diff --git a/android/app/src/main/kotlin/com/zarz/spotiflac/MainActivity.kt b/android/app/src/main/kotlin/com/zarz/spotiflac/MainActivity.kt
index 77254873..e75aea3a 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/kotlin/com/zarz/spotiflac/MainActivity.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/kotlin/com/zarz/spotiflac/MainActivity.kt
@@ -3043,6 +3043,12 @@ class MainActivity: FlutterFragmentActivity() {
                             }
                             result.success(null)
                         }
+                        "releaseMemory" -> {
+                            withContext(Dispatchers.IO) {
+                                Gobackend.releaseMemory()
+                            }
+                            result.success(null)
+                        }
                         "getLogCount" -> {
                             val count = withContext(Dispatchers.IO) {
                                 Gobackend.getLogCount()
diff --git a/go_backend/exports.go b/go_backend/exports.go
index 4ea78fdf..12b13832 100644
--- a/go_backend/exports.go
+++ b/go_backend/exports.go
@@ -2,9 +2,19 @@ package gobackend
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"runtime/debug"
 	"strings"
 )
 
+// ReleaseMemory drops idle pooled extension runtimes, forces a GC, and
+// returns freed heap to the OS. Called from the app on OS memory pressure and
+// when backgrounded, so the Go side's RSS doesn't sit at its high-water mark
+// after large downloads/tag writes.
+func ReleaseMemory() {
+	drainAllIsolatedRuntimePools()
+	debug.FreeOSMemory()
+}
+
 func CheckAvailability(spotifyID, isrc string) (string, error) {
 	client := NewSongLinkClient()
 	availability, err := client.CheckTrackAvailability(spotifyID, isrc)
diff --git a/lib/main.dart b/lib/main.dart
index b47da80c..36407f2a 100644
--- a/lib/main.dart
+++ b/lib/main.dart
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import 'package:spotiflac_android/providers/library_collections_provider.dart';
 import 'package:spotiflac_android/providers/local_library_provider.dart';
 import 'package:spotiflac_android/providers/settings_provider.dart';
 import 'package:spotiflac_android/services/notification_service.dart';
+import 'package:spotiflac_android/services/platform_bridge.dart';
 import 'package:spotiflac_android/services/share_intent_service.dart';
 import 'package:spotiflac_android/services/cover_cache_manager.dart';
 import 'package:spotiflac_android/utils/local_library_scan_prefs.dart';
@@ -157,9 +158,25 @@ class _EagerInitializationState extends ConsumerState<_EagerInitialization>
           ref.read(downloadQueueProvider.notifier).flushQueuePersistence(),
         );
       }
+      // Backgrounded: return the Go heap's high-water mark to the OS so the
+      // process is a smaller kill target.
+      unawaited(PlatformBridge.releaseNativeMemory());
     }
   }
 
+  @override
+  void didHaveMemoryPressure() {
+    // OS memory pressure: drop decoded bitmaps (disk caches stay intact) and
+    // have the Go side release freed heap back to the OS.
+    final imageCache = PaintingBinding.instance.imageCache;
+    imageCache.clear();
+    imageCache.clearLiveImages();
+    if (CoverCacheManager.isInitialized) {
+      CoverCacheManager.instance.store.emptyMemoryCache();
+    }
+    unawaited(PlatformBridge.releaseNativeMemory());
+  }
+
   void _initializeDeferredProviders() {
     _downloadHistoryWarmupTimer = _scheduleProviderWarmup(
       const Duration(milliseconds: 400),
diff --git a/lib/services/platform_bridge.dart b/lib/services/platform_bridge.dart
index 30ae2212..09a11432 100644
--- a/lib/services/platform_bridge.dart
+++ b/lib/services/platform_bridge.dart
@@ -1202,6 +1202,14 @@ class PlatformBridge {
     await _channel.invokeMethod('clearLogs');
   }
 
+  /// Ask the Go backend to GC and return freed heap to the OS. Best-effort:
+  /// safe to call on memory pressure or when the app is backgrounded.
+  static Future<void> releaseNativeMemory() async {
+    try {
+      await _channel.invokeMethod('releaseMemory');
+    } catch (_) {}
+  }
+
   static Future<int> getGoLogCount() async {
     final result = await _channel.invokeMethod('getLogCount');
     return result as int;