diff --git a/frontend/src/app/appLayoutUtils.ts b/frontend/src/app/appLayoutUtils.ts
index 270ac90..784b107 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/appLayoutUtils.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/appLayoutUtils.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { createAssetView } from '../asset_manager';
+import { createAssetView, resolveAssetExpiresAt } from '../asset_manager';
 
 export const ASSET_PRESIGN_TTL_MS = 240 * 1000; // backend issues 5 min tokens; refresh slightly early
 export const DEFAULT_FOLDER_NAME = 'Documents';
@@ -45,34 +45,17 @@ const isAssetEquivalent = (lhs, rhs) => {
   const rhsView = createAssetView(rhs);
   const lhsPrimaryMetadata = lhsView.getPrimaryMetadata() || lhs?.metadata;
   const rhsPrimaryMetadata = rhsView.getPrimaryMetadata() || rhs?.metadata;
-  const lhsCardinality = lhsView.getCardinality() || lhs?.cardinality || null;
-  const rhsCardinality = rhsView.getCardinality() || rhs?.cardinality || null;
-  const lhsObjects = lhsView.getObjects();
-  const rhsObjects = rhsView.getObjects();
-  const objectsComparable =
-    lhsObjects.length === rhsObjects.length
-    && lhsObjects.every((entry, index) => {
-      const other = rhsObjects[index];
-      if (!other) return false;
-      if (entry.ordinal !== other.ordinal) return false;
-      if (entry.url && other.url && entry.url === other.url) {
-        return true;
-      }
-      if (!entry.url && !other.url) {
-        return JSON.stringify(entry.metadata || null) === JSON.stringify(other.metadata || null);
-      }
-      return entry.url === other.url;
-    });
+  const lhsExpiresAt = resolveAssetExpiresAt(lhs);
+  const rhsExpiresAt = resolveAssetExpiresAt(rhs);
   return (
     lhs.id === rhs.id
     && lhs.url === rhs.url
+    && lhsExpiresAt === rhsExpiresAt
     && lhsPrimaryMetadata?.width === rhsPrimaryMetadata?.width
     && lhsPrimaryMetadata?.height === rhsPrimaryMetadata?.height
     && lhs.mime_type === rhs.mime_type
     && lhs.asset_type === rhs.asset_type
     && lhs.updated_at === rhs.updated_at
-    && lhsCardinality === rhsCardinality
-    && objectsComparable
   );
 };
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/asset_manager.ts b/frontend/src/asset_manager.ts
index 6b5a5e6..deb6161 100644
--- a/frontend/src/asset_manager.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/asset_manager.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export interface AssetLike {
   asset_type?: string;
   cardinality?: number | null;
   url?: string | null;
+  expires_at?: number | null;
   metadata?: Record<string, unknown> | null;
   expiresAt?: number | null;
   assets?: Record<string, AssetLike> | AssetLike[] | null;
@@ -36,10 +37,24 @@ export interface DocumentLike {
   [key: string]: unknown;
 }
 
+export const resolveAssetExpiresAt = (
+  asset?: { expiresAt?: number | null; expires_at?: number | null } | null,
+): number | null => {
+  const camel = Number(asset?.expiresAt);
+  if (Number.isFinite(camel)) {
+    return camel;
+  }
+  const snake = Number(asset?.expires_at);
+  if (Number.isFinite(snake)) {
+    return snake;
+  }
+  return null;
+};
+
 export type EnsureAssetUrl = (
   documentId: Identifier,
   asset: AssetLike,
-  options?: { start?: number | null; limit?: number | null; force?: boolean; [key: string]: unknown },
+  options?: { force?: boolean; [key: string]: unknown },
 ) => Promise<unknown>;
 
 export type GetAsset = (document: DocumentLike, assetType: string) => Nullable<AssetLike>;
@@ -76,31 +91,6 @@ const normalizeAssetObjects = (objects?: AssetObject[] | null): AssetObject[] =>
     .sort((a, b) => a.ordinal - b.ordinal);
 };
 
