diff --git a/check_targets.jai b/check_targets.jai
index 4865715..aa871ea 100644
--- a/check_targets.jai
+++ b/check_targets.jai
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ APP_NAME        :: "mcap";
 APP_FOLDER_NAME :: "mcap";
 GIT_BRANCH    :: "check";
 GIT_HASH      :: "-";
-VERSION       :: "0.1.12";
+VERSION       :: "0.1.13";
 BUILD_DATE    :: "-";
 DEBUG         :: true;
 COMPILE_TESTS :: true;
diff --git a/first.jai b/first.jai
index e244721..9617731 100644
--- a/first.jai
+++ b/first.jai
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ APP_NAME              :: "mcap";
 APP_FOLDER_NAME       :: "mcap";
 APP_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER :: "com.example.mcap";
 
-VERSION :: "0.1.12";
+VERSION :: "0.1.13";
 // Where everything goes: bin/, or bin-headless/ for builds made with no_crash_dialog, so automated
 // builds never write over the ones you run by hand.
 build_directory := "bin";
diff --git a/src/app/app_ui.jai b/src/app/app_ui.jai
index 4784ec8..106ade7 100644
--- a/src/app/app_ui.jai
+++ b/src/app/app_ui.jai
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ app_ui_startup :: () {
 // Every frame, before input is handed to ImGui. Poll background work here.
 app_ui_frame_start :: () {
   screen_capture_frame();   // also while hidden in the tray, where the frame ends before the UI
+  ocr_ui_unload_idle_models();   // models unused for a while, also while in the tray
 }
 
 // Once, on the shutdown thread after the window is asked to close (exit_shutdown.jai): save and
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ app_ui_shutdown_status :: () -> string {
         case .LABELS_CREATE;  text = "Waiting for the label model to finish loading.";
         case .LABEL_SET;      text = "Waiting for the label list to finish.";
         case .SEGMENT;        text = "Stopping the segmentation scan: finishing the images it is segmenting.";
+        case .UNLOAD;         text = "Waiting for the models unused for a while to unload.";
         case;                 text = "Stopping OCR.";
       }
     case .SEGMENT; text = "Closing the segmentation model.";
diff --git a/src/app/background.jai b/src/app/background.jai
index fe322b3..3d90686 100644
--- a/src/app/background.jai
+++ b/src/app/background.jai
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ background_search_start :: () {
   likes: [..] string;
   likes.allocator = temp;
   for request.terms  if it.field == .LIKE  array_add(*likes, it.text);
+  if likes.count  labels_ui_want();   // when it is not up, the search is worked out again once it is
   if likes.count && labels_ui.engine {
     request.like_texts = NewArray(likes.count, string);
     for likes  request.like_texts[it_index] = copy_string(it);
diff --git a/src/app/import.jai b/src/app/import.jai
index 04860f2..07b5d2e 100644
--- a/src/app/import.jai
+++ b/src/app/import.jai
@@ -921,7 +921,7 @@ import_frame :: () { using ImGui;
     importer.scan_pending = importer.read_after && importer.new_indices.count > 0 && !app.import_source;
     importer.segment_pending = library_folder_segments(importer.dest_name) && importer.new_indices.count > 0 && !app.import_source;
   }
-  if importer.scan_pending && !ocr_ui.thread_busy && ocr_ui.engine && labels_ui_settled() {
+  if importer.scan_pending && ocr_ui_models_ready(labels_ui.scan_labels) && ocr_ui.engine {
     importer.scan_pending = false;
     ocr_scan_start(importer.new_indices);
   }
diff --git a/src/app/labels_ui.jai b/src/app/labels_ui.jai
index 4345c47..9f2a365 100644
--- a/src/app/labels_ui.jai
+++ b/src/app/labels_ui.jai
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@
 // vectors and a hash of it, made on the OCR thread (app/ocr_ui.jai) and never changed after, so a
 // scan can hold the set it started with while the list is edited.
 //
-// The engine is made on the OCR thread too, once, after the OCR engine; it is destroyed only at
-// shutdown, after the background workers (app/background.jai), which use its text model for like:
-// searches, have stopped.
+// The engine is made on the OCR thread too, when a reading, a scan or a like: search first needs it
+// (ocr_ui_models_ready, labels_ui_want), and destroyed there once it has gone unused for a while
+// (ocr_ui_unload_idle_models) with no search job holding it; else at shutdown, after the background
+// workers (app/background.jai), which use its text model for like: searches, have stopped.
 
