diff --git a/internal/service/worker.go b/internal/service/worker.go
index 3126e15..355d4d1 100644
--- a/internal/service/worker.go
+++ b/internal/service/worker.go
@@ -105,9 +105,12 @@ func (w *Worker) Process(
 		return newClientError(errors.New("invalid token"))
 	}
 
-	// Fetch the file in a goroutine to allow the annotations to be processed while the payload is being fetch.
-	chanPayload := make(chan []byte)
-	chanError := make(chan error)
+	// Fetch the file in a goroutine to allow the annotations to be processed while the payload is being fetch. The
+	// channels are buffered so the goroutine can always complete its single send and exit, even when Process returns
+	// early (e.g. on a token or annotation error) before reaching the select that drains them. With unbuffered
+	// channels the goroutine would block forever on the send, leaking both the goroutine and the payload it holds.
+	chanPayload := make(chan []byte, 1)
+	chanError := make(chan error, 1)
 	go func() {
 		payload, err := w.fetchFile(ctx, path)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/service/worker_test.go b/internal/service/worker_test.go
index 171e790..7cc3156 100644
--- a/internal/service/worker_test.go
+++ b/internal/service/worker_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
+	"runtime"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -259,6 +260,67 @@ func TestWorkerProcess(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestWorkerProcessNoGoroutineLeak is a regression test for a goroutine + heap leak in Process. The file is fetched in
+// a goroutine that sends the payload over a channel. When Process returns early on the png path (here, because
+// fetchAnnotations fails) before draining that channel, the goroutine must still be able to complete its send and
+// exit. With unbuffered channels it would block forever, leaking the goroutine and the payload it holds.
+func TestWorkerProcessNoGoroutineLeak(t *testing.T) {
+	urlSecret := "secret"
+	validToken := urlsign.GenerateToken(urlSecret, 8*time.Hour, time.Now().Add(time.Hour), "documents")
+
+	payload, err := os.ReadFile("testdata/sample.pdf")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// A fresh body is needed per call because it is consumed while reading, and fetches run concurrently with the
+	// caller; a plain fake avoids sharing a single drained buffer across goroutines.
+	s3Client := fakeS3{payload: payload}
+
+	var annotationStorage mockWorkerAnnotationStorage
+	annotationStorage.On("FetchAnnotation", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).
+		Return([]any(nil), errors.New("annotation storage is down"))
+
+	w := Worker{
+		HTTPClient:          http.DefaultClient,
+		URLSigningSecret:    urlSecret,
+		TraceExtractor:      traceExtractor,
+		StorageBucketRegion: map[string]string{"bucket-1": "eu-central-1"},
+		getS3Client:         func(string) (workerS3API, error) { return s3Client, nil },
+		AnnotationStorage:   &annotationStorage,
+	}
+	require.NoError(t, w.Init())
+
+	// Let any startup goroutines settle, then take a baseline.
+	time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
+	baseline := runtime.NumGoroutine()
+
+	const iterations = 50
+	url := fmt.Sprintf("documents?token=%s", validToken)
+	for range iterations {
+		err := w.Process(
+			context.Background(), url, "bucket-1/file.pdf", 1, 0, 0, 72, bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{}), "png",
+		)
+		require.Error(t, err)
+	}
+
+	// With the fix the fetch goroutines complete their send into the buffered channel and exit; poll until the count
+	// returns near baseline. With the bug present they stay blocked and the count remains elevated by ~iterations.
+	require.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+		return runtime.NumGoroutine() <= baseline+5
+	}, 5*time.Second, 20*time.Millisecond,
+		"goroutines did not return to baseline (leak): baseline=%d current=%d", baseline, runtime.NumGoroutine())
+}
+
+// fakeS3 returns a fresh reader over payload on every call so concurrent fetches don't share a drained buffer.
+type fakeS3 struct {
+	payload []byte
+}
+
+func (f fakeS3) GetObject(
+	context.Context, *s3.GetObjectInput, ...func(*s3.Options),
+) (*s3.GetObjectOutput, error) {
+	return &s3.GetObjectOutput{Body: io.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader(f.payload))}, nil
+}
+
 type mockS3 struct {
 	mock.Mock
 }