diff --git a/routers/exam/templates.py b/routers/exam/templates.py
index ae7b2f9..af39881 100644
--- a/routers/exam/templates.py
+++ b/routers/exam/templates.py
@@ -634,6 +634,9 @@ def _run_auto_map_job(job_id: str, ctx: ExamContext, template_id: str, pdf_bytes
     _set_auto_map_status(job_id, {"status": "running", "template_id": template_id})
     try:
         rows = _run_auto_map_merge(ctx, template_id, pdf_bytes, source_label)
+        # Project to Neo4j like the born-digital fast path does — otherwise image-only papers (R3's
+        # primary target, routed here because they need OCR) never reach the graph after auto-map.
+        project_template_safe(template_id)
         _set_auto_map_status(job_id, {"status": "completed", "template_id": template_id, "counts": {k: len(v) for k, v in rows.items()}})
     except Exception as exc:
         logger.exception(f"auto-map job failed for template {template_id}: {exc}")
diff --git a/tests/test_exam_templates.py b/tests/test_exam_templates.py
index 37e38d2..e316986 100644
--- a/tests/test_exam_templates.py
+++ b/tests/test_exam_templates.py
@@ -718,4 +718,16 @@ def test_auto_map_ocr_returns_job_id_and_status_completes(monkeypatch):
     body = status.json()
     assert body["status"] == "completed"
     assert body["counts"]["questions"] >= 2
+
+
+def test_auto_map_ocr_path_projects_to_neo4j(monkeypatch, _stub_projection):
+    # Image-only papers route through the async OCR job; regression: that path must project to Neo4j
+    # like the born-digital fast path, or the graph is never built for the primary target.
+    store = _template_with_source()
+    client, store = make_client(store=store)
+    _patch_auto_map(monkeypatch, store, fast=False)
+    resp = client.post("/api/exam/templates/t1/auto-map")
+    assert resp.status_code == 202
+    # the BackgroundTask runs after the response under TestClient
+    assert "t1" in _stub_projection
     assert body["template"]["layout"]