diff --git a/modules/fts-client/src/main/scala/docspell/ftsclient/FtsClient.scala b/modules/fts-client/src/main/scala/docspell/ftsclient/FtsClient.scala
index e63e53dd..b4db64c0 100644
--- a/modules/fts-client/src/main/scala/docspell/ftsclient/FtsClient.scala
+++ b/modules/fts-client/src/main/scala/docspell/ftsclient/FtsClient.scala
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package docspell.ftsclient
 
 import fs2.Stream
+import docspell.common._
 
 /** The fts client is the interface for docspell to a fulltext search
   * engine.
@@ -12,7 +13,13 @@ import fs2.Stream
   */
 trait FtsClient[F[_]] {
 
+  /** Optional operation to do some initialization tasks. This is called
+    * exactly once and then never again. It may be used to setup the
+    * database.
+    */
+  def initialize: F[Unit]
+
   def searchBasic(q: FtsQuery): Stream[F, FtsBasicResult]
 
-  def indexData(data: Stream[F, TextData]): F[Unit]
+  def indexData(logger: Logger[F], data: Stream[F, TextData]): F[Unit]
 }
diff --git a/modules/fts-solr/src/main/scala/docspell/ftssolr/SolrFtsClient.scala b/modules/fts-solr/src/main/scala/docspell/ftssolr/SolrFtsClient.scala
index 857a0196..6fc50c3e 100644
--- a/modules/fts-solr/src/main/scala/docspell/ftssolr/SolrFtsClient.scala
+++ b/modules/fts-solr/src/main/scala/docspell/ftssolr/SolrFtsClient.scala
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package docspell.ftssolr
 
 import fs2.Stream
 import cats.effect._
+import cats.implicits._
 import org.http4s.client.Client
 
 import cats.data.NonEmptyList
@@ -9,8 +10,15 @@ import docspell.common._
 import docspell.ftsclient._
 import docspell.ftsclient.FtsBasicResult._
 
-final class SolrFtsClient[F[_]](cfg: SolrConfig, client: Client[F]) extends FtsClient[F] {
+final class SolrFtsClient[F[_]: Effect](
+    cfg: SolrConfig,
+    client: Client[F]
+) extends FtsClient[F] {
   println(s"$client $cfg")
+
+  def initialize: F[Unit] =
+    ().pure[F]
+
   def searchBasic(q: FtsQuery): Stream[F, FtsBasicResult] =
     Stream.emits(
       Seq(
@@ -25,8 +33,9 @@ final class SolrFtsClient[F[_]](cfg: SolrConfig, client: Client[F]) extends FtsC
       )
     )
 
-  def indexData(data: Stream[F, TextData]): F[Unit] =
-    ???
+  def indexData(logger: Logger[F], data: Stream[F, TextData]): F[Unit] =
+    logger.info("Inserting lots of data into index")
+
 }
 
 object SolrFtsClient {
diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/resources/reference.conf b/modules/joex/src/main/resources/reference.conf
index d330771f..efb9c5fc 100644
--- a/modules/joex/src/main/resources/reference.conf
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/resources/reference.conf
@@ -368,6 +368,9 @@ docspell.joex {
   # Configuration of the full-text search engine.
   full-text-search {
     enabled = true
+    migration = {
+      index-all-chunk = 10
+    }
     solr = {
       url = "http://localhost:8983/solr/docspell_core"
     }
diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/Config.scala b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/Config.scala
index ca3597eb..c9c54528 100644
--- a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/Config.scala
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/Config.scala
@@ -37,5 +37,14 @@ object Config {
   }
   case class UserTasks(scanMailbox: ScanMailbox)
 
-  case class FullTextSearch(enabled: Boolean, solr: SolrConfig)
+  case class FullTextSearch(
+      enabled: Boolean,
+      migration: FullTextSearch.Migration,
+      solr: SolrConfig
+  )
+
+  object FullTextSearch {
+
+    final case class Migration(indexAllChunk: Int)
+  }
 }
diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/JoexAppImpl.scala b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/JoexAppImpl.scala
index d4812636..05e5e940 100644
--- a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/JoexAppImpl.scala
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/JoexAppImpl.scala
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import docspell.common._
 import docspell.backend.ops._
 import docspell.joex.hk._
 import docspell.joex.notify._
+import docspell.joex.fts.IndexTask
 import docspell.joex.scanmailbox._
 import docspell.joex.process.ItemHandler
 import docspell.joex.scheduler._
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ final class JoexAppImpl[F[_]: ConcurrentEffect: ContextShift: Timer](
     cfg: Config,
     nodeOps: ONode[F],
     store: Store[F],
+    queue: JobQueue[F],
     pstore: PeriodicTaskStore[F],
     termSignal: SignallingRef[F, Boolean],
     val scheduler: Scheduler[F],
@@ -52,7 +54,9 @@ final class JoexAppImpl[F[_]: ConcurrentEffect: ContextShift: Timer](
     periodicScheduler.shutdown *> scheduler.shutdown(false) *> termSignal.set(true)
 
