diff --git a/paperforge/worker/ocr.py b/paperforge/worker/ocr.py
index b40e17c2..bca4579c 100644
--- a/paperforge/worker/ocr.py
+++ b/paperforge/worker/ocr.py
@@ -1818,6 +1818,15 @@ def postprocess_ocr_result(vault: Path, key: str, all_results: list[dict]) -> tu
     write_ocr_health(ocr_root / "health", health_report)
     meta["ocr_health_overall"] = health_report["overall"]
 
+    # --- Phase 5: role-based OCR index ---
+    from paperforge.worker.ocr_index import build_role_indexes, write_role_index
+
+    role_indexes = build_role_indexes(
+        structured_blocks=structured,
+        resolved_metadata=resolved,
+    )
+    write_role_index(ocr_root / "index", role_indexes)
+
     # Update meta.json with version payloads
     ocr_model = meta.get("ocr_model", meta.get("ocr_provider", "PaddleOCR"))
     version_payload = build_version_payload(
diff --git a/paperforge/worker/ocr_index.py b/paperforge/worker/ocr_index.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..09db3d1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/paperforge/worker/ocr_index.py
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any
+
+from paperforge.core.io import write_json
+
+
+def build_role_indexes(
+    structured_blocks: list[dict[str, Any]],
+    resolved_metadata: dict[str, Any],
+) -> dict[str, list[dict[str, Any]]]:
+    body_roles = {
+        "body_paragraph",
+        "section_heading",
+        "subsection_heading",
+        "abstract_body",
+        "abstract_heading",
+        "introduction_heading",
+    }
+    body: list[dict[str, Any]] = []
+    captions: list[dict[str, Any]] = []
+    tables: list[dict[str, Any]] = []
+    references: list[dict[str, Any]] = []
+    all_blocks: list[dict[str, Any]] = []
+
+    for block in structured_blocks:
+        role = block.get("role", "")
+        entry = {
+            "paper_id": block.get("paper_id", ""),
+            "page": block.get("page", 0),
+            "block_id": block.get("block_id", ""),
+            "role": role,
+            "text": block.get("text", ""),
+        }
+        all_blocks.append(entry)
+
+        if role in body_roles:
+            body.append(entry)
+        elif role == "figure_caption":
+            captions.append(entry)
+        elif role == "table_caption":
+            tables.append(entry)
+        elif role == "reference_item":
+            references.append(entry)
+
+    metadata_index: list[dict[str, Any]] = []
+    for key in ("title", "authors", "doi", "journal", "year"):
+        value = resolved_metadata.get(key, {}).get("value", "")
+        if value:
+            metadata_index.append({
+                "paper_id": structured_blocks[0].get("paper_id", "") if structured_blocks else "",
+                "page": 0,
+                "block_id": f"meta_{key}",
+                "role": f"metadata_{key}",
+                "text": str(value),
+            })
+
+    return {
+        "body": body,
+        "captions": captions,
+        "tables": tables,
+        "metadata": metadata_index,
+        "references": references,
+        "all_blocks": all_blocks,
+    }
+
+
+def write_role_index(index_root: Path, indexes: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+    index_root.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    write_json(index_root / "role-index.json", indexes)
diff --git a/paperforge/worker/ocr_rebuild.py b/paperforge/worker/ocr_rebuild.py
index 0498e777..94dc85e0 100644
--- a/paperforge/worker/ocr_rebuild.py
+++ b/paperforge/worker/ocr_rebuild.py
@@ -128,6 +128,15 @@ def run_derived_rebuild_for_keys(vault: Path, keys: list[str]) -> dict:
         )
         write_ocr_health(paper_root / "health", health_report)
 
+        # Rebuild role index
+        from paperforge.worker.ocr_index import build_role_indexes, write_role_index
+
+        role_indexes = build_role_indexes(
+            structured_blocks=structured,
+            resolved_metadata=resolved,
+        )
+        write_role_index(paper_root / "index", role_indexes)
+
         # Update version state in meta.json
         meta = read_json(artifacts.meta_json) if artifacts.meta_json.exists() else {}
         meta = _apply_post_rebuild_version_flags(meta)