diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/document/transcription/TranscriptionBlockRepository.java b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/document/transcription/TranscriptionBlockRepository.java
index 4da9ee8e..fbfab4c6 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/document/transcription/TranscriptionBlockRepository.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/document/transcription/TranscriptionBlockRepository.java
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ public interface TranscriptionBlockRepository extends JpaRepository<Transcriptio
 
     int countByDocumentId(UUID documentId);
 
+    boolean existsByDocumentId(UUID documentId);
+
     @Query("""
             SELECT b FROM TranscriptionBlock b
             JOIN DocumentAnnotation a ON a.id = b.annotationId
diff --git a/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/document/transcription/TranscriptionBlockRepositoryIntegrationTest.java b/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/document/transcription/TranscriptionBlockRepositoryIntegrationTest.java
index b7344d03..e8f39e55 100644
--- a/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/document/transcription/TranscriptionBlockRepositoryIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/backend/src/test/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/document/transcription/TranscriptionBlockRepositoryIntegrationTest.java
@@ -102,4 +102,22 @@ class TranscriptionBlockRepositoryIntegrationTest {
         assertThat(byDoc).containsEntry(DOC_A, 100);
         assertThat(byDoc).containsEntry(DOC_B, 0);
     }
+
+    @Test
+    @Sql(statements = {
+        "INSERT INTO documents (id, title, original_filename, status) VALUES ('aaaaaaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa', 'Doc A', 'a.pdf', 'PLACEHOLDER')",
+        "INSERT INTO document_annotations (id, document_id, page_number, x, y, width, height, color) VALUES ('cccccccc-cccc-cccc-cccc-cccccccccccc', 'aaaaaaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa', 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, '#fff')",
+        "INSERT INTO transcription_blocks (annotation_id, document_id, sort_order, reviewed) VALUES ('cccccccc-cccc-cccc-cccc-cccccccccccc', 'aaaaaaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa', 0, false)"
+    })
+    void existsByDocumentId_returns_true_when_document_has_a_block() {
+        assertThat(repository.existsByDocumentId(DOC_A)).isTrue();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @Sql(statements = {
+        "INSERT INTO documents (id, title, original_filename, status) VALUES ('aaaaaaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa', 'Doc A', 'a.pdf', 'PLACEHOLDER')"
+    })
+    void existsByDocumentId_returns_false_when_document_has_no_blocks() {
+        assertThat(repository.existsByDocumentId(DOC_A)).isFalse();
+    }
 }