   private def scheduleBackgroundTasks: F[Unit] =
-    HouseKeepingTask.periodicTask[F](cfg.houseKeeping.schedule).flatMap(pstore.insert)
+    HouseKeepingTask
+      .periodicTask[F](cfg.houseKeeping.schedule)
+      .flatMap(pstore.insert) *> IndexTask.job.flatMap(queue.insert)
 }
 
 object JoexAppImpl {
@@ -99,6 +103,13 @@ object JoexAppImpl {
             ScanMailboxTask.onCancel[F]
           )
         )
+        .withTask(
+          JobTask.json(
+            IndexTask.taskName,
+            IndexTask[F](cfg.fullTextSearch, fts),
+            IndexTask.onCancel[F]
+          )
+        )
         .withTask(
           JobTask.json(
             HouseKeepingTask.taskName,
@@ -115,7 +126,7 @@ object JoexAppImpl {
         client,
         Timer[F]
       )
-      app = new JoexAppImpl(cfg, nodeOps, store, pstore, termSignal, sch, psch)
+      app = new JoexAppImpl(cfg, nodeOps, store, queue, pstore, termSignal, sch, psch)
       appR <- Resource.make(app.init.map(_ => app))(_.shutdown)
     } yield appR
 }
diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/fts/IndexTask.scala b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/fts/IndexTask.scala
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5be969d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/fts/IndexTask.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+package docspell.joex.fts
+
+import cats.effect._
+import cats.implicits._
+import docspell.common._
+import docspell.joex.Config
+import docspell.joex.scheduler.Task
+import docspell.ftsclient._
+import docspell.store.records.RJob
+import docspell.joex.hk.HouseKeepingTask
+
+object IndexTask {
+  val taskName: Ident = Ident.unsafe("full-text-index")
+  val systemGroup     = HouseKeepingTask.systemGroup
+
+  def apply[F[_]: ConcurrentEffect](
+      cfg: Config.FullTextSearch,
+      fts: FtsClient[F]
+  ): Task[F, Unit, Unit] =
+    Task
+      .log[F, Unit](_.info(s"Running full-text-index task now"))
+      .flatMap(_ =>
+        Task(ctx =>
+          Migration[F](cfg, ctx.store, fts, ctx.logger)
+            .run(Migration.migrationTasks[F])
+        )
+      )
+
+  def onCancel[F[_]: Sync]: Task[F, Unit, Unit] =
+    Task.log[F, Unit](_.warn("Cancelling full-text-index task"))
+
+  def job[F[_]: Sync]: F[RJob] =
+    for {
+      id  <- Ident.randomId[F]
+      now <- Timestamp.current[F]
+    } yield RJob.newJob(
+      id,
+      taskName,
+      systemGroup,
+      (),
+      "Create full-text index",
+      now,
+      systemGroup,
+      Priority.Low,
+      None
+    )
+
+}
diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/fts/Migration.scala b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/fts/Migration.scala
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..546198ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/fts/Migration.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+package docspell.joex.fts
+
+import cats.effect._
+import cats.implicits._
+import cats.data.{Kleisli, OptionT}
+import cats.Traverse
+import docspell.common._
+import docspell.joex.Config
+import docspell.store.{AddResult, Store}
+import docspell.store.records.RFtsMigration
+import docspell.store.queries.{QAttachment, QItem}
+import docspell.ftsclient._
+
+object Migration {
+  private val solrEngine = Ident.unsafe("solr")
+
+  case class MigrateCtx[F[_]](
+      cfg: Config.FullTextSearch,
+      store: Store[F],
+      fts: FtsClient[F],
+      logger: Logger[F]
+  )
+
+  case class Migration[F[_]](
+      version: Int,
+      engine: Ident,
+      description: String,
+      task: Kleisli[F, MigrateCtx[F], Unit]
+  )
+
+  def apply[F[_]: Effect](
+      cfg: Config.FullTextSearch,
+      store: Store[F],
+      fts: FtsClient[F],
+      logger: Logger[F]
+  ): Kleisli[F, List[Migration[F]], Unit] = {
+    val ctx = MigrateCtx(cfg, store, fts, logger)
+    Kleisli(migs => Traverse[List].sequence(migs.map(applySingle[F](ctx))).map(_ => ()))
+  }
+
+  def applySingle[F[_]: Effect](ctx: MigrateCtx[F])(m: Migration[F]): F[Unit] = {
+    val insertRecord: F[Option[RFtsMigration]] =
+      for {
+        rec <- RFtsMigration.create(m.version, m.engine, m.description)
