diff --git a/src/modules/uploader/providers/image-processing.service.ts b/src/modules/uploader/providers/image-processing.service.ts
index 936cdb7..479fff8 100644
--- a/src/modules/uploader/providers/image-processing.service.ts
+++ b/src/modules/uploader/providers/image-processing.service.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ const RASTER_IMAGE_MIME_TYPES = new Set([
   'image/bmp',
 ]);
 
+const MIN_WEBP_QUALITY = 50;
+const WEBP_EFFORT = 4;
+
 @Injectable()
 export class ImageProcessingService {
   private readonly logger = new Logger(ImageProcessingService.name);
@@ -24,12 +27,15 @@ export class ImageProcessingService {
   private readonly maxHeight: number;
   private readonly maxOutputBytes: number;
   private readonly webpQuality: number;
+  private readonly skipImageProcessing: boolean;
 
   constructor(private readonly configService: ConfigService) {
     this.maxWidth = this.configService.get<number>('IMAGE_MAX_WIDTH', 1920);
     this.maxHeight = this.configService.get<number>('IMAGE_MAX_HEIGHT', 1920);
     this.maxOutputBytes = this.configService.get<number>('IMAGE_MAX_SIZE', 2 * 1024 * 1024);
     this.webpQuality = this.configService.get<number>('IMAGE_WEBP_QUALITY', 80);
+    this.skipImageProcessing =
+      this.configService.get<string>('SKIP_IMAGE_PROCESSING', 'false').toLowerCase() === 'true';
   }
 
   shouldProcess(mimetype: string): boolean {
@@ -41,41 +47,39 @@ export class ImageProcessingService {
       return null;
     }
 
+    if (this.skipImageProcessing) {
+      this.logger.debug('Image processing skipped (SKIP_IMAGE_PROCESSING=true)');
+      return null;
+    }
+
     try {
-      const source = sharp(buffer, { animated: mimetype === 'image/gif' }).rotate();
-      const metadata = await source.metadata();
+      const animated = mimetype === 'image/gif';
+      const metadata = await sharp(buffer, { animated }).metadata();
 
-      let targetWidth = metadata.width;
-      let targetHeight = metadata.height;
-
-      if (targetWidth && targetHeight && (targetWidth > this.maxWidth || targetHeight > this.maxHeight)) {
-        const scale = Math.min(this.maxWidth / targetWidth, this.maxHeight / targetHeight);
-        targetWidth = Math.round(targetWidth * scale);
-        targetHeight = Math.round(targetHeight * scale);
+      if (await this.shouldSkipAsWebp(buffer, mimetype, metadata)) {
+        this.logger.debug(
+          `Image processing skipped: webp within limits (${metadata.width}x${metadata.height}, ${buffer.length} bytes)`,
+        );
+        return null;
       }
 
+      const targetDimensions = this.computeTargetDimensions(buffer.length, metadata);
       let quality = this.webpQuality;
-      let output = await this.renderWebp(source, targetWidth, targetHeight, quality);
+      let output = await this.encodeWebp(buffer, animated, targetDimensions, quality);
 
-      while (output.length > this.maxOutputBytes) {
-        if (quality > 50) {
-          quality -= 10;
-          output = await this.renderWebp(source, targetWidth, targetHeight, quality);
-          continue;
-        }
+      if (output.length > this.maxOutputBytes) {
+        quality = this.estimateQuality(quality, output.length);
+        output = await this.encodeWebp(buffer, animated, targetDimensions, quality);
+      }
 