 LABELS_WINDOW    :: "Labels";
 LABELS_MODEL     :: "siglip2-base-patch16-384";   // the one label model; its chunks are keyed by this
@@ -29,8 +30,10 @@ labels_ui: struct {
   // Owned by the OCR thread while ocr_ui.thread_busy, like ocr_ui.engine.
   engine: *Labels_Engine;
   engine_error: string;
-  engine_tried: bool;
-  set: *Label_Set;                 // the newest list's
+  engine_tried: bool;              // made, or failed; cleared when it is unloaded
+  last_used: Apollo_Time;          // main thread: when a task or a like: search last used it
+  wanted: bool;                    // main thread: a like: search asked for it
+  set: *Label_Set;                // the newest list's
   retired_sets: [..] *Label_Set;   // replaced while a scan might hold them; freed when the OCR thread is idle
 
   // Main thread.
@@ -77,11 +80,11 @@ labels_ui_shutdown :: () {
   free(labels_ui.counted_hash,, context.default_allocator);
 }
 
-// Whether a scan can start with labels: the engine has been tried and, when it is up, the list's
-// set is made.
-labels_ui_settled :: () -> bool {
-  if ocr_ui.thread_busy || !labels_ui.engine_tried  return false;
-  return !labels_ui.engine || (labels_ui.set && labels_ui.set.hash == labels_ui.list_hash);
+// A like: search needs the engine: it is made when the OCR thread is free (labels_ui_frame), and the
+// search worked out again once it is up.
+labels_ui_want :: () {
+  labels_ui.last_used = current_time_monotonic();
+  if !labels_ui.engine_tried  labels_ui.wanted = true;
 }
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------- the label list
@@ -218,8 +221,9 @@ labels_ui_frame :: () { using ImGui;
   if !ocr_ui.thread_busy {
     for labels_ui.retired_sets  label_set_free(it);
     array_reset_keeping_memory(*labels_ui.retired_sets);
-    if !labels_ui.engine_tried && ocr_ui.engine_tried {   // after the OCR engine
-      ocr_ui_start(.{kind = .LABELS_CREATE});
+    if labels_ui.wanted {
+      labels_ui.wanted = false;
+      if !labels_ui.engine_tried  ocr_ui_start(.{kind = .LABELS_CREATE});
     } else if labels_ui.engine && (!labels_ui.set || labels_ui.set.hash != labels_ui.list_hash) && labels_ui.list.count {
       ocr_ui_start(.{kind = .LABEL_SET});
     }
@@ -272,7 +276,7 @@ labels_window_contents :: () { using ImGui;
     Text("%: images on %, text on the CPU", labels_ui.engine.model.title, ifx in_use then "the GPU (CUDA)" else "the CPU");
     if explanation  text_with_links(explanation);
   } else if !labels_ui.engine_tried {
-    TextColored(app_theme.palette.dim, "Starts after OCR.");
+    TextColored(app_theme.palette.dim, "Not loaded: it loads when a capture is read or labelled, or a like: search runs, and unloads after % minutes unused.", MODELS_IDLE_UNLOAD_SECONDS / 60);
   }
 
   // How much of the library is labelled, and with which list: counted again only when the catalog
diff --git a/src/app/ocr_ui.jai b/src/app/ocr_ui.jai
index 37a07a8..98e6671 100644
--- a/src/app/ocr_ui.jai
+++ b/src/app/ocr_ui.jai
@@ -10,11 +10,15 @@
 // Making the engines (OCR, then labels), the label list's vectors, reading one capture and the scan
 // all run on one background thread, one at a time; the UI only looks at what it has finished, and
 // at the scan's progress counters.
+//
+// No engine is made at startup: each is made when something first needs it (ocr_ui_models_ready),
+// and destroyed again once it has gone MODELS_IDLE_UNLOAD_SECONDS unused (ocr_ui_unload_idle_models).
 
