diff --git a/JobTrackerApi/Controllers/GmailController.cs b/JobTrackerApi/Controllers/GmailController.cs
index 7383ba3..57ac4f9 100644
--- a/JobTrackerApi/Controllers/GmailController.cs
+++ b/JobTrackerApi/Controllers/GmailController.cs
@@ -641,12 +641,17 @@ public sealed class GmailController : ControllerBase
 
         var threadMessages = await _gmail.ListThreadMessagesAsync(ownerUserId, request.ThreadId.Trim(), cancellationToken);
         var distinctMessageIds = threadMessages.Select(message => message.Id).Where(static id => !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(id)).Distinct(StringComparer.Ordinal).ToList();
+        // Batch the "already imported?" check with a single query instead of one
+        // AnyAsync per message (N+1), mirroring RelinkThread below.
+        var existingMessageIds = await _db.Correspondences
+            .Where(message => message.JobApplicationId == job.Id && message.ExternalMessageId != null && distinctMessageIds.Contains(message.ExternalMessageId))
+            .Select(message => message.ExternalMessageId!)
+            .ToListAsync(cancellationToken);
         var imported = 0;
         var skipped = 0;
         foreach (var messageId in distinctMessageIds)
         {
-            var existing = await _db.Correspondences.AnyAsync(message => message.JobApplicationId == job.Id && message.ExternalMessageId == messageId, cancellationToken);
-            if (existing)
+            if (existingMessageIds.Contains(messageId, StringComparer.Ordinal))
             {
                 skipped++;
                 continue;