diff --git includes/index_entity.inc includes/index_entity.inc
index 7ba3a8d..12b0dbd 100644
--- includes/index_entity.inc
+++ includes/index_entity.inc
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ class SearchApiIndex extends Entity {
   /**
    * An array of options for configuring this index. The layout is as follows:
    * - cron_limit: The maximum number of items to be indexed per cron run.
+   * - index_directly: Boolean setting whether entities are indexed immediately
+   *   after they are created or updated.
    * - fields: An array of all known fields for this index. Keys are the field
    *   identifiers, the values are arrays for specifying the field settings. The
    *   structure of those arrays looks like this:
@@ -162,8 +164,8 @@ class SearchApiIndex extends Entity {
    * Record entities to index.
    */
   public function queueItems() {
-		$this->dequeueItems();
-		
+    $this->dequeueItems();
+
     if (!$this->read_only) {
       $entity_info = entity_get_info($this->entity_type);
 
diff --git search_api.admin.inc search_api.admin.inc
index 2c0038a..cc89ce8 100644
--- search_api.admin.inc
+++ search_api.admin.inc
@@ -570,6 +570,13 @@ function search_api_admin_add_index(array $form, array &$form_state) {
       $form['server']['#options'][$server->machine_name] = t('@server_name (disabled)', array('@server_name' => $server->name));
     }
   }
+  $form['index_directly'] = array(
+    '#type' => 'checkbox',
+    '#title' => t('Index items immediately'),
+    '#description' => t('Immediately index new or updated items instead of waiting for the next cron run. ' .
+        'This might have serious performance drawbacks and is generally not advised for larger sites.'),
+    '#default_value' => FALSE,
+  );
   $form['cron_limit'] = array(
     '#type' => 'textfield',
     '#title' => t('Cron limit'),
@@ -611,7 +618,10 @@ function search_api_admin_add_index_submit(array $form, array &$form_state) {
   form_state_values_clean($form_state);
 
   $values = $form_state['values'];
-  $values['options'] = array('cron_limit' => $values['cron_limit']);
+  $values['options'] = array(
+    'cron_limit' => $values['cron_limit'],
+    'index_directly' => $values['index_directly'],
+  );
   unset($values['cron_limit']);
 
   // Trying to create an enabled index on a disabled server is handled elsewhere
@@ -1028,6 +1038,13 @@ function search_api_admin_index_edit(array $form, array &$form_state, SearchApiI
     '#description' => t('Do not write to this index or track ids of entities in this index.'),
     '#default_value' => $index->read_only,
   );
+  $form['index_directly'] = array(
+    '#type' => 'checkbox',
+    '#title' => t('Index items immediately'),
+    '#description' => t('Immediately index new or updated items instead of waiting for the next cron run. ' .
+        'This might have serious performance drawbacks and is generally not advised for larger sites.'),
+    '#default_value' => !empty($index->options['index_directly']),
+  );
   $form['cron_limit'] = array(
     '#type' => 'textfield',
     '#title' => t('Cron limit'),
@@ -1061,6 +1078,8 @@ function search_api_admin_index_edit_submit(array $form, array &$form_state) {
   $values['options'] = $index->options;
   $values['options']['cron_limit'] = $values['cron_limit'];
   unset($values['cron_limit']);
+  $values['options']['index_directly'] = $values['index_directly'];
+  unset($values['index_directly']);
 
   $ret = $index->update($values);
   $form_state['redirect'] = 'admin/config/search/search_api/index/' . $index->machine_name;
diff --git search_api.module search_api.module
index 0fba8ed..5c4ea55 100644
--- search_api.module
+++ search_api.module
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ function search_api_permission() {
  * Will index $options['cron-limit'] items for each enabled index.
  */
 function search_api_cron() {
-  foreach (search_api_index_load_multiple(FALSE, array('enabled' => TRUE)) as $index) {
+  foreach (search_api_index_load_multiple(FALSE, array('enabled' => TRUE, 'read_only' => 0)) as $index) {
     $limit = isset($index->options['cron_limit'])
         ? $index->options['cron_limit']
         : SEARCH_API_DEFAULT_CRON_LIMIT;
@@ -559,26 +559,32 @@ function search_api_search_api_index_delete(SearchApiIndex $index) {
  *   The entity's type.
  */
 function search_api_entity_insert($entity, $type) {
-  if ($type == 'search_api_index') {
+  if ($type != 'search_api_index') {
     // When inserting a new search index, the new index was already inserted into search_api_item.
     // This would lead to a duplicate-key issue, if we would continue.
-    return;
+    $info = entity_get_info($type);
+    $id = $info['entity keys']['id'];
+    $id = $entity->$id;
+
+    $query = db_select('search_api_index', 'i')
+      ->condition('entity_type', $type)
+      ->condition('enabled', 1)
+      ->condition('read_only', 0);
+    $query->addField('i', 'id', 'index_id');
+    $query->addExpression(':item_id', 'item_id', array(':item_id' => $id));
+    $query->addExpression(':changed', 'changed', array(':changed' => 1));
+
+    db_insert('search_api_item')
+      ->from($query)
+      ->execute();
   }
-  $info = entity_get_info($type);
-  $id = $info['entity keys']['id'];
-  $id = $entity->$id;
-
-  $query = db_select('search_api_index', 'i')
-    ->condition('entity_type', $type)
-    ->condition('enabled', 1)
-    ->condition('read_only', 0);
-  $query->addField('i', 'id', 'index_id');
-  $query->addExpression(':item_id', 'item_id', array(':item_id' => $id));
-  $query->addExpression(':changed', 'changed', array(':changed' => 1));
 