 OCR_WINDOW         :: "OCR";
 OCR_DEFAULT_MODEL  :: "ppocr-v5-mobile";
 OCR_SCAN_BATCH     :: 8;    // captures per ocr_process call in a scan
 OCR_STORE_ATTEMPTS :: 4;    // a file the viewer has open at that moment is tried again, 250 ms apart
+MODELS_IDLE_UNLOAD_SECONDS :: 10 * 60;   // an engine unused this long is destroyed, giving its memory back
 
 ocr_ui: struct {
   models: [] Ocr_Model_Info;
@@ -24,7 +28,8 @@ ocr_ui: struct {
   // Owned by the main thread while thread_busy is false; by the background thread while it is true.
   engine: *Ocr_Engine;
   engine_error: string;          // why the last engine could not be made
-  engine_tried: bool;            // the first engine has been made, or failed: labels start after it
+  engine_tried: bool;            // the engine has been made, or failed; cleared when it is unloaded
+  last_used: Apollo_Time;        // main thread: when a task last used the engine
   thread: Thread;
   thread_started: bool;
   thread_busy: bool;             // set by the main thread, cleared by the background one
@@ -33,6 +38,10 @@ ocr_ui: struct {
   read_error: string;            // why the last single read failed
   read_index: s32 = -1;
   read_seconds: float64;
+  read_wanted: bool;             // the OCR button was pressed: it reads once the models are up
+  read_wanted_index: s32;
+  read_wanted_path: string;      // heap
+  scan_wanted: bool;             // the scan button was pressed: it scans once the models are up
 
   scan: Ocr_Scan;
   scan_requested: bool;   // -scan has started its scan
@@ -49,7 +58,7 @@ ocr_ui: struct {
   toast_shown := false;
 }
 
-Ocr_Task_Kind :: enum { NONE; CREATE; READ; SCAN; LABELS_CREATE; LABEL_SET; ERASE; SEGMENT; }
+Ocr_Task_Kind :: enum { NONE; CREATE; READ; SCAN; LABELS_CREATE; LABEL_SET; ERASE; SEGMENT; UNLOAD; }
 
 Ocr_Task :: struct {
   kind: Ocr_Task_Kind;
@@ -59,6 +68,10 @@ Ocr_Task :: struct {
   // LABELS_CREATE and LABEL_SET: the label list as it was when the task started (heap).
   label_names, label_prompts: [] string;
   label_hash: string;
+  // UNLOAD: the engines to destroy, already taken out of ocr_ui, labels_ui and segment_ui.
+  unload_ocr: *Ocr_Engine;
+  unload_labels: *Labels_Engine;
+  unload_segment: *Segment_Engine;
 }
 
 // The library scan. The counters and flags are shared with the background thread.
@@ -103,7 +116,7 @@ ocr_ui_startup :: () {
   ocr_ui.models = models;
   if error  ocr_ui.models_error = copy_string(error);
   ocr_ui.model_index = ocr_model_index(app_user_settings.ocr_model);
-  if ocr_ui.models.count  ocr_ui_start(.{kind = .CREATE, model = ocr_ui.models[ocr_ui.model_index].name});
+  // The engine is made when something first needs it: ocr_ui_models_ready.
 }
 
 ocr_ui_shutdown :: () {
@@ -111,6 +124,7 @@ ocr_ui_shutdown :: () {
   atomic_swap(*ocr_ui.scan.paused, false);
   if ocr_ui.thread_started  thread_is_done(*ocr_ui.thread, -1);
   ocr_destroy(ocr_ui.engine);
+  free(ocr_ui.read_wanted_path,, context.default_allocator);
 }
 
