diff --git a/crates/lib/mysql_queries/src/queries/media_files/list/list_media_files.rs b/crates/lib/mysql_queries/src/queries/media_files/list/list_media_files.rs
index 2e58116a14..3429862d39 100644
--- a/crates/lib/mysql_queries/src/queries/media_files/list/list_media_files.rs
+++ b/crates/lib/mysql_queries/src/queries/media_files/list/list_media_files.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 use chrono::{DateTime, Utc};
 use sqlx::{FromRow, MySql, MySqlPool, QueryBuilder, Row};
 use sqlx::mysql::MySqlRow;
-use enums::by_table::media_files::media_file_class::MediaFileClass;
 
+use enums::by_table::media_files::media_file_class::MediaFileClass;
 use enums::by_table::media_files::media_file_origin_category::MediaFileOriginCategory;
 use enums::by_table::media_files::media_file_origin_model_type::MediaFileOriginModelType;
 use enums::by_table::media_files::media_file_origin_product_category::MediaFileOriginProductCategory;
@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@ pub struct MediaFileListItem {
 
   pub creator_set_visibility: Visibility,
 
+  pub maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_hash: Option<String>,
+  pub maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_prefix: Option<String>,
+  pub maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_extension: Option<String>,
+
   #[deprecated(note = "more expensive to query")]
   pub comment_count: u64,
 
@@ -121,6 +125,9 @@ pub async fn list_media_files(args: ListMediaFilesArgs<'_>) -> AnyhowResult<Medi
           maybe_title: record.maybe_title,
           maybe_text_transcript: record.maybe_text_transcript,
           creator_set_visibility: record.creator_set_visibility,
+          maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_hash: record.maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_hash,
+          maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_prefix: record.maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_prefix,
+          maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_extension: record.maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_extension,
           comment_count: record.comment_count as u64,
           favorite_count: record.favorite_count as u64,
           maybe_ratings_positive_count: record.maybe_ratings_positive_count,
@@ -177,13 +184,16 @@ SELECT
   u.display_name as maybe_creator_display_name,
   u.email_gravatar_hash as maybe_creator_gravatar_hash,
 
-
   entity_stats.ratings_positive_count as maybe_ratings_positive_count,
   entity_stats.ratings_negative_count as maybe_ratings_negative_count,
   entity_stats.bookmark_count as maybe_bookmark_count,
 
   m.creator_set_visibility,
 
+  media_file_cover_image.public_bucket_directory_hash as maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_hash,
+  media_file_cover_image.maybe_public_bucket_prefix as maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_prefix,
+  media_file_cover_image.maybe_public_bucket_extension as maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_extension,
+
   m.maybe_title,
   m.maybe_text_transcript,
 
@@ -197,6 +207,8 @@ FROM media_files AS m
 
 LEFT OUTER JOIN users AS u
     ON m.maybe_creator_user_token = u.token
+LEFT OUTER JOIN media_files as media_file_cover_image
+    ON media_file_cover_image.token = m.maybe_cover_image_media_file_token
 LEFT OUTER JOIN model_weights as w
      ON m.maybe_origin_model_token = w.token
 LEFT OUTER JOIN favorites as f
@@ -317,6 +329,10 @@ struct MediaFileListItemInternal {
 
   creator_set_visibility: Visibility,
 
+  maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_hash: Option<String>,
+  maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_prefix: Option<String>,
+  maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_extension: Option<String>,
+
   comment_count: i64,
   favorite_count: i64,
 
@@ -366,6 +382,9 @@ impl FromRow<'_, MySqlRow> for MediaFileListItemInternal {
       maybe_creator_display_name: row.try_get("maybe_creator_display_name")?,
       maybe_creator_gravatar_hash: row.try_get("maybe_creator_gravatar_hash")?,
       creator_set_visibility: Visibility::try_from_mysql_row(row, "creator_set_visibility")?,
+      maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_hash: row.try_get("maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_hash")?,
+      maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_prefix: row.try_get("maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_prefix")?,
+      maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_extension: row.try_get("maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_extension")?,
       maybe_title: row.try_get("maybe_title")?,
       maybe_text_transcript: row.try_get("maybe_text_transcript")?,
       created_at: row.try_get("created_at")?,
diff --git a/crates/lib/mysql_queries/src/queries/media_files/list/list_media_files_by_tokens.rs b/crates/lib/mysql_queries/src/queries/media_files/list/list_media_files_by_tokens.rs
index b604b29107..aa1959791f 100644
--- a/crates/lib/mysql_queries/src/queries/media_files/list/list_media_files_by_tokens.rs
+++ b/crates/lib/mysql_queries/src/queries/media_files/list/list_media_files_by_tokens.rs
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ pub struct MediaFilesByTokensRecord {
   /// Text transcripts for TTS, etc.
   pub maybe_text_transcript: Option<String>,
 
