diff --git a/server/src/repositories/media.repository.spec.ts b/server/src/repositories/media.repository.spec.ts
index a5380852ee..e8106c0ff9 100644
--- a/server/src/repositories/media.repository.spec.ts
+++ b/server/src/repositories/media.repository.spec.ts
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ describe(MediaRepository.name, () => {
 
   describe('applyEdits (single actions)', () => {
     it('should apply crop edit correctly', async () => {
-      const result = await sut['applyEdits'](
+      const result = sut['applyEdits'](
         sharp({
           create: {
             width: 1000,
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ describe(MediaRepository.name, () => {
       expect(metadata.height).toBe(300);
     });
     it('should apply rotate edit correctly', async () => {
-      const result = await sut['applyEdits'](
+      const result = sut['applyEdits'](
         sharp({
           create: {
             width: 500,
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ describe(MediaRepository.name, () => {
     });
 
     it('should apply mirror edit correctly', async () => {
-      const resultHorizontal = await sut['applyEdits'](sharp(await buildTestQuadImage()), [
+      const resultHorizontal = sut['applyEdits'](sharp(await buildTestQuadImage()), [
         {
           action: AssetEditAction.Mirror,
           parameters: {
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ describe(MediaRepository.name, () => {
       expect(await getPixelColor(bufferHorizontal, 10, 990)).toEqual({ r: 255, g: 255, b: 0 });
       expect(await getPixelColor(bufferHorizontal, 990, 990)).toEqual({ r: 0, g: 0, b: 255 });
 
-      const resultVertical = await sut['applyEdits'](sharp(await buildTestQuadImage()), [
+      const resultVertical = sut['applyEdits'](sharp(await buildTestQuadImage()), [
         {
           action: AssetEditAction.Mirror,
           parameters: {
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ describe(MediaRepository.name, () => {
   describe('applyEdits (multiple sequential edits)', () => {
     it('should apply horizontal mirror then vertical mirror (equivalent to 180° rotation)', async () => {
       const imageBuffer = await buildTestQuadImage();
-      const result = await sut['applyEdits'](sharp(imageBuffer), [
+      const result = sut['applyEdits'](sharp(imageBuffer), [
         { action: AssetEditAction.Mirror, parameters: { axis: MirrorAxis.Horizontal } },
         { action: AssetEditAction.Mirror, parameters: { axis: MirrorAxis.Vertical } },
       ]);
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ describe(MediaRepository.name, () => {
 
     it('should apply rotate 90° then horizontal mirror', async () => {
       const imageBuffer = await buildTestQuadImage();
-      const result = await sut['applyEdits'](sharp(imageBuffer), [
+      const result = sut['applyEdits'](sharp(imageBuffer), [
         { action: AssetEditAction.Rotate, parameters: { angle: 90 } },
         { action: AssetEditAction.Mirror, parameters: { axis: MirrorAxis.Horizontal } },
       ]);
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ describe(MediaRepository.name, () => {
 
     it('should apply 180° rotation', async () => {
       const imageBuffer = await buildTestQuadImage();
-      const result = await sut['applyEdits'](sharp(imageBuffer), [
+      const result = sut['applyEdits'](sharp(imageBuffer), [
         { action: AssetEditAction.Rotate, parameters: { angle: 180 } },
       ]);
 
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ describe(MediaRepository.name, () => {
 
     it('should apply 270° rotations', async () => {
       const imageBuffer = await buildTestQuadImage();
-      const result = await sut['applyEdits'](sharp(imageBuffer), [
+      const result = sut['applyEdits'](sharp(imageBuffer), [
         { action: AssetEditAction.Rotate, parameters: { angle: 270 } },
       ]);
 
