diff --git a/Endpoints/EngineEndpoints.cs b/Endpoints/EngineEndpoints.cs
index 541111f..2171859 100644
--- a/Endpoints/EngineEndpoints.cs
+++ b/Endpoints/EngineEndpoints.cs
@@ -21,14 +21,14 @@ public static void MapEngineEndpoints(this WebApplication app)
             });
         });
 
-        app.MapGet("/api/settings", (ISettingsService settingsService) =>
+        app.MapGet("/api/settings", async (ISettingsService settingsService, CancellationToken ct) =>
         {
-            return Results.Ok(settingsService.LoadSettings());
+            return Results.Ok(await settingsService.LoadSettingsAsync(ct));
         });
 
-        app.MapPost("/api/settings", (AppSettings newSettings, ISettingsService settingsService) =>
+        app.MapPost("/api/settings", async (AppSettings newSettings, ISettingsService settingsService, CancellationToken ct) =>
         {
-            settingsService.SaveSettings(newSettings);
+            await settingsService.SaveSettingsAsync(newSettings, ct);
             return Results.Ok(newSettings);
         });
 
diff --git a/LocalLLMServerManager.Shared/Interfaces/ISettingsService.cs b/LocalLLMServerManager.Shared/Interfaces/ISettingsService.cs
index dbf76a0..7fadc8b 100644
--- a/LocalLLMServerManager.Shared/Interfaces/ISettingsService.cs
+++ b/LocalLLMServerManager.Shared/Interfaces/ISettingsService.cs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+using System.Threading;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using LocalLLMServerManager.Shared.Models;
 
 namespace LocalLLMServerManager.Shared.Interfaces;
@@ -7,4 +9,10 @@ public interface ISettingsService
     string SettingsFilePath();
     AppSettings LoadSettings();
     void SaveSettings(AppSettings settings);
+    Task<AppSettings> LoadSettingsAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default) => Task.FromResult(LoadSettings());
+    Task SaveSettingsAsync(AppSettings settings, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    {
+        SaveSettings(settings);
+        return Task.CompletedTask;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/LocalLLMServerManager.Tests/AppSettingsTests.cs b/LocalLLMServerManager.Tests/AppSettingsTests.cs
index 160921e..6d437ac 100644
--- a/LocalLLMServerManager.Tests/AppSettingsTests.cs
+++ b/LocalLLMServerManager.Tests/AppSettingsTests.cs
@@ -135,4 +135,39 @@ public void SettingsService_UsesCachedInstance_AfterInitialLoad()
 
         Assert.Same(firstLoad, secondLoad);
     }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task SettingsService_SaveAndLoadAsync_RoundTripsSuccessfully()
+    {
+        var service = new SettingsService();
+        var original = await service.LoadSettingsAsync();
+
+        try
+        {
+            var customSettings = new AppSettings(
+                ForgeModelsPath: @"C:\CustomForgeAsync",
+                ComfyModelsPath: @"C:\CustomComfyAsync"
+            );
+            await service.SaveSettingsAsync(customSettings);
+
+            var loaded = await service.LoadSettingsAsync();
+            Assert.Equal(@"C:\CustomForgeAsync", loaded.ForgeModelsPath);
+            Assert.Equal(@"C:\CustomComfyAsync", loaded.ComfyModelsPath);
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            await service.SaveSettingsAsync(original);
+        }
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task SettingsService_SyncAndAsync_ShareCachedInstance()
+    {
+        var service = new SettingsService();
+        var syncLoad = service.LoadSettings();
+        var asyncLoad = await service.LoadSettingsAsync();
+
+        Assert.Same(syncLoad, asyncLoad);
+    }
 }
+
diff --git a/Program.cs b/Program.cs
index 5bd85e6..7ff31e4 100644
--- a/Program.cs
+++ b/Program.cs
@@ -99,6 +99,10 @@ public static AppBuilder BuildAvaloniaApp()
 
     public static void SaveSettings(AppSettings settings) => new SettingsService().SaveSettings(settings);
 
