diff --git a/src/app_controller.py b/src/app_controller.py
index cf330bf0..5c28076b 100644
--- a/src/app_controller.py
+++ b/src/app_controller.py
@@ -1234,10 +1234,12 @@ class AppController:
 
   self.rag_engine = None
   if self.rag_config.enabled:
-   from src import rag_engine
-   self.rag_engine = rag_engine.RAGEngine(self.rag_config, self.active_project_root)
-   if self.rag_engine.is_empty():
-    self._rebuild_rag_index()
+   def _init_rag_engine():
+    from src import rag_engine
+    self.rag_engine = rag_engine.RAGEngine(self.rag_config, self.active_project_root)
+    if self.rag_engine.is_empty():
+     self._rebuild_rag_index()
+   threading.Thread(target=_init_rag_engine, daemon=True).start()
 
   from src.personas import PersonaManager
   self.persona_manager = PersonaManager(Path(self.active_project_path).parent if self.active_project_path else None)