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ describe(MediaRepository.name, () => {
 
     it('should apply crop then rotate 90°', async () => {
       const imageBuffer = await buildTestQuadImage();
-      const result = await sut['applyEdits'](sharp(imageBuffer), [
+      const result = sut['applyEdits'](sharp(imageBuffer), [
         { action: AssetEditAction.Crop, parameters: { x: 0, y: 0, width: 1000, height: 500 } },
         { action: AssetEditAction.Rotate, parameters: { angle: 90 } },
       ]);
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ describe(MediaRepository.name, () => {
 
     it('should apply rotate 90° then crop', async () => {
       const imageBuffer = await buildTestQuadImage();
-      const result = await sut['applyEdits'](sharp(imageBuffer), [
+      const result = sut['applyEdits'](sharp(imageBuffer), [
         { action: AssetEditAction.Crop, parameters: { x: 0, y: 0, width: 500, height: 1000 } },
         { action: AssetEditAction.Rotate, parameters: { angle: 90 } },
       ]);
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ describe(MediaRepository.name, () => {
 
     it('should apply vertical mirror then horizontal mirror then rotate 90°', async () => {
       const imageBuffer = await buildTestQuadImage();
-      const result = await sut['applyEdits'](sharp(imageBuffer), [
+      const result = sut['applyEdits'](sharp(imageBuffer), [
         { action: AssetEditAction.Mirror, parameters: { axis: MirrorAxis.Vertical } },
         { action: AssetEditAction.Mirror, parameters: { axis: MirrorAxis.Horizontal } },
         { action: AssetEditAction.Rotate, parameters: { angle: 90 } },
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ describe(MediaRepository.name, () => {
 
     it('should apply crop to single quadrant then mirror', async () => {
       const imageBuffer = await buildTestQuadImage();
-      const result = await sut['applyEdits'](sharp(imageBuffer), [
+      const result = sut['applyEdits'](sharp(imageBuffer), [
         { action: AssetEditAction.Crop, parameters: { x: 0, y: 0, width: 500, height: 500 } },
         { action: AssetEditAction.Mirror, parameters: { axis: MirrorAxis.Horizontal } },
       ]);
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ describe(MediaRepository.name, () => {
 
     it('should apply all operations: crop, rotate, mirror', async () => {
       const imageBuffer = await buildTestQuadImage();
-      const result = await sut['applyEdits'](sharp(imageBuffer), [
+      const result = sut['applyEdits'](sharp(imageBuffer), [
         { action: AssetEditAction.Crop, parameters: { x: 0, y: 0, width: 500, height: 1000 } },
         { action: AssetEditAction.Rotate, parameters: { angle: 90 } },
         { action: AssetEditAction.Mirror, parameters: { axis: MirrorAxis.Horizontal } },
diff --git a/server/src/repositories/media.repository.ts b/server/src/repositories/media.repository.ts
index c1997fd49e..fa08ba8701 100644
--- a/server/src/repositories/media.repository.ts
+++ b/server/src/repositories/media.repository.ts
@@ -148,49 +148,45 @@ export class MediaRepository {
     }
   }
 
-  async decodeImage(input: string | Buffer, options: DecodeToBufferOptions) {
-    const pipeline = await this.getImageDecodingPipeline(input, options);
-    return pipeline.raw().toBuffer({ resolveWithObject: true });
+  decodeImage(input: string | Buffer, options: DecodeToBufferOptions) {
+    return this.getImageDecodingPipeline(input, options).raw().toBuffer({ resolveWithObject: true });
   }
 
-  private async applyEdits(pipeline: sharp.Sharp, edits: AssetEditActionItem[]): Promise<sharp.Sharp> {
-    const affineEditOperations = edits.filter((edit) => edit.action !== 'crop');
-    const matrix = createAffineMatrix(affineEditOperations);
-
+  private applyEdits(pipeline: sharp.Sharp, edits: AssetEditActionItem[]): sharp.Sharp {
     const crop = edits.find((edit) => edit.action === 'crop');
-    const dimensions = await pipeline.metadata();
-
     if (crop) {
       pipeline = pipeline.extract({
-        left: crop ? Math.round(crop.parameters.x) : 0,
-        top: crop ? Math.round(crop.parameters.y) : 0,
-        width: crop ? Math.round(crop.parameters.width) : dimensions.width || 0,
-        height: crop ? Math.round(crop.parameters.height) : dimensions.height || 0,
+        left: Math.round(crop.parameters.x),
+        top: Math.round(crop.parameters.y),
+        width: Math.round(crop.parameters.width),
+        height: Math.round(crop.parameters.height),
       });
     }
 
