diff --git a/web/apps/photos/src/services/upload/uploadManager.ts b/web/apps/photos/src/services/upload/uploadManager.ts
index 42401acf9a..8fe362cafd 100644
--- a/web/apps/photos/src/services/upload/uploadManager.ts
+++ b/web/apps/photos/src/services/upload/uploadManager.ts
@@ -614,11 +614,11 @@ class UploadManager {
                     UPLOAD_RESULT.UPLOADED_WITH_STATIC_THUMBNAIL,
                 ].includes(uploadResult)
             ) {
+                const uploadItem =
+                    uploadableItem.uploadItem ??
+                    uploadableItem.livePhotoAssets.image;
                 try {
                     let file: File | undefined;
-                    const uploadItem =
-                        uploadableItem.uploadItem ??
-                        uploadableItem.livePhotoAssets.image;
                     if (uploadItem) {
                         if (uploadItem instanceof File) {
                             file = uploadItem;
@@ -635,15 +635,17 @@ class UploadManager {
                         enteFile: decryptedFile,
                         localFile: file,
                     });
-                    if (
-                        uploadResult == UPLOAD_RESULT.UPLOADED ||
-                        uploadResult ==
-                            UPLOAD_RESULT.UPLOADED_WITH_STATIC_THUMBNAIL
-                    )
-                        indexNewUpload(decryptedFile, file);
                 } catch (e) {
                     log.warn("Ignoring error in fileUploaded handlers", e);
                 }
+                if (
+                    uploadItem &&
+                    (uploadResult == UPLOAD_RESULT.UPLOADED ||
+                        uploadResult ==
+                            UPLOAD_RESULT.UPLOADED_WITH_STATIC_THUMBNAIL)
+                ) {
+                    indexNewUpload(decryptedFile, uploadItem);
+                }
                 this.updateExistingFiles(decryptedFile);
             }
             await this.watchFolderCallback(
diff --git a/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/index.ts b/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/index.ts
index 010695886a..92e1606631 100644
--- a/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/index.ts
+++ b/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/index.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { blobCache } from "@/next/blob-cache";
 import { ensureElectron } from "@/next/electron";
 import log from "@/next/log";
 import { ComlinkWorker } from "@/next/worker/comlink-worker";
+import type { UploadItem } from "../upload/types";
 import { regenerateFaceCrops } from "./crop";
 import { clearFaceDB, faceIndex, indexableAndIndexedCounts } from "./db";
 import { MLWorker } from "./worker";
@@ -171,16 +172,14 @@ export const triggerMLSync = () => {
  *
  * @param enteFile The {@link EnteFile} that got uploaded.
  *
- * @param file When available, the web {@link File} object representing the
+ * @param uploadItem The item that was uploaded. This can be used to get at the
  * contents of the file that got uploaded.
  */
-export const indexNewUpload = (enteFile: EnteFile, file: File | undefined) => {
+export const indexNewUpload = (enteFile: EnteFile, uploadItem: UploadItem) => {
     if (!_isMLEnabled) return;
     if (enteFile.metadata.fileType !== FILE_TYPE.IMAGE) return;
-    log.debug(() => ({ t: "ml-liveq", enteFile, file }));
-    // TODO-ML: 1. Use this file!
-    // TODO-ML: 2. Handle cases when File is something else (e.g. on desktop).
-    void worker().then((w) => w.onUpload(enteFile));
+    log.debug(() => ({ t: "ml-liveq", enteFile, uploadItem }));
+    void worker().then((w) => w.onUpload(enteFile, uploadItem));
 };
 
 export interface FaceIndexingStatus {
diff --git a/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/worker.ts b/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/worker.ts
index 535b659a5a..4a67c18083 100644
--- a/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/worker.ts
+++ b/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/worker.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { wait } from "@/utils/promise";
 import { expose } from "comlink";
 import downloadManager from "../download";
 import { getAllLocalFiles, getLocalTrashedFiles } from "../files";
+import type { UploadItem } from "../upload/types";
 import {
     indexableFileIDs,
     markIndexingFailed,
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ const idleDurationMax = 16 * 60; /* 16 minutes */
 export class MLWorker {
     private userAgent: string | undefined;
     private shouldSync = false;
-    private liveQ: EnteFile[] = [];
+    private liveQ: { enteFile: EnteFile; uploadItem: UploadItem }[] = [];
     private state: "idle" | "pull" | "indexing" = "idle";
     private idleTimeout: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined;
     private idleDuration = idleDurationStart; /* unit: seconds */
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ export class MLWorker {
      * representation of the file's contents with us and won't need to download
      * the file from remote.
      */
-    onUpload(file: EnteFile) {
+    onUpload(enteFile: EnteFile, uploadItem: UploadItem) {
         // Add the recently uploaded file to the live indexing queue.
         //
         // Limit the queue to some maximum so that we don't keep growing
@@ -113,10 +114,10 @@ export class MLWorker {
         // live queue is just an optimization: if a file doesn't get indexed via
         // the live queue, it'll later get indexed anyway when we backfill.
         if (this.liveQ.length < 50) {
-            this.liveQ.push(file);
+            this.liveQ.push({ enteFile, uploadItem });
             this.wakeUp();
         } else {
-            log.debug(() => "Ignoring live item since liveQ is full");
+            log.debug(() => "Ignoring upload item since liveQ is full");
         }
     }
 
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ export class MLWorker {
             return;
         }
 
-        const liveQ = this.liveQ;
+        const liveQ = this.liveQ.map((i) => i.enteFile);
         this.liveQ = [];
         this.state = "indexing";
         const allSuccess = await indexNextBatch(ensure(this.userAgent), liveQ);