 // The model the settings name, or the default one, or the first; with a log line when the settings
@@ -135,7 +149,13 @@ ocr_ui_choose_model :: (index: s32, save := true) {
   if ocr_ui.thread_busy  return;
   ocr_ui.model_index = index;
   ocr_ui.toast_shown = true;   // said once already, or not needed
-  ocr_ui_start(.{kind = .CREATE, model = ocr_ui.models[index].name});
+  if ocr_ui.engine {
+    ocr_ui_start(.{kind = .CREATE, model = ocr_ui.models[index].name});
+  } else {   // not loaded, or failed: the next use makes the one chosen
+    ocr_ui.engine_tried = false;
+    free(ocr_ui.engine_error,, context.default_allocator);
+    ocr_ui.engine_error = "";
+  }
   if save {
     free(app_user_settings.ocr_model,, context.default_allocator);
     app_user_settings.ocr_model = copy_string(ocr_ui.models[index].name,, context.default_allocator);
@@ -160,6 +180,7 @@ ocr_ui_start :: (task: Ocr_Task) -> bool {
     }
     ocr_ui.task.label_hash = copy_string(labels_ui.list_hash);
   }
+  ocr_ui_note_use(task.kind, current_time_monotonic());
   ocr_ui.thread_busy = true;
   if ocr_ui.thread_started  thread_deinit(*ocr_ui.thread);
   ocr_ui.thread_started = thread_init(*ocr_ui.thread, ocr_ui_thread_proc, temporary_storage_size = 4 * 1024 * 1024, name = "ocr");
@@ -168,6 +189,86 @@ ocr_ui_start :: (task: Ocr_Task) -> bool {
   return true;
 }
 
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------- the models: made when needed, unloaded when idle
+
+// Whether the OCR engine (and, with labels, the label engine and the list's set) are up, or could
+// not be made, so a reading or a scan can start. When not, starts making the next of them on the OCR
+// thread, if it is free. Called each frame by what waits on them. After it returns true, a null
+// ocr_ui.engine means OCR could not start.
+ocr_ui_models_ready :: (labels := true) -> bool {
+  if ocr_ui.thread_busy  return false;
+  if !ocr_ui.engine_tried {
+    if !ocr_ui.models.count  return true;   // ocr_ui.models_error says why
+    ocr_ui_start(.{kind = .CREATE, model = ocr_ui.models[ocr_ui.model_index].name});
+    return false;
+  }
+  if !labels  return true;
+  if !labels_ui.engine_tried {
+    ocr_ui_start(.{kind = .LABELS_CREATE});
+    return false;
+  }
+  if labels_ui.engine && labels_ui.list.count && (!labels_ui.set || labels_ui.set.hash != labels_ui.list_hash) {
+    ocr_ui_start(.{kind = .LABEL_SET});
+    return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
+// Each frame, also while the window is in the tray: notes which engines the OCR thread's task uses,
+// and destroys those unused for MODELS_IDLE_UNLOAD_SECONDS, on the OCR thread.
+ocr_ui_unload_idle_models :: () {
+  if app_exit_shutdown_started()  return;   // the shutdown thread destroys them
+  now := current_time_monotonic();
+  if ocr_ui.thread_busy { ocr_ui_note_use(ocr_ui.task.kind, now); return; }
+  if ocr_ui.scan.running || ocr_ui.read_wanted || ocr_ui.scan_wanted  return;
+
+  idle :: (last_used: Apollo_Time, now: Apollo_Time) -> bool {
+    return to_float64_seconds(now - last_used) >= MODELS_IDLE_UNLOAD_SECONDS;
+  }
+  task := Ocr_Task.{kind = .UNLOAD};
+  if ocr_ui.engine && idle(ocr_ui.last_used, now) {
+    task.unload_ocr = ocr_ui.engine;
+    ocr_ui.engine = null;
+    ocr_ui.engine_tried = false;
+  }
+  // A like: search's jobs hold the label engine until they are back.
+  if labels_ui.engine && idle(labels_ui.last_used, now) && !background.jobs_out {
+    task.unload_labels = labels_ui.engine;
+    labels_ui.engine = null;
+    labels_ui.engine_tried = false;
+    labels_ui.search_ready = false;   // the list's set stays: the same model makes the same vectors
+  }
+  if segment_ui.engine && idle(segment_ui.last_used, now) {
+    task.unload_segment = segment_ui.engine;
+    segment_ui.engine = null;
+  }
+  if !task.unload_ocr && !task.unload_labels && !task.unload_segment  return;
+
+  names: [..] string;
+  names.allocator = temp;
+  if task.unload_ocr      array_add(*names, task.unload_ocr.model.name);
+  if task.unload_labels   array_add(*names, LABELS_MODEL);
+  if task.unload_segment  array_add(*names, SEGMENT_MODEL);
+  log("[Models] Unloading % after % minutes unused.", join(..names, separator = ", ",, temp), MODELS_IDLE_UNLOAD_SECONDS / 60);
+  if !ocr_ui_start(task) {   // the thread could not start: destroy them here instead
+    ocr_destroy(task.unload_ocr);
+    labels_destroy(task.unload_labels);
+    segment_destroy(task.unload_segment);
+  }
+}
+
+// The engines a task of this kind uses, as used at now: when it starts, and each frame it runs.
+ocr_ui_note_use :: (kind: Ocr_Task_Kind, now: Apollo_Time) {
+  if kind == {
+    case .CREATE;         ocr_ui.last_used = now;
+    case .LABELS_CREATE;  labels_ui.last_used = now;
+    case .LABEL_SET;      labels_ui.last_used = now;
+    case .READ;           ocr_ui.last_used = now; labels_ui.last_used = now;
+    case .SCAN;           ocr_ui.last_used = now; if ocr_ui.scan.label_set  labels_ui.last_used = now;
+    case .SEGMENT;        segment_ui.last_used = now;
+  }
+}
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------- the background thread
 
