-       OR COALESCE(f.host, '') ILIKE '%' || $2 || '%'
-       OR COALESCE(f.publisher, '') ILIKE '%' || $2 || '%')
+WHERE s.user_id = sqlc.arg('user_id')
+  AND (sqlc.arg('search_query')::text = '' OR f.title ILIKE '%' || sqlc.arg('search_query')::text || '%'
+       OR COALESCE(s.display_name, '') ILIKE '%' || sqlc.arg('search_query')::text || '%'
+       OR COALESCE(f.host, '') ILIKE '%' || sqlc.arg('search_query')::text || '%'
+       OR COALESCE(f.publisher, '') ILIKE '%' || sqlc.arg('search_query')::text || '%')
 ORDER BY COALESCE(s.display_name, f.title) ASC;
+
+-- name: GetNextQueuedEpisode :one
+-- Sequential download worker's claim source (single worker, day one).
+SELECT * FROM media_items
+WHERE source = 'podcast_episode' AND download_state = 'queued'
+ORDER BY updated_at ASC
+LIMIT 1;
+
+-- name: CountQueuedEpisodes :one
+SELECT COUNT(*) FROM media_items
+WHERE source = 'podcast_episode' AND download_state IN ('queued', 'downloading');
+
+-- name: CountPodcastEpisodesForFeed :one
+SELECT COUNT(*) FROM media_items
+WHERE source_feed_id = $1 AND source = 'podcast_episode';
+
+-- ============================================================================
+-- GENERIC reader_settings KV (podcast order override, plan D5: key
+-- podcast_order:<feed_id>). The pre-existing reader_settings queries are
+-- hard-keyed to 'reader_settings'; these two are the generic form.
+-- ============================================================================
+
+-- name: GetUserSettingByKey :one
+SELECT setting_value FROM reader_settings
+WHERE user_id = $1 AND setting_key = $2;
+
+-- name: UpsertUserSettingByKey :exec
+INSERT INTO reader_settings (user_id, setting_key, setting_value)
+VALUES ($1, $2, $3)
+ON CONFLICT (user_id, setting_key)
+DO UPDATE SET setting_value = EXCLUDED.setting_value, updated_at = NOW();
+
+-- name: DeleteUserSettingByKey :exec
+DELETE FROM reader_settings WHERE user_id = $1 AND setting_key = $2;
diff --git a/internal/database/settings_registry.go b/internal/database/settings_registry.go
index 7b33fcda..8c9fb847 100644
--- a/internal/database/settings_registry.go
+++ b/internal/database/settings_registry.go
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ var SettingDefaults = []SettingDefault{
 	{Key: "sync_queue_batch_size", Value: "50", Type: SettingTypeInt, Min: "1", Max: "10000", RequiresRestart: true, Category: "sync", Group: "Sync Queue", Description: "Maximum items processed per sync queue flush"},
 	{Key: "worker_pool_size", Value: "3", Type: SettingTypeInt, Min: "1", Max: "100", RequiresRestart: true, Category: "performance", Group: "Worker Pool", Description: "Number of background worker goroutines"},
 	{Key: "worker_queue_cap", Value: "100", Type: SettingTypeInt, Min: "1", Max: "10000", RequiresRestart: true, Category: "performance", Group: "Worker Pool", Description: "Background worker job queue capacity"},
+	{Key: "podcast_poll_interval_seconds", Value: "3600", Type: SettingTypeInt, Min: "300", Max: "604800", Category: "podcasts", Group: "Podcasts", Description: "How often to poll podcast feeds for new episodes (seconds; complete feeds back off)"},
 }
 
 // defaultBy indexes SettingDefaults by key for O(1) lookup.
@@ -188,6 +189,13 @@ func (r *SettingsRegistry) ScanPollInterval() time.Duration {
 	return time.Duration(r.getInt("scan_poll_interval_seconds")) * time.Second
 }
 
+// PodcastPollInterval is the feed-poller tick (live setting; the poller
+// re-reads it every cycle — writes go through the settings API path,
+// AGENTS.md gotcha #2).
+func (r *SettingsRegistry) PodcastPollInterval() time.Duration {
+	return time.Duration(r.getInt("podcast_poll_interval_seconds")) * time.Second
+}
+
 // AutoScanEnabled reports whether auto-scanning is on.
 func (r *SettingsRegistry) AutoScanEnabled() bool { return r.getBool("auto_scan_enabled") }
 
diff --git a/internal/services/podcast_poller.go b/internal/services/podcast_poller.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8868bf3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/services/podcast_poller.go
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+// Podcast feed poller (plan §7 task 1.6): one periodic worker ticking
+// on the podcast_poll_interval_seconds system setting (re-read each
+// cycle — the settings API path keeps the registry cache honest),
+// polling every non-complete feed and applying subscriber auto-download
+// policies after each successful fetch (D6).
+//
+// RLS: detached work under the first-admin identity — the service's
+// adminCtx supplies it (invariant 12). Back-off: itunes:complete feeds
+// are skipped by the ticker (explicit refresh still works).
+package services
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"log"
+	"time"
+
+	"bookhoard/internal/database"
+)
+
+type PodcastPoller struct {
+	db       *database.Queries
+	svc      *PodcastService
+	worker   *PodcastDownloadWorker
+	settings *database.SettingsRegistry
+}
+
+func NewPodcastPoller(db *database.Queries, svc *PodcastService, worker *PodcastDownloadWorker, settings *database.SettingsRegistry) *PodcastPoller {
+	return &PodcastPoller{db: db, svc: svc, worker: worker, settings: settings}
+}
+
+// Start launches the poll loop; exits when ctx is cancelled.
+func (p *PodcastPoller) Start(ctx context.Context) {
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			interval := p.settings.PodcastPollInterval()
+			if interval < time.Minute {
+				interval = time.Minute // floor against bad settings rows
+			}
+			select {
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				return
+			case <-time.After(interval):
+			}
+			p.tick(ctx)
+		}
+	}()
+}
+
+// tick polls every non-complete feed once.
+func (p *PodcastPoller) tick(ctx context.Context) {
+	actx, err := p.svc.adminCtx(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("[PODCAST-POLL] no acting identity, skipping tick: %v", err)
+		return
+	}
+	feeds, err := p.db.ListPodcastFeedsForPolling(actx)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("[PODCAST-POLL] worklist: %v", err)
+		return
+	}
+	for _, feed := range feeds {
+		if ctx.Err() != nil {
+			return
+		}
+		if feed.IsComplete {
+			continue // back off ended feeds (explicit refresh still works)
+		}
+		if err := p.svc.PollFeed(actx, &feed); err != nil {
+			log.Printf("[PODCAST-POLL] %s: %v", feed.Title, err)
+			continue
+		}
+		// Fresh episodes → apply the subscriber policy union (auto-
+		// download without waiting for the next tick).
+		if _, err := p.worker.ApplyAutoPolicies(actx, feed.ID); err != nil {
+			log.Printf("[PODCAST-POLL] auto-download policies for %s: %v", feed.Title, err)
+		}
+	}
+}