diff --git a/src-tauri/src/transcription/engine.rs b/src-tauri/src/transcription/engine.rs
index 6008ead..a7da5e6 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/transcription/engine.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/transcription/engine.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use std::path::Path;
 
+use sherpa_rs::transducer::{TransducerConfig, TransducerRecognizer};
 use sherpa_rs::whisper::{WhisperConfig, WhisperRecognizer};
 
 /// Result of one ASR call: recognized text plus the detected language
@@ -59,6 +60,63 @@ impl AsrEngine for WhisperEngine {
     }
 }
 
+/// NVIDIA Parakeet-TDT-v3 (int8) via sherpa-onnx's offline transducer recognizer.
+pub struct ParakeetEngine {
+    recognizer: TransducerRecognizer,
+}
+
+impl ParakeetEngine {
+    pub fn load(model_dir: &Path) -> Result<Self, String> {
+        let recognizer = TransducerRecognizer::new(TransducerConfig {
+            encoder: model_dir
+                .join("encoder.int8.onnx")
+                .to_string_lossy()
+                .to_string(),
+            decoder: model_dir
+                .join("decoder.int8.onnx")
+                .to_string_lossy()
+                .to_string(),
+            joiner: model_dir
+                .join("joiner.int8.onnx")
+                .to_string_lossy()
+                .to_string(),
+            tokens: model_dir
+                .join("tokens.txt")
+                .to_string_lossy()
+                .to_string(),
+            model_type: "nemo_transducer".to_string(),
+            num_threads: 2,
+            sample_rate: 16_000,
+            feature_dim: 80,
+            decoding_method: "greedy_search".to_string(),
+            provider: Some("cpu".to_string()),
+            ..Default::default()
+        })
+        .map_err(|err| format!("failed to initialize parakeet recognizer: {err}"))?;
+
+        Ok(Self { recognizer })
+    }
+}
+
+impl AsrEngine for ParakeetEngine {
+    fn transcribe(&mut self, sample_rate: u32, samples: &[f32]) -> AsrOutput {
+        // The transducer recognizer returns text only; Parakeet reports no language.
+        AsrOutput {
+            text: self.recognizer.transcribe(sample_rate, samples),
+            language: String::new(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Build the configured ASR engine. `engine` mirrors `meetings.asr_engine`
+/// ("whisper" | "parakeet"); `model_dir` must be that engine's model directory.
+pub fn load_engine(engine: &str, model_dir: &Path) -> Result<Box<dyn AsrEngine>, String> {
+    match engine {
+        "parakeet" => Ok(Box::new(ParakeetEngine::load(model_dir)?)),
+        _ => Ok(Box::new(WhisperEngine::load(model_dir)?)),
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/transcription/mod.rs b/src-tauri/src/transcription/mod.rs
index 6b9f187..5bdb67d 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/transcription/mod.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/transcription/mod.rs
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ pub fn start_transcription_worker(
 
     let config = worker::WorkerConfig {
         model_dir: model::whisper_turbo_model_dir(data_dir.as_path()),
+        asr_engine: "whisper".to_string(),
         vad_model: vad_model.to_string_lossy().to_string(),
         recording_start_ms: 0,
         result_tx,
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/transcription/worker.rs b/src-tauri/src/transcription/worker.rs
index 1ab8749..890ed9d 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/transcription/worker.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/transcription/worker.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use std::time::Duration;
 
 use sherpa_rs::silero_vad::{SileroVad, SileroVadConfig};
 
-use super::engine::{AsrEngine, WhisperEngine};
+use super::engine::{self, AsrEngine};
 use super::resampler::{AudioResampler, RingAccumulator};
 use super::{SegmentResult, WorkerCommand};
 
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ const WHISPER_MAX_DECODE_SAMPLES: usize = (ASR_SAMPLE_RATE as usize) * WHISPER_M
 
 pub struct WorkerConfig {
     pub model_dir: PathBuf,
+    pub asr_engine: String,
     pub vad_model: String,
     pub recording_start_ms: u64,
     pub result_tx: mpsc::Sender<SegmentResult>,
@@ -117,10 +118,10 @@ pub fn run_worker(
         config.model_dir.display()
     );
 
-    let mut engine: Box<dyn AsrEngine> = match WhisperEngine::load(&config.model_dir) {
+    let mut engine = match engine::load_engine(&config.asr_engine, &config.model_dir) {
         Ok(engine) => {
-            eprintln!("[transcription] whisper turbo loaded OK");
-            Box::new(engine)
+            eprintln!("[transcription] ASR engine '{}' loaded OK", config.asr_engine);
+            engine
         }
         Err(err) => {
             eprintln!("{err}");