-        if (!targetWidth || !targetHeight || (targetWidth <= 800 && targetHeight <= 800)) {
-          break;
-        }
-
-        targetWidth = Math.round(targetWidth * 0.85);
-        targetHeight = Math.round(targetHeight * 0.85);
+      if (output.length > this.maxOutputBytes && this.canShrinkDimensions(targetDimensions)) {
+        const shrunk = this.shrinkDimensions(targetDimensions, output.length);
         quality = this.webpQuality;
-        output = await this.renderWebp(source, targetWidth, targetHeight, quality);
+        output = await this.encodeWebp(buffer, animated, shrunk, quality);
       }
 
       this.logger.log(
-        `Image processed: ${metadata.width}x${metadata.height} -> ${targetWidth}x${targetHeight}, ` +
+        `Image processed: ${metadata.width}x${metadata.height} -> ${targetDimensions.width}x${targetDimensions.height}, ` +
           `${buffer.length} -> ${output.length} bytes (webp q${quality})`,
       );
 
@@ -90,18 +94,87 @@ export class ImageProcessingService {
     }
   }
 
-  private renderWebp(
-    source: sharp.Sharp,
-    width: number | undefined,
-    height: number | undefined,
-    quality: number,
-  ): Promise<Buffer> {
-    let pipeline = source.clone().rotate();
-
-    if (width && height) {
-      pipeline = pipeline.resize(width, height, { fit: 'inside', withoutEnlargement: true });
+  private async shouldSkipAsWebp(
+    buffer: Buffer,
+    mimetype: string,
+    metadata: sharp.Metadata,
+  ): Promise<boolean> {
+    if (mimetype !== 'image/webp' || buffer.length > this.maxOutputBytes) {
+      return false;
     }
 
-    return pipeline.webp({ quality }).toBuffer();
+    const { width, height } = metadata;
+    if (!width || !height) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    return width <= this.maxWidth && height <= this.maxHeight;
+  }
+
+  private computeTargetDimensions(
+    bufferLength: number,
+    metadata: sharp.Metadata,
+  ): { width: number; height: number } {
+    let width = metadata.width ?? 0;
+    let height = metadata.height ?? 0;
+
+    if (!width || !height) {
+      return { width: 0, height: 0 };
+    }
+
+    if (width > this.maxWidth || height > this.maxHeight) {
+      const scale = Math.min(this.maxWidth / width, this.maxHeight / height);
+      width = Math.round(width * scale);
+      height = Math.round(height * scale);
+    }
+
+    if (bufferLength > this.maxOutputBytes) {
+      const byteScale = Math.min(1, Math.sqrt((this.maxOutputBytes * 0.85) / bufferLength));
+      if (byteScale < 1) {
+        width = Math.max(1, Math.round(width * byteScale));
+        height = Math.max(1, Math.round(height * byteScale));
+      }
+    }
+
+    return { width, height };
+  }
+
+  private canShrinkDimensions(dimensions: { width: number; height: number }): boolean {
+    const { width, height } = dimensions;
+    return width > 0 && height > 0 && (width > 800 || height > 800);
+  }
+
+  private shrinkDimensions(
+    dimensions: { width: number; height: number },
+    outputBytes: number,
+  ): { width: number; height: number } {
+    const scale = Math.min(0.85, Math.sqrt((this.maxOutputBytes * 0.9) / outputBytes));
+    return {
+      width: Math.max(1, Math.round(dimensions.width * scale)),
+      height: Math.max(1, Math.round(dimensions.height * scale)),
+    };
+  }
+
+  private estimateQuality(currentQuality: number, outputBytes: number): number {
+    const ratio = this.maxOutputBytes / outputBytes;
+    return Math.max(MIN_WEBP_QUALITY, Math.min(currentQuality - 1, Math.floor(currentQuality * ratio * 0.95)));
+  }
+
+  private encodeWebp(
+    buffer: Buffer,
+    animated: boolean,
+    dimensions: { width: number; height: number },
+    quality: number,
+  ): Promise<Buffer> {
+    let pipeline = sharp(buffer, { animated }).rotate();
+
+    if (dimensions.width > 0 && dimensions.height > 0) {
+      pipeline = pipeline.resize(dimensions.width, dimensions.height, {
+        fit: 'inside',
+        withoutEnlargement: true,
+      });
+    }
+
+    return pipeline.webp({ quality, effort: WEBP_EFFORT }).toBuffer();
   }
 }