-  db_insert('search_api_item')
-    ->from($query)
-    ->execute();
+  foreach (search_api_index_load_multiple(FALSE, array('enabled' => 1, 'entity_type' => $type, 'read_only' => 0)) as $index) {
+    if (!empty($index->options['index_directly'])) {
+      $item = clone $entity;
+      search_api_index_specific_items($index, array($id => $item));
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -690,8 +696,10 @@ function search_api_search_api_processor_info() {
 }
 
 /**
- * Mark the entities with the specified IDs as "dirty", i.e., as needing to be
- * reindexed.
+ * Mark the entities with the specified IDs as "dirty", i.e., as needing to be reindexed.
+ *
+ * For indexes for which items should be indexed immediately, the items are
+ * indexed directly, instead.
  *
  * @param $entity_type
  *   The type of entity, e.g., 'node'.
@@ -699,19 +707,39 @@ function search_api_search_api_processor_info() {
  *   The entity IDs of the entities to be marked dirty.
  */
 function search_api_mark_dirty($entity_type, array $ids) {
-  $query = db_select('search_api_index', 'i')
-    ->fields('i', array('id'))
-    ->condition('entity_type', $entity_type)
-    ->condition('enabled', 1)
-    ->condition('read_only', 0);
-  db_update('search_api_item')
-    ->fields(array(
-      'changed' => REQUEST_TIME,
-    ))
-    ->condition('item_id', $ids, 'IN')
-    ->condition('index_id', $query, 'IN')
-    ->condition('changed', 0)
-    ->execute();
+  $index_ids = array();
+  foreach (search_api_index_load_multiple(FALSE, array('enabled' => 1, 'entity_type' => $entity_type, 'read_only' => 0)) as $index) {
+    if (empty($index->options['index_directly'])) {
+      $index_ids[] = $index->id;
+    }
+    else {
+      // For indexes with the index_directly set, index the items right away.
+      $items = entity_load($entity_type, $ids, array(), TRUE);
+      $indexed = search_api_index_specific_items($index, $items);
+      if (count($indexed) < count($ids)) {
+        // If indexing failed for some items, mark those as dirty.
+        $diff = array_diff($ids, $indexed);
+        db_update('search_api_item')
+          ->fields(array(
+            'changed' => REQUEST_TIME,
+          ))
+          ->condition('item_id', $ids, 'IN')
+          ->condition('index_id', $index->id)
+          ->condition('changed', 0)
+          ->execute();
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  if ($index_ids) {
+    db_update('search_api_item')
+      ->fields(array(
+        'changed' => REQUEST_TIME,
+      ))
+      ->condition('item_id', $ids, 'IN')
+      ->condition('index_id', $index_ids, 'IN')
+      ->condition('changed', 0)
+      ->execute();
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -746,12 +774,33 @@ function search_api_index_items(SearchApiIndex $index, $limit = -1) {
     return 0;
   }
 
-  $indexed = $index->index($items);
+  return count(search_api_index_specific_items($index, $items));
+}
 
+/**
+ * Indexes the given items on the specified index.
+ *
+ * Items which were successfully indexed are marked as such afterwards.
+ *
+ * @param SearchApiIndex $index
+ *   The index on which items should be indexed.
+ * @param array $items
+ *   The items which should be indexed. Have to be entities of the appropriate
+ *   type.
+ *
+ * @throws SearchApiException
+ *   If the index' entity type is unknown or another error occurs during
+ *   indexing.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   The IDs of all successfully indexed items.
+ */
+function search_api_index_specific_items(SearchApiIndex $index, array $items) {
+  $indexed = $index->index($items);
   if (!empty($indexed)) {
     search_api_set_items_indexed($index, $indexed);
   }
-  return count($indexed);
+  return $indexed;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -780,7 +829,7 @@ function search_api_get_items_to_index(SearchApiIndex $index, $limit = -1) {
   }
 
   $ids = $select->execute()->fetchCol();
-  return entity_load($index->entity_type, $ids);
+  return entity_load($index->entity_type, $ids, array(), TRUE);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -796,12 +845,12 @@ function search_api_get_items_to_index(SearchApiIndex $index, $limit = -1) {
  */
 function search_api_set_items_indexed(SearchApiIndex $index, array $ids) {
   return db_update('search_api_item')
-      ->fields(array(
-        'changed' => 0,
-      ))
-      ->condition('index_id', $index->id)
-      ->condition('item_id', $ids, 'IN')
-      ->execute();
+    ->fields(array(
+      'changed' => 0,
+    ))
+    ->condition('index_id', $index->id)
+    ->condition('item_id', $ids, 'IN')
+    ->execute();
 }
 
 /**