-const mergeAssetObjects = (
-  existingObjects?: AssetObject[] | null,
-  incomingObjects?: AssetObject[] | null,
-): AssetObject[] => {
-  const merged = new Map<number, AssetObject>();
-
-  normalizeAssetObjects(existingObjects).forEach((entry) => {
-    if (Number.isFinite(entry.ordinal)) {
-      merged.set(entry.ordinal as number, { ...entry });
-    }
-  });
-
-  normalizeAssetObjects(incomingObjects).forEach((entry) => {
-    if (Number.isFinite(entry.ordinal)) {
-      const ordinal = entry.ordinal as number;
-      const current = merged.get(ordinal) || {};
-      merged.set(ordinal, { ...current, ...entry });
-    }
-  });
-
-  return Array.from(merged.entries())
-    .sort((a, b) => a[0] - b[0])
-    .map(([, value]) => value);
-};
-
 export class AssetView {
   asset: AssetLike | null;
   private _objectsRef: AssetObject[] | null;
@@ -117,17 +107,16 @@ export class AssetView {
       return 0;
     }
 
-    const reported = Number(this.asset.cardinality);
-    if (Number.isFinite(reported) && reported > 0) {
-      return reported;
-    }
-
     const objectsCount = this.getObjects().length;
     if (objectsCount > 0) {
       return objectsCount;
     }
 
-    return this.asset.metadata ? 1 : 0;
+    if (this.asset.url || this.asset.metadata) {
+      return 1;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
   }
 
   getObjects(): AssetObject[] {
@@ -156,7 +145,7 @@ export class AssetView {
           ordinal: 1,
           url: this.asset.url || null,
           metadata: this.asset.metadata || null,
-          expires_at: this.asset.expiresAt ?? null,
+          expires_at: resolveAssetExpiresAt(this.asset),
         };
       }
     }
@@ -190,12 +179,10 @@ export const resolveDocumentAssetUrl = (
     ensureAssetUrl,
     getAsset,
     ensureOptions,
-    objectOrdinal = 1,
   }: {
     ensureAssetUrl?: EnsureAssetUrl;
     getAsset?: GetAsset;
-    ensureOptions?: { start?: number; limit?: number; [key: string]: unknown };
-    objectOrdinal?: number;
+    ensureOptions?: { force?: boolean; [key: string]: unknown };
   } = {},
 ): Nullable<string> => {
   if (!doc || !type) {
@@ -206,31 +193,21 @@ export const resolveDocumentAssetUrl = (
     return null;
   }
   const view = createAssetView(asset);
-  const object = view.getObject(objectOrdinal);
-  const url = object?.url || (objectOrdinal === 1 ? view.getPrimaryUrl() : null);
+  const object = view.getPrimaryObject();
+  const url = object?.url || view.getPrimaryUrl();
   const expiresAt = Number.isFinite(object?.expires_at)
     ? Number(object?.expires_at)
-    : objectOrdinal === 1 && Number.isFinite(asset.expiresAt)
-      ? Number(asset.expiresAt)
-      : null;
+    : resolveAssetExpiresAt(asset);
   const now = Date.now();
   if (url && (!expiresAt || expiresAt > now)) {
     return url;
   }
   if (doc.id && asset.id && ensureAssetUrl) {
     const force = Boolean(url && expiresAt && expiresAt <= now);
-    const options: { force: boolean; start?: number | null; limit?: number | null; [key: string]: unknown } = {
+    const options: { force: boolean; [key: string]: unknown } = {
       force,
-      start: objectOrdinal,
-      limit: 1,
       ...(ensureOptions || {}),
     };
-    if (!options.start) {
-      options.start = objectOrdinal;
-    }
-    if (!options.limit) {
-      options.limit = 1;
-    }
     ensureAssetUrl(doc.id, asset, options).catch(() => {});
   }
   return null;
@@ -262,46 +239,34 @@ class AssetManager {
   ensureAsset(
     documentId?: Identifier | null,
     asset?: Nullable<AssetLike>,
-    { force = false, start = null, limit = null }: { force?: boolean; start?: number | null; limit?: number | null } = {},
+    { force = false }: { force?: boolean } = {},
   ): Promise<Nullable<AssetLike>> {
     if (!documentId || !asset?.id) {
       return Promise.resolve(asset ?? null);
     }
 
-    const requestedStart = Number.isInteger(start) && start > 0 ? start : 1;
-    const requestedLimit = Number.isInteger(limit) && limit > 0 ? limit : 1;
-    const requestedEnd = requestedStart + requestedLimit - 1;
-
     const baseAsset = this.assetCache.get(asset.id) || asset;
     const view = createAssetView(baseAsset);
-    const assetExpiresAt = Number.isFinite(baseAsset.expiresAt) ? Number(baseAsset.expiresAt) : null;
+    const assetExpiresAt = resolveAssetExpiresAt(baseAsset);
     const now = Date.now();
 