+        res <- ctx.store.add(
+          RFtsMigration.insert(rec),
+          RFtsMigration.exists(m.version, m.engine)
+        )
+        ret <- res match {
+          case AddResult.Success         => rec.some.pure[F]
+          case AddResult.EntityExists(_) => None.pure[F]
+          case AddResult.Failure(ex)     => Effect[F].raiseError(ex)
+        }
+      } yield ret
+
+    (for {
+      _   <- OptionT.liftF(ctx.logger.info(s"Apply ${m.version}/${m.description}"))
+      rec <- OptionT(insertRecord)
+      res <- OptionT.liftF(m.task.run(ctx).attempt)
+      _ <- OptionT.liftF(res match {
+        case Right(()) => ().pure[F]
+        case Left(ex) =>
+          ctx.logger.error(ex)(
+            s"Applying index migration ${m.version}/${m.description} failed"
+          ) *>
+            ctx.store.transact(RFtsMigration.deleteById(rec.id)) *> Effect[F].raiseError(
+            ex
+          )
+      })
+    } yield ()).getOrElseF(
+      ctx.logger.info(s"Migration ${m.version}/${m.description} already applied.")
+    )
+  }
+
+  def migrationTasks[F[_]]: List[Migration[F]] =
+    List(
+      Migration[F](1, solrEngine, "initialize", Kleisli(ctx => ctx.fts.initialize)),
+      Migration[F](
+        2,
+        solrEngine,
+        "Index all attachments from database",
+        Kleisli(ctx =>
+          ctx.fts.indexData(
+            ctx.logger,
+            ctx.store
+              .transact(
+                QAttachment.allAttachmentMetaAndName(ctx.cfg.migration.indexAllChunk)
+              )
+              .map(caa =>
+                TextData
+                  .attachment(caa.item, caa.id, caa.collective, caa.name, caa.content)
+              )
+          )
+        )
+      ),
+      Migration[F](
+        3,
+        solrEngine,
+        "Index all items from database",
+        Kleisli(ctx =>
+          ctx.fts.indexData(
+            ctx.logger,
+            ctx.store
+              .transact(QItem.allNameAndNotes(ctx.cfg.migration.indexAllChunk * 5))
+              .map(nn => TextData.item(nn.id, nn.collective, Option(nn.name), nn.notes))
+          )
+        )
+      )
+    )
+}
diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/process/TextExtraction.scala b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/process/TextExtraction.scala
index 5f87e891..543da0ee 100644
--- a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/process/TextExtraction.scala
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/process/TextExtraction.scala
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ object TextExtraction {
         )
         _   <- ctx.logger.debug("Storing extracted texts")
         _   <- txt.toList.traverse(rm => ctx.store.transact(RAttachmentMeta.upsert(rm._1)))
-        _   <- fts.indexData(Stream.emits(txt.map(_._2)))
+        _   <- fts.indexData(ctx.logger, Stream.emits(txt.map(_._2)))
         dur <- start
         _   <- ctx.logger.info(s"Text extraction finished in ${dur.formatExact}")
       } yield item.copy(metas = txt.map(_._1))
diff --git a/modules/store/src/main/resources/db/migration/postgresql/V1.7.0__fts-migration.sql b/modules/store/src/main/resources/db/migration/postgresql/V1.7.0__fts-migration.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..993a14ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/store/src/main/resources/db/migration/postgresql/V1.7.0__fts-migration.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+CREATE TABLE "fts_migration" (
+  "id" varchar(254) not null primary key,
+  "version" int not null,
+  "fts_engine" varchar(254) not null,
+  "description" varchar(254) not null,
+  "created" timestamp not null
+);
+
+CREATE UNIQE INDEX "fts_migration_version_engine_idx"
+ON "fts_migration"("version", "fts_engine");
diff --git a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QAttachment.scala b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QAttachment.scala
index 56b2fffe..a09f58ff 100644
--- a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QAttachment.scala
+++ b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QAttachment.scala
@@ -138,4 +138,30 @@ object QAttachment {
 