+    public static Task<AppSettings> LoadSettingsAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default) => new SettingsService().LoadSettingsAsync(cancellationToken);
+
+    public static Task SaveSettingsAsync(AppSettings settings, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default) => new SettingsService().SaveSettingsAsync(settings, cancellationToken);
+
     public static string ResolvePath(string? rawPath, string fallbackRelativePath = "")
     {
         var target = string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(rawPath) ? fallbackRelativePath : rawPath;
diff --git a/Services/SettingsService.cs b/Services/SettingsService.cs
index ace7049..1acc84a 100644
--- a/Services/SettingsService.cs
+++ b/Services/SettingsService.cs
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 using System.IO;
 using System.Text.Json;
+using System.Threading;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
 
 namespace LocalLLMServerManager.Services;
 
 public class SettingsService : ISettingsService
 {
-    private static readonly object SettingsLock = new();
+    private static readonly SemaphoreSlim SettingsSemaphore = new(1, 1);
     private static AppSettings? _cachedSettings;
 
     public string SettingsFilePath()
@@ -15,7 +17,8 @@ public string SettingsFilePath()
 
     public AppSettings LoadSettings()
     {
-        lock (SettingsLock)
+        SettingsSemaphore.Wait();
+        try
         {
             if (_cachedSettings != null)
             {
@@ -37,18 +40,26 @@ public AppSettings LoadSettings()
                 }
                 catch
                 {
-                    Thread.Sleep(50);
+                    if (i < 4)
+                    {
+                        Thread.Sleep(50);
+                    }
                 }
             }
-            
+
             _cachedSettings = new AppSettings();
             return _cachedSettings;
         }
+        finally
+        {
+            SettingsSemaphore.Release();
+        }
     }
 
     public void SaveSettings(AppSettings settings)
     {
-        lock (SettingsLock)
+        SettingsSemaphore.Wait();
+        try
         {
             for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++)
             {
@@ -57,16 +68,90 @@ public void SaveSettings(AppSettings settings)
                     var path = SettingsFilePath();
                     var json = JsonSerializer.Serialize(settings, new JsonSerializerOptions { WriteIndented = true });
                     File.WriteAllText(path, json);
-                    
+
                     // Update cache after successful save
                     _cachedSettings = settings;
                     break;
                 }
                 catch
                 {
-                    Thread.Sleep(50);
+                    if (i < 4)
+                    {
+                        Thread.Sleep(50);
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
+        finally
+        {
+            SettingsSemaphore.Release();
+        }
+    }
+
+    public async Task<AppSettings> LoadSettingsAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    {
+        await SettingsSemaphore.WaitAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+        try
+        {
+            if (_cachedSettings != null)
+            {
+                return _cachedSettings;
+            }
+
+            for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++)
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    var path = SettingsFilePath();
+                    if (File.Exists(path))
+                    {
+                        var json = await File.ReadAllTextAsync(path, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                        _cachedSettings = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<AppSettings>(json) ?? new AppSettings();
+                        return _cachedSettings;
+                    }
+                    break;
+                }
+                catch when (i < 4)
+                {
+                    await Task.Delay(50, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                }
+            }
+
+            _cachedSettings = new AppSettings();
+            return _cachedSettings;
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            SettingsSemaphore.Release();
+        }
+    }
+
+    public async Task SaveSettingsAsync(AppSettings settings, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    {
+        await SettingsSemaphore.WaitAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+        try
+        {
+            for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++)
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    var path = SettingsFilePath();
+                    var json = JsonSerializer.Serialize(settings, new JsonSerializerOptions { WriteIndented = true });
+                    await File.WriteAllTextAsync(path, json, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+
+                    // Update cache after successful save
+                    _cachedSettings = settings;
+                    break;
+                }
+                catch when (i < 4)
+                {
+                    await Task.Delay(50, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            SettingsSemaphore.Release();
+        }
     }
 }