+  pub maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_hash: Option<String>,
+  pub maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_prefix: Option<String>,
+  pub maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_extension: Option<String>,
+
   pub created_at: DateTime<Utc>,
   pub updated_at: DateTime<Utc>,
 }
@@ -146,6 +150,10 @@ async fn get_raw_media_files_by_tokens(
           entity_stats.ratings_negative_count as maybe_ratings_negative_count,
           entity_stats.bookmark_count as maybe_bookmark_count,
 
+          media_file_cover_image.public_bucket_directory_hash as maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_hash,
+          media_file_cover_image.maybe_public_bucket_prefix as maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_prefix,
+          media_file_cover_image.maybe_public_bucket_extension as maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_extension,
+
           m.created_at,
           m.updated_at
 
@@ -157,6 +165,8 @@ async fn get_raw_media_files_by_tokens(
       LEFT OUTER JOIN entity_stats
           ON entity_stats.entity_type = "media_file"
           AND entity_stats.entity_token = m.token
+      LEFT OUTER JOIN media_files as media_file_cover_image
+          ON media_file_cover_image.token = m.maybe_cover_image_media_file_token
       WHERE
           m.creator_set_visibility = "public"
           AND m.user_deleted_at IS NULL
@@ -218,6 +228,10 @@ fn map_to_media_files(dataset:Vec<RawMediaFileJoinUser>) -> Vec<MediaFilesByToke
           maybe_title: media_file.maybe_title,
           maybe_text_transcript: media_file.maybe_text_transcript,
 
+          maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_hash: media_file.maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_hash,
+          maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_prefix: media_file.maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_prefix,
+          maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_extension: media_file.maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_extension,
+
           created_at: media_file.created_at,
           updated_at: media_file.updated_at,
         }
@@ -256,6 +270,10 @@ fn map_to_media_files(dataset:Vec<RawMediaFileJoinUser>) -> Vec<MediaFilesByToke
     pub maybe_title: Option<String>,
     pub maybe_text_transcript: Option<String>,
 
+    pub maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_hash: Option<String>,
+    pub maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_prefix: Option<String>,
+    pub maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_extension: Option<String>,
+
     pub created_at: DateTime<Utc>,
     pub updated_at: DateTime<Utc>,
 }
@@ -295,6 +313,9 @@ impl FromRow<'_, MySqlRow> for RawMediaFileJoinUser {
       maybe_bookmark_count: row.try_get("maybe_bookmark_count")?,
       maybe_title: row.try_get("maybe_title")?,
       maybe_text_transcript: row.try_get("maybe_text_transcript")?,
+      maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_hash: row.try_get("maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_hash")?,
+      maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_prefix: row.try_get("maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_prefix")?,
+      maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_extension: row.try_get("maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_extension")?,
       created_at: row.try_get("created_at")?,
       updated_at: row.try_get("updated_at")?,
     })
diff --git a/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/media_files/list/list_featured_media_files_handler.rs b/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/media_files/list/list_featured_media_files_handler.rs
index df4fcd1481..8c187516c5 100644
--- a/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/media_files/list/list_featured_media_files_handler.rs
+++ b/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/media_files/list/list_featured_media_files_handler.rs
@@ -166,7 +166,12 @@ pub async fn list_featured_media_files_handler(
             token: m.token.clone(),
             media_type: m.media_type,
             public_bucket_path,
-            cover_image: MediaFileCoverImageDetails::from_token(&m.token),
+            cover_image: MediaFileCoverImageDetails::from_optional_db_fields(
+              &m.token,
+              m.maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_hash.as_deref(),
+              m.maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_prefix.as_deref(),
+              m.maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_extension.as_deref(),
+            ),
             origin: MediaFileOriginDetails::from_db_fields_str(
               m.origin_category,
               m.origin_product_category,
diff --git a/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/media_files/list/list_media_files_handler.rs b/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/media_files/list/list_media_files_handler.rs
index 937c75b670..a885502519 100644
--- a/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/media_files/list/list_media_files_handler.rs
+++ b/crates/service/web/storyteller_web/src/http_server/endpoints/media_files/list/list_media_files_handler.rs
@@ -245,7 +245,12 @@ pub async fn list_media_files_handler(
           record.maybe_public_bucket_extension.as_deref())
             .get_full_object_path_str()
             .to_string(),
-        cover_image: MediaFileCoverImageDetails::from_token(&record.token),
+        cover_image: MediaFileCoverImageDetails::from_optional_db_fields(
+          &record.token,
+          record.maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_hash.as_deref(),
+          record.maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_prefix.as_deref(),
+          record.maybe_file_cover_image_public_bucket_extension.as_deref(),
+        ),
         maybe_creator: UserDetailsLight::from_optional_db_fields_owned(
           record.maybe_creator_user_token,
           record.maybe_creator_username,