diff --git a/.github/workflows/container_dev.yml b/.github/workflows/container_dev.yml
index 11b339bc6..19ddf9c51 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/container_dev.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/container_dev.yml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ on:
     paths:
       - 'weed/**'
       - 'seaweed-volume/**'
+      - 'seaweed-worker/**'
       - 'docker/**'
       - 'go.mod'
       - 'go.sum'
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
 
-  # ── Pre-build Rust volume server binaries natively ──────────────────
+  # ── Pre-build the Rust binaries natively ────────────────────────────
   build-rust-binaries:
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
     strategy:
@@ -55,7 +56,8 @@ jobs:
             ~/.cargo/registry
             ~/.cargo/git
             seaweed-volume/target
-          key: rust-docker-dev-${{ matrix.target }}-${{ hashFiles('seaweed-volume/Cargo.lock') }}
+            seaweed-worker/target/${{ matrix.target }}/release
+          key: rust-docker-dev-${{ matrix.target }}-${{ hashFiles('seaweed-volume/Cargo.lock', 'seaweed-worker/Cargo.lock') }}
           restore-keys: |
             rust-docker-dev-${{ matrix.target }}-
 
@@ -67,11 +69,19 @@ jobs:
           cargo build --release --target ${{ matrix.target }} --no-default-features
           cp target/${{ matrix.target }}/release/weed-volume ../weed-volume-normal-${{ matrix.arch }}
 
+      - name: Build the Rust maintenance worker
+        run: |
+          cd seaweed-worker
+          cargo build --release -p weed-lance-worker --target ${{ matrix.target }}
+          cp target/${{ matrix.target }}/release/weed-worker ../weed-worker-${{ matrix.arch }}
+
       - name: Upload artifacts
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
         with:
-          name: rust-volume-${{ matrix.arch }}
-          path: weed-volume-normal-${{ matrix.arch }}
+          name: rust-bins-${{ matrix.arch }}
+          path: |
+            weed-volume-normal-${{ matrix.arch }}
+            weed-worker-${{ matrix.arch }}
 
   build-dev-containers:
     needs: [build-rust-binaries]
@@ -84,7 +94,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Download pre-built Rust binaries
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
         with:
-          pattern: rust-volume-*
+          pattern: rust-bins-*
           merge-multiple: true
           path: ./rust-bins
 
@@ -98,7 +108,16 @@ jobs:
               echo "Placed pre-built Rust binary for ${arch}"
             fi
           done
+          mkdir -p docker/weed-worker-prebuilt
+          for arch in amd64 arm64; do
+            src="./rust-bins/weed-worker-${arch}"
+            if [ -f "$src" ]; then
+              cp "$src" "docker/weed-worker-prebuilt/weed-worker-${arch}"
+              echo "Placed pre-built Rust worker for ${arch}"
+            fi
+          done
           ls -la docker/weed-volume-prebuilt/
+          ls -la docker/weed-worker-prebuilt/
 
       - name: Docker meta
         id: docker_meta
diff --git a/.github/workflows/container_latest.yml b/.github/workflows/container_latest.yml
index a82755c2e..55f2bd7f0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/container_latest.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/container_latest.yml
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ jobs:
             echo "publish=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           fi
 
-  # ── Pre-build Rust volume server binaries natively ──────────────────
+  # ── Pre-build the Rust binaries natively ────────────────────────────
   build-rust-binaries:
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
     strategy:
@@ -100,7 +100,8 @@ jobs:
             ~/.cargo/registry
             ~/.cargo/git
             seaweed-volume/target
-          key: rust-docker-${{ matrix.target }}-${{ hashFiles('seaweed-volume/Cargo.lock') }}
+            seaweed-worker/target/${{ matrix.target }}/release
+          key: rust-docker-${{ matrix.target }}-${{ hashFiles('seaweed-volume/Cargo.lock', 'seaweed-worker/Cargo.lock') }}
           restore-keys: |
             rust-docker-${{ matrix.target }}-
 
@@ -120,13 +121,20 @@ jobs:
           cargo build --release --target ${{ matrix.target }} --no-default-features
           cp target/${{ matrix.target }}/release/weed-volume ../weed-volume-normal-${{ matrix.arch }}
 
+      - name: Build the Rust maintenance worker
+        run: |
+          cd seaweed-worker
+          cargo build --release -p weed-lance-worker --target ${{ matrix.target }}
+          cp target/${{ matrix.target }}/release/weed-worker ../weed-worker-${{ matrix.arch }}
+
       - name: Upload artifacts
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
         with:
-          name: rust-volume-${{ matrix.arch }}
+          name: rust-bins-${{ matrix.arch }}
           path: |
             weed-volume-large-disk-${{ matrix.arch }}
             weed-volume-normal-${{ matrix.arch }}
+            weed-worker-${{ matrix.arch }}
 
   build:
     needs: [setup, build-rust-binaries]
@@ -174,7 +182,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Download pre-built Rust binaries
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
         with:
-          pattern: rust-volume-*
+          pattern: rust-bins-*
           merge-multiple: true
           path: ./rust-bins
 
