diff --git a/frigate/config/semantic_search.py b/frigate/config/semantic_search.py
index 35346e91d..154423bae 100644
--- a/frigate/config/semantic_search.py
+++ b/frigate/config/semantic_search.py
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ class FaceRecognitionConfig(FrigateBaseModel):
     threshold: float = Field(
         default=0.8, title="Face similarity score required to be considered a match."
     )
+    min_area: int = Field(
+        default=1000, title="Min area of face box to consider running face recognition."
+    )
 
 
 class SemanticSearchConfig(FrigateBaseModel):
diff --git a/frigate/embeddings/maintainer.py b/frigate/embeddings/maintainer.py
index ac6d14d63..1e7606400 100644
--- a/frigate/embeddings/maintainer.py
+++ b/frigate/embeddings/maintainer.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ from frigate.events.types import EventTypeEnum
 from frigate.genai import get_genai_client
 from frigate.models import Event
 from frigate.util.builtin import serialize
-from frigate.util.image import SharedMemoryFrameManager, calculate_region
+from frigate.util.image import SharedMemoryFrameManager, calculate_region, area
 
 from .embeddings import Embeddings
 
@@ -317,7 +317,8 @@ class EmbeddingMaintainer(threading.Thread):
 
         face_box = face.get("box")
 
-        if not face_box:
+        # check that face is valid
+        if not face_box or area(face_box) < self.config.semantic_search.face_recognition.min_area:
             return
 
         face_frame = cv2.cvtColor(frame, cv2.COLOR_YUV2BGR_I420)