     q.query[RAttachmentMeta].option
   }
+
+  case class ContentAndName(
+      id: Ident,
+      item: Ident,
+      collective: Ident,
+      name: Option[String],
+      content: Option[String]
+  )
+  def allAttachmentMetaAndName(chunkSize: Int): Stream[ConnectionIO, ContentAndName] = {
+    val aId      = RAttachment.Columns.id.prefix("a")
+    val aItem    = RAttachment.Columns.itemId.prefix("a")
+    val aName    = RAttachment.Columns.name.prefix("a")
+    val mId      = RAttachmentMeta.Columns.id.prefix("m")
+    val mContent = RAttachmentMeta.Columns.content.prefix("m")
+    val iId      = RItem.Columns.id.prefix("i")
+    val iColl    = RItem.Columns.cid.prefix("i")
+
+    val cols = Seq(aId, aItem,  iColl, aName, mContent)
+    val from = RAttachment.table ++ fr"a INNER JOIN" ++
+      RAttachmentMeta.table ++ fr"m ON" ++ aId.is(mId) ++
+      fr"INNER JOIN" ++ RItem.table ++ fr"i ON" ++ iId.is(aItem)
+
+    selectSimple(cols, from, Fragment.empty)
+      .query[ContentAndName]
+      .streamWithChunkSize(chunkSize)
+  }
 }
diff --git a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala
index 8485c46d..2d8970bd 100644
--- a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala
+++ b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala
@@ -469,4 +469,21 @@ object QItem {
     prefix(suffix(value))
   }
 
+  final case class NameAndNotes(
+      id: Ident,
+      collective: Ident,
+      name: String,
+      notes: Option[String]
+  )
+  def allNameAndNotes(chunkSize: Int): Stream[ConnectionIO, NameAndNotes] = {
+    val iId    = RItem.Columns.id
+    val iColl  = RItem.Columns.cid
+    val iName  = RItem.Columns.name
+    val iNotes = RItem.Columns.notes
+
+    val cols = Seq(iId, iColl, iName, iNotes)
+    selectSimple(cols, RItem.table, Fragment.empty)
+      .query[NameAndNotes]
+      .streamWithChunkSize(chunkSize)
+  }
 }
diff --git a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/records/RFtsMigration.scala b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/records/RFtsMigration.scala
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ab2e40c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/records/RFtsMigration.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+package docspell.store.records
+
+import cats.implicits._
+import cats.effect._
+import doobie._
+import doobie.implicits._
+import docspell.common._
+import docspell.store.impl._
+import docspell.store.impl.Implicits._
+
+final case class RFtsMigration(
+    id: Ident,
+    version: Int,
+    ftsEngine: Ident,
+    description: String,
+    created: Timestamp
+)
+
+object RFtsMigration {
+
+  def create[F[_]: Sync](
+      version: Int,
+      ftsEngine: Ident,
+      description: String
+  ): F[RFtsMigration] =
+    for {
+      newId <- Ident.randomId[F]
+      now   <- Timestamp.current[F]
+    } yield RFtsMigration(newId, version, ftsEngine, description, now)
+
+  val table = fr"fts_migration"
+
+  object Columns {
+    val id          = Column("id")
+    val version     = Column("version")
+    val ftsEngine   = Column("fts_engine")
+    val description = Column("description")
+    val created     = Column("created")
+
+    val all = List(id, version, ftsEngine, description, created)
+  }
+  import Columns._
+
+  def insert(v: RFtsMigration): ConnectionIO[Int] =
+    insertRow(
+      table,
+      all,
+      fr"${v.id},${v.version},${v.ftsEngine},${v.description},${v.created}"
+    ).update.run
+
+  def exists(vers: Int, engine: Ident): ConnectionIO[Boolean] =
+    selectCount(id, table, and(version.is(vers), ftsEngine.is(engine)))
+      .query[Int]
+      .unique
+      .map(_ > 0)
+
+  def deleteById(rId: Ident): ConnectionIO[Int] =
+    deleteFrom(table, id.is(rId)).update.run
+}