@@ -188,7 +196,16 @@ jobs:
               echo "Placed pre-built Rust binary for ${arch}"
             fi
           done
+          mkdir -p docker/weed-worker-prebuilt
+          for arch in amd64 arm64; do
+            src="./rust-bins/weed-worker-${arch}"
+            if [ -f "$src" ]; then
+              cp "$src" "docker/weed-worker-prebuilt/weed-worker-${arch}"
+              echo "Placed pre-built Rust worker for ${arch}"
+            fi
+          done
           ls -la docker/weed-volume-prebuilt/
+          ls -la docker/weed-worker-prebuilt/
 
       - name: Docker meta
         id: docker_meta
@@ -286,7 +303,7 @@ jobs:
         if: needs.setup.outputs.publish != 'true'
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
         with:
-          pattern: rust-volume-*
+          pattern: rust-bins-*
           merge-multiple: true
           path: ./rust-bins
       - name: Place Rust binaries in Docker context for local scan
@@ -304,7 +321,16 @@ jobs:
               echo "Placed pre-built Rust binary for ${arch}"
             fi
           done
+          mkdir -p docker/weed-worker-prebuilt
+          for arch in amd64 arm64; do
+            src="./rust-bins/weed-worker-${arch}"
+            if [ -f "$src" ]; then
+              cp "$src" "docker/weed-worker-prebuilt/weed-worker-${arch}"
+              echo "Placed pre-built Rust worker for ${arch}"
+            fi
+          done
           ls -la docker/weed-volume-prebuilt/
+          ls -la docker/weed-worker-prebuilt/
       - name: Create BuildKit config for local scan build
         if: needs.setup.outputs.publish != 'true'
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/container_release_unified.yml b/.github/workflows/container_release_unified.yml
index f8d9cd21d..f8177061b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/container_release_unified.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/container_release_unified.yml
@@ -42,9 +42,10 @@ concurrency:
 
 jobs:
 
-  # ── Pre-build Rust volume server binaries natively ──────────────────
-  # Cross-compiles for amd64 and arm64 without QEMU, turning a 5-hour
-  # emulated cargo build into ~15 minutes of native compilation.
+  # ── Pre-build the Rust binaries natively ────────────────────────────
+  # The volume server and the Rust maintenance worker, cross-compiled for
+  # amd64 and arm64 without QEMU, turning a 5-hour emulated cargo build into
+  # ~15 minutes of native compilation.
   build-rust-binaries:
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
     strategy:
@@ -83,7 +84,8 @@ jobs:
             ~/.cargo/registry
             ~/.cargo/git
             seaweed-volume/target
-          key: rust-docker-${{ matrix.target }}-${{ hashFiles('seaweed-volume/Cargo.lock') }}
+            seaweed-worker/target/${{ matrix.target }}/release
+          key: rust-docker-${{ matrix.target }}-${{ hashFiles('seaweed-volume/Cargo.lock', 'seaweed-worker/Cargo.lock') }}
           restore-keys: |
             rust-docker-${{ matrix.target }}-
 
@@ -103,13 +105,20 @@ jobs:
           cargo build --release --target ${{ matrix.target }} --no-default-features
           cp target/${{ matrix.target }}/release/weed-volume ../weed-volume-normal-${{ matrix.arch }}
 
+      - name: Build the Rust maintenance worker
+        run: |
+          cd seaweed-worker
+          cargo build --release -p weed-lance-worker --target ${{ matrix.target }}
+          cp target/${{ matrix.target }}/release/weed-worker ../weed-worker-${{ matrix.arch }}
+
       - name: Upload artifacts
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
         with:
-          name: rust-volume-${{ matrix.arch }}
+          name: rust-bins-${{ matrix.arch }}
           path: |
             weed-volume-large-disk-${{ matrix.arch }}
             weed-volume-normal-${{ matrix.arch }}
+            weed-worker-${{ matrix.arch }}
 
   # One job per (variant, platform) on a native runner, pushed by digest;
   # the merge job stitches the digests into one multi-arch tag.
@@ -155,7 +164,7 @@ jobs:
         if: github.event_name != 'workflow_dispatch' || github.event.inputs.variant == 'all' || github.event.inputs.variant == matrix.variant
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
         with:
-          pattern: rust-volume-*
+          pattern: rust-bins-*
           merge-multiple: true
           path: ./rust-bins
 
@@ -170,7 +179,16 @@ jobs:
               echo "Placed pre-built Rust binary for ${arch}"
             fi
           done
+          mkdir -p docker/weed-worker-prebuilt
+          for arch in amd64 arm64; do
+            src="./rust-bins/weed-worker-${arch}"
+            if [ -f "$src" ]; then
+              cp "$src" "docker/weed-worker-prebuilt/weed-worker-${arch}"
+              echo "Placed pre-built Rust worker for ${arch}"
+            fi
+          done
           ls -la docker/weed-volume-prebuilt/
+          ls -la docker/weed-worker-prebuilt/
 
       - name: Free Disk Space
         if: github.event_name != 'workflow_dispatch' || github.event.inputs.variant == 'all' || github.event.inputs.variant == matrix.variant