diff --git a/core/artwork/blurhash_updater.go b/core/artwork/blurhash_updater.go
index 4457ff725..76077e0d1 100644
--- a/core/artwork/blurhash_updater.go
+++ b/core/artwork/blurhash_updater.go
@@ -148,7 +148,9 @@ func (u *blurHashUpdater) process(ctx context.Context, artID model.ArtworkID, re
 		sig = req.imageUpdatedAt
 	}
 	if !req.force {
-		if stored != "" && storedAt != nil && storedAt.Equal(version) && !sig.After(*storedAt) {
+		// Current when computed from this row version or later; the snapshot may exceed the row
+		// version because file mtimes (which don't move rows) are folded into it on persist.
+		if stored != "" && storedAt != nil && !storedAt.Before(version) && !sig.After(*storedAt) {
 			return
 		}
 		if last, ok := u.lastNoResult(artID); ok && !sig.After(last) {
@@ -168,7 +170,7 @@ func (u *blurHashUpdater) process(ctx context.Context, artID model.ArtworkID, re
 		u.setNoResult(artID, sig)
 		return
 	}
-	if err := u.persist(ctx, artID, hash, version); err != nil {
+	if err := u.persist(ctx, artID, hash, sig); err != nil {
 		log.Warn(ctx, "BlurHash: error persisting", "artID", artID, err)
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/core/artwork/e2e/blurhash_test.go b/core/artwork/e2e/blurhash_test.go
index 9d69ed27c..0ea75d509 100644
--- a/core/artwork/e2e/blurhash_test.go
+++ b/core/artwork/e2e/blurhash_test.go
@@ -29,8 +29,9 @@ var _ = Describe("BlurHash", func() {
 			g.Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 			g.Expect(len(updated.BlurHash)).To(BeNumerically(">", 6))
 			g.Expect(updated.BlurHashUpdatedAt).ToNot(BeNil())
-			// The snapshot must match the artwork version, or the DTO layer would treat it as stale.
-			g.Expect(updated.BlurHashUpdatedAt.Equal(updated.ArtworkUpdatedAt())).To(BeTrue())
+			// The snapshot must not be before the artwork version, or the DTO would treat it as
+			// stale (it may exceed it: image file mtimes are folded in).
+			g.Expect(updated.BlurHashUpdatedAt.Before(updated.ArtworkUpdatedAt())).To(BeFalse())
 		}, "10s", "100ms").Should(Succeed())
 	})
 
diff --git a/server/jellyfin/dto/blurhash.go b/server/jellyfin/dto/blurhash.go
index cc846bb81..d0404d6c3 100644
--- a/server/jellyfin/dto/blurhash.go
+++ b/server/jellyfin/dto/blurhash.go
@@ -40,10 +40,11 @@ func blurHash(seed string) string {
 }
 
 // primaryBlurHash returns the stored blurhash when it was computed from the entity's current
-// artwork version; otherwise a fake seeded by id+version, so the value still rotates on any
-// artwork change (Finamp keys its cover caches by this value; tags never reach its image URLs).
+// artwork version or later (the snapshot folds in image file mtimes, which can exceed row
+// timestamps); otherwise a fake seeded by id+version, so the value still rotates on any artwork
+// change (Finamp keys its cover caches by this value; tags never reach its image URLs).
 func primaryBlurHash(stored string, storedAt *time.Time, id string, version time.Time) string {
-	if stored != "" && storedAt != nil && storedAt.Equal(version) {
+	if stored != "" && storedAt != nil && !storedAt.Before(version) {
 		return stored
 	}
 	return blurHash(fmt.Sprintf("%s-%x", id, version.UnixMilli()))
diff --git a/server/jellyfin/dto/blurhash_test.go b/server/jellyfin/dto/blurhash_test.go
index 78cd242f8..5fc74f293 100644
--- a/server/jellyfin/dto/blurhash_test.go
+++ b/server/jellyfin/dto/blurhash_test.go
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ var _ = Describe("primaryBlurHash", func() {
 		Expect(primaryBlurHash("LEHV6nWB2yk8", &version, "id-1", version)).To(Equal("LEHV6nWB2yk8"))
 	})
 
+	It("returns the stored hash when the snapshot is newer than the version (image mtime)", func() {
+		newer := version.Add(time.Hour)
+		Expect(primaryBlurHash("LEHV6nWB2yk8", &newer, "id-1", version)).To(Equal("LEHV6nWB2yk8"))
+	})
+
 	It("falls back to a fake when there is no stored hash", func() {
 		h := primaryBlurHash("", nil, "id-1", version)
 		Expect(h).To(HaveLen(6))