diff --git a/app/tasks/process_document.py b/app/tasks/process_document.py
index 3d51a400..9b4a3810 100644
--- a/app/tasks/process_document.py
+++ b/app/tasks/process_document.py
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 
+from __future__ import annotations
+
 import json
 import logging
 import mimetypes
 import os
 import shutil
 import uuid
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
 import pypdf  # Upgraded from PyPDF2 to fix CVE-2023-36464
 from pypdf.errors import PdfReadError
@@ -21,10 +24,13 @@ from app.utils import get_unique_filepath_with_counter, hash_file, log_task_prog
 from app.utils.step_manager import initialize_file_steps
 from app.utils.text_quality import check_text_quality, detect_pdf_text_source
 
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
+
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-def _get_pipeline_ocr_language(db, file_record: FileRecord, owner_id: str | None) -> str | None:
+def _get_pipeline_ocr_language(db: "Session", file_record: FileRecord, owner_id: str | None) -> str | None:
     """Look up the OCR language override from the file's pipeline OCR step config.
 
     Resolution order:
@@ -80,7 +86,7 @@ def _get_pipeline_ocr_language(db, file_record: FileRecord, owner_id: str | None
 
     try:
         step_config = json.loads(ocr_step.config)
-        lang = step_config.get("ocr_language") or None
+        lang = step_config.get("ocr_language")
         # "auto" is treated as no override
         return lang if lang and lang != "auto" else None
     except Exception:
diff --git a/app/tasks/process_with_ocr.py b/app/tasks/process_with_ocr.py
index 8447ec1f..8503c983 100644
--- a/app/tasks/process_with_ocr.py
+++ b/app/tasks/process_with_ocr.py
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ task with a multi-engine OCR pipeline that:
 
 import logging
 import os
-from typing import Optional
 
 from app.celery_app import celery
 from app.config import settings
@@ -36,9 +35,9 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 def process_with_ocr(
     self,
     filename: str,
-    file_id: Optional[int] = None,
-    original_text: Optional[str] = None,
-    language: Optional[str] = None,
+    file_id: int | None = None,
+    original_text: str | None = None,
+    language: str | None = None,
 ):
     """Run the configured OCR providers on *filename* and continue the pipeline.
 
diff --git a/tests/test_process_document.py b/tests/test_process_document.py
index 2eb9f144..53a00b3b 100644
--- a/tests/test_process_document.py
+++ b/tests/test_process_document.py
@@ -977,13 +977,15 @@ def test_get_pipeline_ocr_language_explicit_pipeline_takes_priority(db_session):
     db_session.add(sys_pipeline)
     db_session.commit()
 
-    PipelineStep(
+    sys_step = PipelineStep(
         pipeline_id=sys_pipeline.id,
         position=0,
         step_type="ocr",
         config=json.dumps({"ocr_language": "eng"}),
         enabled=True,
     )
+    db_session.add(sys_step)
+    db_session.commit()
 
     # Explicit pipeline with "fra"
     explicit_pipeline = Pipeline(