-    const isOrdinalSatisfied = (ordinal) => {
-      const object = view.getObject(ordinal);
-      if (!object) {
-        return false;
+    const isPrimarySatisfied = () => {
+      const object = view.getObject(1);
+      if (object?.url) {
+        const objectExpiresAt = Number.isFinite(object.expires_at) ? Number(object.expires_at) : null;
+        if (!objectExpiresAt || objectExpiresAt > now) {
+          return true;
+        }
       }
-      if (!object.url) {
-        return false;
-      }
-      if (Number.isFinite(object.expires_at)) {
-        return Number(object.expires_at) > now;
-      }
-      if (ordinal === 1 && baseAsset.url && (!assetExpiresAt || assetExpiresAt > now)) {
+      if (baseAsset.url && (!assetExpiresAt || assetExpiresAt > now)) {
         return true;
       }
-      return true;
+      return false;
     };
 
     let needsFetch = force;
     if (!needsFetch) {
-      for (let ordinal = requestedStart; ordinal <= requestedEnd; ordinal += 1) {
-        if (!isOrdinalSatisfied(ordinal)) {
-          needsFetch = true;
-          break;
-        }
-      }
+      needsFetch = !isPrimarySatisfied();
     }
 
     if (!needsFetch) {
@@ -309,7 +274,7 @@ class AssetManager {
       return Promise.resolve(baseAsset);
     }
 
-    const inflightKey = `${documentId}:${asset.id}:${start ?? 'd'}:${limit ?? 'd'}`;
+    const inflightKey = `${documentId}:${asset.id}`;
     if (!force && this.assetInflight.has(inflightKey)) {
       return this.assetInflight.get(inflightKey);
     }
@@ -318,41 +283,17 @@ class AssetManager {
       return Promise.reject(new Error('AssetManager API client is not configured.'));
     }
 
-    const params: Record<string, number> = {};
-    if (Number.isInteger(start) && start > 0) {
-      params.start = start;
-    }
-    if (Number.isInteger(limit) && limit > 0) {
-      params.limit = limit;
-    }
-
-    const requestConfig = Object.keys(params).length ? { params } : undefined;
-
     const request: Promise<AssetLike | null> = this.api
-      .get(`/assets/${asset.id}`, requestConfig)
+      .get(`/assets/${asset.id}`)
       .then(({ data }) => {
-        const incomingObjects = Array.isArray(data.objects) ? data.objects : [];
         const cachedEntry = this.assetCache.get(asset.id) || baseAsset;
-        const mergedObjects = mergeAssetObjects(cachedEntry?.objects, incomingObjects);
-        const combined = { ...cachedEntry, ...asset, ...data, objects: mergedObjects };
-        const view = createAssetView(combined);
-        const primaryObject = view.getPrimaryObject();
-        const expiresAt = Number.isFinite(primaryObject?.expires_at)
-          ? Number(primaryObject?.expires_at)
-          : Date.now() + this.assetPresignTtlMs;
-        const cardinality = (() => {
-          const reported = Number(data.cardinality ?? asset.cardinality ?? cachedEntry?.cardinality);
-          const objectsCount = mergedObjects.length;
-          if (Number.isFinite(reported) && reported > 0) {
-            return Math.max(reported, objectsCount) || null;
-          }
-          return objectsCount || null;
-        })();
-
+        const combined = { ...cachedEntry, ...asset, ...data };
+        const expiresAt =
+          resolveAssetExpiresAt(data)
+          ?? resolveAssetExpiresAt(combined)
+          ?? Date.now() + this.assetPresignTtlMs;
         const entry = {
           ...combined,
-          cardinality,
-          url: view.getPrimaryUrl(),
           expiresAt,
         };
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/desktop/DesktopPreviewCard.tsx b/frontend/src/desktop/DesktopPreviewCard.tsx
index ef70bc7..b4785ed 100644
--- a/frontend/src/desktop/DesktopPreviewCard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/desktop/DesktopPreviewCard.tsx
@@ -12,10 +12,9 @@ interface DocumentLike {
 
