diff --git a/apps/channels/tasks.py b/apps/channels/tasks.py
index 9ac4d475..4fd11adf 100644
--- a/apps/channels/tasks.py
+++ b/apps/channels/tasks.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ from core.models import CoreSettings
 
 from asgiref.sync import async_to_sync
 from channels.layers import get_channel_layer
-from core.apps import st_model
+from core.utils import SentenceTransformer
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ def match_epg_channels():
     """
     logger.info("Starting EPG matching logic...")
 
+    st_model = SentenceTransformer.get_model()
+
     # Attempt to retrieve a "preferred-region" if configured
     try:
         region_obj = CoreSettings.objects.get(key="preferred-region")
diff --git a/core/apps.py b/core/apps.py
index 0d23849c..3a01f0bd 100644
--- a/core/apps.py
+++ b/core/apps.py
@@ -2,26 +2,6 @@ from django.apps import AppConfig
 from django.conf import settings
 import os, logging
 
-logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-st_model = None
-
 class CoreConfig(AppConfig):
     default_auto_field = 'django.db.models.BigAutoField'
     name = 'core'
-
-    def ready(self):
-        global st_model
-        from sentence_transformers import SentenceTransformer
-
-        # Load the sentence-transformers model once at the module level
-        SENTENCE_MODEL_NAME = "sentence-transformers/all-MiniLM-L6-v2"
-        MODEL_PATH = os.path.join(settings.MEDIA_ROOT, "models", "all-MiniLM-L6-v2")
-        os.makedirs(MODEL_PATH, exist_ok=True)
-
-        # If not present locally, download:
-        if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(MODEL_PATH, "config.json")):
-            logger.info(f"Local model not found in {MODEL_PATH}; downloading from {SENTENCE_MODEL_NAME}...")
-            st_model = SentenceTransformer(SENTENCE_MODEL_NAME, cache_folder=MODEL_PATH)
-        else:
-            logger.info(f"Loading local model from {MODEL_PATH}")
-            st_model = SentenceTransformer(MODEL_PATH)
diff --git a/core/utils.py b/core/utils.py
index ca6fa75f..16b96a18 100644
--- a/core/utils.py
+++ b/core/utils.py
@@ -159,3 +159,24 @@ def send_websocket_event(event, success, data):
             "data": {"success": True, "type": "epg_channels"}
         }
     )
+
+class SentenceTransformer
+    _instance = None
+
+    @classmethod
+    def get_model(cls):
+        if cls._instance is None:
+            from sentence_transformers import SentenceTransformer as st
+
+            # Load the sentence-transformers model once at the module level
+            SENTENCE_MODEL_NAME = "sentence-transformers/all-MiniLM-L6-v2"
+            MODEL_PATH = os.path.join(settings.MEDIA_ROOT, "models", "all-MiniLM-L6-v2")
+            os.makedirs(MODEL_PATH, exist_ok=True)
+
+            # If not present locally, download:
+            if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(MODEL_PATH, "config.json")):
+                logger.info(f"Local model not found in {MODEL_PATH}; downloading from {SENTENCE_MODEL_NAME}...")
+                st_model = st(SENTENCE_MODEL_NAME, cache_folder=MODEL_PATH)
+            else:
+                logger.info(f"Loading local model from {MODEL_PATH}")
+                st_model = st(MODEL_PATH)