diff --git a/backend/app/utils/phash.py b/backend/app/utils/phash.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d00cb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/app/utils/phash.py
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+"""Perceptual-hash dedup helpers (ported from ImageRepo).
+
+hash_size=8 -> 64-bit hash -> 16-hex-char string, which fits the existing
+ImageRecord.phash String(32) column (no image_record migration). IR uses
+hash_size=16; the deliberate FC deviation keeps the schema unchanged. The
+Hamming threshold is the operator-exposed dial (ImportSettings).
+"""
+
+import imagehash
+
+HASH_SIZE = 8
+
+
+def compute_phash(pil_image) -> str | None:
+    """Perceptual hash of an opened PIL image, as a hex string. None on any
+    failure (videos/unreadable/non-image)."""
+    try:
+        return str(imagehash.phash(pil_image, hash_size=HASH_SIZE))
+    except Exception:
+        return None
+
+
+def find_similar(
+    phash_hex: str,
+    width: int,
+    height: int,
+    candidates: list[tuple[str, int, int, int]],
+    threshold: int,
+) -> tuple[str, int | None]:
+    """candidates: (phash_hex, width, height, image_id). Returns one of
+    ("none", None) / ("larger_exists", id) / ("smaller_exists", id).
+    First qualifying candidate wins (IR loop order)."""
+    new_h = imagehash.hex_to_hash(phash_hex)
+    for cand_hex, cw, ch, cid in candidates:
+        try:
+            dist = new_h - imagehash.hex_to_hash(cand_hex)
+        except Exception:
+            continue
+        if dist <= threshold:
+            if cw >= width and ch >= height:
+                return ("larger_exists", cid)
+            if width > cw or height > ch:
+                return ("smaller_exists", cid)
+    return ("none", None)
diff --git a/tests/test_phash_util.py b/tests/test_phash_util.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..11e81d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_phash_util.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import io
+
+import imagehash
+from PIL import Image
+
+from backend.app.utils.phash import compute_phash, find_similar
+
+
+def _img(color, size=(64, 64)):
+    return Image.new("RGB", size, color)
+
+
+def test_compute_phash_stable_and_hex():
+    h1 = compute_phash(_img((10, 120, 200)))
+    h2 = compute_phash(_img((10, 120, 200)))
+    assert isinstance(h1, str) and len(h1) == 16  # hash_size=8 -> 64-bit -> 16 hex
+    assert h1 == h2
+
+
+def test_compute_phash_none_for_non_image():
+    assert compute_phash(io.BytesIO(b"not an image")) is None
+
+
+def test_find_similar_none_when_far():
+    new = compute_phash(_img((0, 0, 0)))
+    cand = (compute_phash(_img((255, 255, 255))), 100, 100, 7)
+    rel, mid = find_similar(new, 50, 50, [cand], threshold=2)
+    assert rel == "none" and mid is None
+
+
+def test_find_similar_larger_exists_skips_new():
+    h = compute_phash(_img((123, 50, 7)))
+    rel, mid = find_similar(h, 100, 100, [(h, 400, 400, 9)], threshold=2)
+    assert rel == "larger_exists" and mid == 9
+
+
+def test_find_similar_smaller_exists_supersede():
+    h = compute_phash(_img((123, 50, 7)))
+    rel, mid = find_similar(h, 800, 800, [(h, 100, 100, 4)], threshold=2)
+    assert rel == "smaller_exists" and mid == 4
+
+
+def test_find_similar_threshold_boundary_inclusive_and_first_match():
+    h = compute_phash(_img((10, 10, 10)))
+    far = compute_phash(_img((240, 240, 240)))
+    d = imagehash.hex_to_hash(h) - imagehash.hex_to_hash(far)
+    # at exactly the distance, it counts as similar (<=)
+    rel, _ = find_similar(h, 10, 10, [(far, 999, 999, 1)], threshold=d)
+    assert rel == "larger_exists"
+    rel2, _ = find_similar(h, 10, 10, [(far, 999, 999, 1)], threshold=d - 1)
+    assert rel2 == "none"