 interface AssetLike {
   id?: Identifier;
-  cardinality?: number;
   url?: string | null;
+  expires_at?: number | null;
   metadata?: Record<string, unknown> | null;
-  objects?: Array<Record<string, unknown>>;
   [key: string]: unknown;
 }
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks/documents/useDocumentsWorkspace.ts b/frontend/src/hooks/documents/useDocumentsWorkspace.ts
index 8a0637f..e81d668 100644
--- a/frontend/src/hooks/documents/useDocumentsWorkspace.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks/documents/useDocumentsWorkspace.ts
@@ -1025,7 +1025,7 @@ const useDocumentsWorkspace = ({
 
 
   const ensureAssetUrl = useCallback(
-    async (documentId, asset, { force = false, start = null, limit = null } = {}) => {
+    async (documentId, asset, { force = false } = {}) => {
       if (!documentId || !asset?.id) {
         return null;
       }
@@ -1033,8 +1033,6 @@ const useDocumentsWorkspace = ({
       try {
         const entry = await assetManager.ensureAsset(documentId, asset, {
           force,
-          start,
-          limit,
         });
 
         if (!entry) {
diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks/useAssetNavigator.ts b/frontend/src/hooks/useAssetNavigator.ts
index b9274c5..02ad293 100644
--- a/frontend/src/hooks/useAssetNavigator.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks/useAssetNavigator.ts
@@ -11,12 +11,14 @@ type DocumentLike = {
 type AssetObject = {
   url?: string | null;
   metadata?: Record<string, unknown> | null;
+  expires_at?: number | null;
   [key: string]: unknown;
 };
 
 type AssetLike = {
   id?: Identifier;
   url?: string | null;
+  expires_at?: number | null;
   metadata?: Record<string, unknown> | null;
   objects?: AssetObject[];
   [key: string]: unknown;
@@ -25,7 +27,7 @@ type AssetLike = {
 type EnsureAssetUrl = (
   documentId: Identifier,
   asset: AssetLike,
-  options?: { start?: number; limit?: number; [key: string]: unknown },
+  options?: { force?: boolean; [key: string]: unknown },
 ) => Promise<unknown>;
 
 type GetAsset = (document: DocumentLike, assetType: string) => AssetLike | null;
@@ -89,7 +91,7 @@ export const useAssetNavigator = ({
     }
     let cancelled = false;
     setIsLoading(true);
-    ensureAssetUrl(documentId, asset, { start: 1, limit: 1 })
+    ensureAssetUrl(documentId, asset, { force: true })
       .catch(() => {})
       .finally(() => {
         if (!cancelled) {
diff --git a/frontend/src/utils/ocr.ts b/frontend/src/utils/ocr.ts
index 95ef5cb..9d44b06 100644
--- a/frontend/src/utils/ocr.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/utils/ocr.ts
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@ import type {
   GetAsset as AssetManagerGetAsset,
 } from '../asset_manager';
 
-const BASE_FETCH_OPTIONS = { start: 1, limit: 1 } as const;
-
 interface DocumentVersion extends DocumentVersionLike {
   download_path?: string | null;
 }
@@ -22,7 +20,7 @@ export type EnsurePreviewData = (id: string | number) => Promise<DocumentLike |
 export type EnsureAssetUrl = (
   id: string | number,
   asset: AssetLike,
-  options?: { start?: number; limit?: number; force?: boolean },
+  options?: { force?: boolean },
 ) => Promise<AssetLike | null>;
 export type GetDocumentAsset = AssetManagerGetAsset;
 
@@ -70,7 +68,7 @@ export async function resolveOcrTextUrl({
 
   let entry: AssetLike = asset;
   if (ensureAssetUrl) {
-    const ensureOptions = { ...BASE_FETCH_OPTIONS, force: !hasUrl };
+    const ensureOptions = { force: !hasUrl };
     const ensured = await ensureAssetUrl(docRef.id!, asset, ensureOptions);
     if (ensured) {
       entry = ensured;
@@ -87,8 +85,7 @@ export async function resolveOcrTextUrl({
     resolveDocumentAssetUrl(docRef, 'ocr-text', {
       ensureAssetUrl,
       getAsset: getDocumentAsset,
-      ensureOptions: { ...BASE_FETCH_OPTIONS, force: true },
-      objectOrdinal: 1,
+      ensureOptions: { force: true },
     }) || null
   );
 }