 ocr_ui_thread_proc :: (thread: *Thread) -> s64 {
@@ -229,6 +330,11 @@ ocr_ui_thread_proc :: (thread: *Thread) -> s64 {
     case .SEGMENT;
       segment_ui_scan_task();   // app/segment_ui.jai
 
+    case .UNLOAD;
+      ocr_destroy(task.unload_ocr);
+      labels_destroy(task.unload_labels);
+      segment_destroy(task.unload_segment);
+
     case .ERASE;
       scan := *ocr_ui.scan;
       // Not in temporary storage, which is reset after each capture.
@@ -512,7 +618,8 @@ ocr_ui_scan_and_exit :: (busy: bool) {
   if ocr_ui.models_error                 { finish(1, "[OCR scan] %", ocr_ui.models_error); return; }
   if viewer.scan_error                   { finish(1, "[OCR scan] %", viewer.scan_error); return; }
   if !ocr_ui.scan_requested {
-    if busy || !ocr_ui.engine || viewer.catalog_loaded < viewer.captures.count || !labels_ui_settled()  return;
+    if busy || viewer.catalog_loaded < viewer.captures.count || !ocr_ui_models_ready(labels_ui.scan_labels)  return;
+    if !ocr_ui.engine { finish(1, "[OCR scan] OCR could not start: %", ocr_ui.engine_error); return; }
     ocr_ui.scan_requested = true;
     ocr_ui.window_open = true;   // its progress bar
     ocr_scan_start();
@@ -570,17 +677,18 @@ ocr_scan_ui :: () { using ImGui;
   catalog_ready := viewer.catalog_loaded >= viewer.captures.count;
 