-    const { a, b, c, d } = matrix;
-    pipeline = pipeline.affine([
-      [a, b],
-      [c, d],
-    ]);
+    const affineEditOperations = edits.filter((edit) => edit.action !== 'crop');
+    if (affineEditOperations.length > 0) {
+      const { a, b, c, d } = createAffineMatrix(affineEditOperations);
+      pipeline = pipeline.affine([
+        [a, b],
+        [c, d],
+      ]);
+    }
 
     return pipeline;
   }
 
   async generateThumbnail(input: string | Buffer, options: GenerateThumbnailOptions, output: string): Promise<void> {
-    const pipeline = await this.getImageDecodingPipeline(input, options);
-    const decoded = pipeline.toFormat(options.format, {
-      quality: options.quality,
-      // this is default in libvips (except the threshold is 90), but we need to set it manually in sharp
-      chromaSubsampling: options.quality >= 80 ? '4:4:4' : '4:2:0',
-      progressive: options.progressive,
-    });
-
-    await decoded.toFile(output);
+    await this.getImageDecodingPipeline(input, options)
+      .toFormat(options.format, {
+        quality: options.quality,
+        // this is default in libvips (except the threshold is 90), but we need to set it manually in sharp
+        chromaSubsampling: options.quality >= 80 ? '4:4:4' : '4:2:0',
+        progressive: options.progressive,
+      })
+      .toFile(output);
   }
 
-  private async getImageDecodingPipeline(input: string | Buffer, options: DecodeToBufferOptions) {
+  private getImageDecodingPipeline(input: string | Buffer, options: DecodeToBufferOptions) {
     let pipeline = sharp(input, {
       // some invalid images can still be processed by sharp, but we want to fail on them by default to avoid crashes
       failOn: options.processInvalidImages ? 'none' : 'error',
@@ -214,7 +210,7 @@ export class MediaRepository {
     }
 
     if (options.edits && options.edits.length > 0) {
-      pipeline = await this.applyEdits(pipeline, options.edits);
+      pipeline = this.applyEdits(pipeline, options.edits);
     }
 
     if (options.size !== undefined) {
@@ -224,19 +220,18 @@ export class MediaRepository {
   }
 
   async generateThumbhash(input: string | Buffer, options: GenerateThumbhashOptions): Promise<Buffer> {
-    const [{ rgbaToThumbHash }, decodingPipeline] = await Promise.all([
-      import('thumbhash'),
-      this.getImageDecodingPipeline(input, {
-        colorspace: options.colorspace,
-        processInvalidImages: options.processInvalidImages,
-        raw: options.raw,
-        edits: options.edits,
-      }),
-    ]);
+    const { rgbaToThumbHash } = await import('thumbhash');
 
-    const pipeline = decodingPipeline.resize(100, 100, { fit: 'inside', withoutEnlargement: true }).raw().ensureAlpha();
-
-    const { data, info } = await pipeline.toBuffer({ resolveWithObject: true });
+    const { data, info } = await this.getImageDecodingPipeline(input, {
+      colorspace: options.colorspace,
+      processInvalidImages: options.processInvalidImages,
+      raw: options.raw,
+      edits: options.edits,
+    })
+      .resize(100, 100, { fit: 'inside', withoutEnlargement: true })
+      .raw()
+      .ensureAlpha()
+      .toBuffer({ resolveWithObject: true });
 
     return Buffer.from(rgbaToThumbHash(info.width, info.height, data));
   }