diff --git a/backend/app/routes/channels.py b/backend/app/routes/channels.py
index 5220cdfc..462c69f9 100644
--- a/backend/app/routes/channels.py
+++ b/backend/app/routes/channels.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ hidden, tags) and per-channel sync state. Read + local-write only — YouTube-si
 import logging
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 
-from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException
+from fastapi import APIRouter, BackgroundTasks, Depends, HTTPException
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 from sqlalchemy import func, select, update
 from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ from app.models import (
 from app.routes._common import owned_or_404
 from app.routes.admin import admin_user
 from app.sync.explore import explore_ingest_page
-from app.sync.runner import run_recent_backfill
+from app.sync.runner import backfill_channel_now, run_recent_backfill
 from app.sync.subscriptions import apply_channel_details
 from app.utils import iso
 from app.youtube.client import YouTubeClient, YouTubeError
@@ -449,6 +449,7 @@ class ChannelUpdateIn(BaseModel):
 def update_channel(
     channel_id: str,
     body: ChannelUpdateIn,
+    background: BackgroundTasks,
     user: User = Depends(current_user),
     db: Session = Depends(get_db),
 ) -> dict:
@@ -473,12 +474,18 @@ def update_channel(
 
     # Opting a channel into full history should give an immediate feed: if we haven't even
     # fetched its recent uploads yet, do that one channel now (cheap) instead of waiting for
-    # the scheduler. Deep paging still follows on the scheduler's next run (recent-then-deep).
-    # (deep_turned_on is only ever True for a non-demo user — see the guard above.)
+    # the scheduler. (deep_turned_on is only ever True for a non-demo user — see the guard above.)
     if deep_turned_on and channel is not None and channel.recent_synced_at is None:
         with quota.attribute(user.id, quota.QuotaAction.VIDEOS_BACKFILL_RECENT):
             run_recent_backfill(db, [channel], max_channels=1)
 
+    # …and kick the FULL deep backfill for this one channel immediately in the background, so the
+    # whole catalogue lands in seconds instead of over the scheduler's paced 10-minute ticks. The
+    # request returns right away; the channel page's live poll shows the count climb. The scheduler
+    # still finishes a very large channel's tail on its normal runs (deep_requested stays set).
+    if deep_turned_on:
+        background.add_task(backfill_channel_now, channel_id)
+
     return {
         "id": channel_id,
         "priority": sub.priority,
diff --git a/backend/app/sync/runner.py b/backend/app/sync/runner.py
index dca35641..ae7fe21c 100644
--- a/backend/app/sync/runner.py
+++ b/backend/app/sync/runner.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
 from app import progress, quota, sysconfig
 
 log = logging.getLogger("siftlode.sync")
+from app.db import SessionLocal
 from app.models import Channel, OAuthToken, Subscription, User
 from app.sync.subscriptions import import_subscriptions
 from app.sync.videos import (
@@ -244,6 +245,30 @@ def run_deep_backfill(db: Session, max_channels: int = 10, max_pages: int = 5) -
     }
 
 
+def backfill_channel_now(channel_id: str, max_pages: int = 60) -> None:
+    """User-initiated "get full history": deep-backfill ONE channel to completion right now, in a
+    background task with its OWN session, so the full catalogue lands in seconds instead of over the
+    paced scheduler's 10-minute ticks (max_pages=5/channel/tick). Quota-guarded; a very large
+    channel's tail (beyond ~max_pages*50 videos) is finished by the scheduler on its normal runs,
+    since deep_requested stays set. Best-effort — logs and swallows failures."""
+    with SessionLocal() as db:
+        user = get_service_user(db)
+        if user is None:
+            return
+        channel = db.get(Channel, channel_id)
+        if channel is None or channel.backfill_done or not channel.uploads_playlist_id:
+            return
+        if quota.remaining_today(db) <= sysconfig.get_int(db, "backfill_quota_reserve"):
+            return
+        try:
+            with YouTubeClient(db, user) as yt:
+                backfill_channel_deep(db, yt, channel, max_pages)
+            reconcile_full_history(db)
+        except Exception:
+            db.rollback()
+            log.exception("Immediate backfill failed for channel %s", channel_id)
+
+
 def estimate_deep_backfill(db: Session, channels: list[Channel]) -> dict:
     """Rough ETA to finish full-history backfill of `channels`. Quota-bound: total
     estimated API units / the daily budget left for backfill. Deliberately approximate —