diff --git a/persistence/album_repository.go b/persistence/album_repository.go
index 144e860de..4217e2cbc 100644
--- a/persistence/album_repository.go
+++ b/persistence/album_repository.go
@@ -226,8 +226,11 @@ func (r *albumRepository) UpdateExternalInfo(al *model.Album) error {
 func (r *albumRepository) selectAlbum(options ...model.QueryOptions) SelectBuilder {
 	sql := r.newSelect(options...).Columns("album.*", "library.path as library_path", "library.name as library_name",
 		// Folds folder image mtimes into the artwork version: an in-place cover swap moves them without
-		// touching the album row. Bare column (not max()) keeps the decltype so the driver scans time.Time.
-		"(select f.images_updated_at from folder f, json_each(album.folder_ids) je where f.id = je.value"+
+		// touching the album row. Parents are included for disc-subfolder layouts, where the reader can
+		// serve the album-root cover. Bare column (not max()) keeps the decltype so time.Time scans.
+		"(select f.images_updated_at from folder f where f.id in"+
+			" (select je.value from json_each(album.folder_ids) je"+
+			" union select p.parent_id from folder p, json_each(album.folder_ids) je2 where p.id = je2.value)"+
 			" order by f.images_updated_at desc limit 1) as folder_images_updated_at").
 		LeftJoin("library on album.library_id = library.id")
 	sql = r.withAnnotation(sql, "album.id")
diff --git a/persistence/album_repository_test.go b/persistence/album_repository_test.go
index 7effeca0b..05978af23 100644
--- a/persistence/album_repository_test.go
+++ b/persistence/album_repository_test.go
@@ -910,7 +910,7 @@ var _ = Describe("AlbumRepository folder images version", func() {
 		Expect(GetDBXBuilder().NewQuery("select folder_ids from album where id = '103'").
 			Row(&origFolderIDs)).To(Succeed())
 		DeferCleanup(func() {
-			_, err := GetDBXBuilder().NewQuery("delete from folder where id = 'fold-blur-1'").Execute()
+			_, err := GetDBXBuilder().NewQuery("delete from folder where id in ('fold-blur-1', 'fold-blur-root')").Execute()
 			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 			_, err = GetDBXBuilder().NewQuery("update album set folder_ids = {:f} where id = '103'").
 				Bind(map[string]any{"f": origFolderIDs}).Execute()
@@ -935,6 +935,23 @@ var _ = Describe("AlbumRepository folder images version", func() {
 		Expect(al.ArtworkUpdatedAt().Equal(imagesAt)).To(BeTrue(), "folder image changes must advance the artwork version")
 	})
 
+	It("includes the parent folder's images (album-root cover with disc subfolders)", func() {
+		discAt := time.Date(2030, 6, 1, 12, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+		rootAt := discAt.Add(time.Hour) // the root cover is the newest image
+		_, err := GetDBXBuilder().NewQuery(
+			"insert into folder (id, library_id, path, name, parent_id, images_updated_at) values" +
+				" ('fold-blur-root', 1, '.', 'Album', '', {:root}), ('fold-blur-1', 1, './Album', 'CD1', 'fold-blur-root', {:disc})").
+			Bind(map[string]any{"root": rootAt, "disc": discAt}).Execute()
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+		_, err = GetDBXBuilder().NewQuery(`update album set folder_ids = '["fold-blur-1"]' where id = '103'`).Execute()
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+
+		al, err := repo.Get("103")
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(al.FolderImagesUpdatedAt).ToNot(BeNil())
+		Expect(al.FolderImagesUpdatedAt.Equal(rootAt)).To(BeTrue(), "the parent folder's newer cover must win")
+	})
+
 	It("leaves FolderImagesUpdatedAt nil when the album has no folders", func() {
 		al, err := repo.Get("101")
 		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())