   if !scan.running {
-    can_scan := ocr_ui.engine && !busy && catalog_ready;
+    can_scan := !busy && !ocr_ui.scan_wanted && catalog_ready;
     if !can_scan  BeginDisabled();
     label := ifx viewer.search_terms.count then "Scan the captures shown" else "Scan the library";
-    if Button(temp_c_string(label))  ocr_scan_start();
+    if Button(temp_c_string(label))  ocr_ui.scan_wanted = true;   // it starts once the models are up: ocr_ui_frame
     if !can_scan  EndDisabled();
     SameLine();
-    labels_ready := labels_ui.engine && labels_ui.set && labels_ui.set.hash == labels_ui.list_hash;
-    if !labels_ready  BeginDisabled();
+    labels_failed := labels_ui.engine_tried && !labels_ui.engine;
+    if labels_failed  BeginDisabled();
     Checkbox("Labels too", *labels_ui.scan_labels);
-    if !labels_ready  EndDisabled();
-    if IsItemHovered(.AllowWhenDisabled)  SetTooltip(ifx labels_ready then tprint("Also labels each capture with %, storing its labels and image vector", LABELS_MODEL) else "Labelling is not ready: see the Labels window");
+    if labels_failed  EndDisabled();
+    if IsItemHovered(.AllowWhenDisabled)  SetTooltip(ifx labels_failed then "Labelling could not start: see the Labels window" else tprint("Also labels each capture with %, storing its labels and image vector", LABELS_MODEL));
+    if ocr_ui.scan_wanted  TextColored(app_theme.palette.dim, "Loading the models...");
     if !catalog_ready  TextColored(app_theme.palette.dim, "(once the catalog has loaded)");
     else               TextColored(app_theme.palette.dim, "Reads every capture this model has not read, and labels those not yet labelled with this list. Each is stored as it is read, so a scan can stop and start again.");
     if scan.total && scan.done {
@@ -652,6 +760,17 @@ ocr_ui_frame :: () { using ImGui;
   if app.scan_and_exit  ocr_ui_scan_and_exit(busy);
   if app.erase_and_exit  ocr_ui_erase_and_exit(busy);
   ocr_erase_popup();
+  // The OCR and scan buttons wait for the models they load.
+  if ocr_ui.read_wanted && ocr_ui_models_ready() {
+    ocr_ui.read_wanted = false;
+    ocr_ui_start(.{kind = .READ, path = ocr_ui.read_wanted_path, index = ocr_ui.read_wanted_index});
+    busy = ocr_ui.thread_busy;
+  }
+  if ocr_ui.scan_wanted && ocr_ui_models_ready(labels_ui.scan_labels) {
+    ocr_ui.scan_wanted = false;
+    if ocr_ui.engine  ocr_scan_start();
+    busy = ocr_ui.thread_busy;
+  }
   if !busy && ocr_ui.engine && !ocr_ui.toast_shown {
     ocr_ui.toast_shown = true;
     in_use, explanation := ocr_gpu_status(ocr_ui.engine);
@@ -685,7 +804,11 @@ ocr_ui_frame :: () { using ImGui;
       } else if ocr_ui.engine_error {
         TextColored(app_theme.palette.warning, "OCR could not start:");
         TextWrapped("%", ocr_ui.engine_error);
-      } else if ocr_ui.engine {
+      } else if !ocr_ui.engine {
+        TextColored(app_theme.palette.dim, "Not loaded: it loads when a capture is read or a scan starts, and unloads after % minutes unused.", MODELS_IDLE_UNLOAD_SECONDS / 60);
+        Separator();
+        ocr_scan_ui();
+      } else {
         in_use, explanation := ocr_gpu_status(ocr_ui.engine);
         Text("Running on: %", ifx in_use then "the GPU (CUDA)" else "the CPU");
         SameLine();
@@ -750,12 +873,21 @@ ocr_ui_capture_controls :: (index: s32, path: string) { using ImGui;
   model := ifx ocr_ui.models.count then ocr_ui.models[ocr_ui.model_index].name else "";
   has_reading := entry && catalog_section(entry, model) != null;
 
-  can_read := ocr_ui.engine && !busy;
+  ocr_failed := ocr_ui.engine_tried && !ocr_ui.engine;
+  can_read := ocr_ui.models.count && !busy && !ocr_ui.read_wanted && !ocr_failed;
   if !can_read  BeginDisabled();
-  if SmallButton(temp_c_string(ifx has_reading then "Read again" else "OCR"))  ocr_ui_start(.{kind = .READ, path = path, index = index});
+  if SmallButton(temp_c_string(ifx has_reading then "Read again" else "OCR")) {   // it reads once the models are up: ocr_ui_frame
+    ocr_ui.read_wanted = true;
+    ocr_ui.read_wanted_index = index;
+    free(ocr_ui.read_wanted_path,, context.default_allocator);
+    ocr_ui.read_wanted_path = copy_string(path,, context.default_allocator);
+  }
   if !can_read  EndDisabled();
   SameLine();
-  if busy && ocr_ui.task.kind == .READ && ocr_ui.task.index == index {
+  if ocr_ui.read_wanted && ocr_ui.read_wanted_index == index {
+    TextColored(app_theme.palette.dim, "Loading the models...");
+    SameLine();
+  } else if busy && ocr_ui.task.kind == .READ && ocr_ui.task.index == index {
     TextColored(app_theme.palette.dim, "Reading...");
     SameLine();
   } else if !busy && ocr_ui.read_index == index {
@@ -789,8 +921,8 @@ ocr_ui_capture_controls :: (index: s32, path: string) { using ImGui;
       }
     }
     SameLine();
-  } else if !ocr_ui.engine {
-    TextColored(app_theme.palette.dim, "(OCR is not running; see the OCR window)");
+  } else if ocr_failed {
+    TextColored(app_theme.palette.dim, "(OCR could not start; see the OCR window)");
     SameLine();
   }
   if SmallButton("OCR window")  ocr_ui.window_open = true;
diff --git a/src/app/screen_capture.jai b/src/app/screen_capture.jai
index 86740cf..b35d4c1 100644
--- a/src/app/screen_capture.jai
+++ b/src/app/screen_capture.jai
@@ -112,8 +112,8 @@ screen_capture_frame :: () {
     remove job;
   }
 
-  // As an import's are, once the models are free: OCR and labels, then segmentation.
-  if screen_capture.scan_pending.count && !ocr_ui.thread_busy && !ocr_ui.scan.running && ocr_ui.engine && labels_ui_settled() {
+  // As an import's are, once the models are loaded and free: OCR and labels, then segmentation.
+  if screen_capture.scan_pending.count && !ocr_ui.scan.running && ocr_ui_models_ready(labels_ui.scan_labels) && ocr_ui.engine {
     ocr_scan_start(screen_capture.scan_pending);
     array_reset_keeping_memory(*screen_capture.scan_pending);
   }
diff --git a/src/app/segment_ui.jai b/src/app/segment_ui.jai
index 4dc891c..8455e32 100644
--- a/src/app/segment_ui.jai
+++ b/src/app/segment_ui.jai
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 // The scan runs on the OCR thread (app/ocr_ui.jai), as a task of its own, so it shares the OCR scan's
 // progress, pause and cancel, and one thread uses the GPU at a time. The engine is made by the first
 // scan, not at startup: it takes some 2.4 GB of GPU memory, and most sessions never segment anything.
+// It is destroyed again once it has gone unused for a while (ocr_ui_unload_idle_models).
 
 SEGMENT_WINDOW     :: "Segmentation";
 SEGMENT_MODEL      :: "mask2former-swin-base-coco-panoptic";   // the one segmentation model; its chunks are keyed by this
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ segment_ui: struct {
   // Owned by the OCR thread while ocr_ui.thread_busy, like ocr_ui.engine.
   engine: *Segment_Engine;
   engine_error: string;
+  last_used: Apollo_Time;        // main thread: when a scan last used the engine (ocr_ui_unload_idle_models)
 
   // Main thread.
   window_open: bool;
@@ -290,8 +292,8 @@ segment_ui_segment_and_exit :: (busy: bool) {
   }
   if viewer.scan_error { finish(1, "[Segment scan] %", viewer.scan_error); return; }
   if !segment_ui.scan_requested {
-    // After the catalog, and after the engines made at startup, which use the same thread.
-    if busy || viewer.catalog_loaded < viewer.captures.count || !ocr_ui.engine_tried || !labels_ui.engine_tried  return;
+    // After the catalog.
+    if busy || viewer.catalog_loaded < viewer.captures.count  return;
     segment_ui.scan_requested = true;
     segment_ui.window_open = true;   // its progress bar
     if !segment_scan_start(quiet = true)  finish(0, "[Segment scan] -segment: nothing to segment (no image in a folder set to segment needs it).");
diff --git a/src/app/viewer.jai b/src/app/viewer.jai
index f8de62a..39c93da 100644
--- a/src/app/viewer.jai
+++ b/src/app/viewer.jai
@@ -908,7 +908,7 @@ viewer_ui :: () { using ImGui;
     engine: *Ocr_Engine;
     if !ocr_ui.thread_busy  engine = ocr_ui.engine;   // the background thread owns it while busy
     if engine  SetTooltip("OCR with %, on %", engine.model.name, ifx engine.provider == .CUDA then "the GPU" else "the CPU");
-    else       SetTooltip("OCR is starting, or could not start; the OCR window says which");
+    else       SetTooltip("OCR is not loaded, is loading, or could not start; the OCR window says which");
   }
 
   // A running OCR scan, as a thin bar under the search, so it shows with the OCR window closed.