diff --git a/model/album.go b/model/album.go
index 05d907a28..f27ca12c0 100644
--- a/model/album.go
+++ b/model/album.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 
 type Album struct {
 	Annotations `structs:"-" hash:"ignore"`
-	ItemImage   `structs:"-" json:"-" hash:"ignore"`
+	ItemImage   `structs:"-" hash:"ignore"`
 
 	ID            string `structs:"id" json:"id"`
 	LibraryID     int    `structs:"library_id" json:"libraryId"`
diff --git a/model/artist.go b/model/artist.go
index 6e0f073ef..f3704b669 100644
--- a/model/artist.go
+++ b/model/artist.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 
 type Artist struct {
 	Annotations `structs:"-"`
-	ItemImage   `structs:"-" json:"-"`
+	ItemImage   `structs:"-"`
 
 	ID string `structs:"id" json:"id"`
 
diff --git a/model/artwork.go b/model/artwork.go
index 7ba2ce21a..88e31e6fb 100644
--- a/model/artwork.go
+++ b/model/artwork.go
@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@ type Artwork struct {
 const ImageTypePrimary = "primary"
 
 // ItemImage is per-entity artwork state hydrated at query time; never persisted
-// (structs:"-" keeps it out of upserts) nor exposed via the native API (json:"-").
+// (structs:"-" keeps it out of upserts).
 type ItemImage struct {
-	ImageHash   string `structs:"-" json:"-"`
-	ImageAbsent bool   `structs:"-" json:"-"`
-	BlurHash    string `structs:"-" json:"-"`
+	ImageHash   string `structs:"-" json:"imageHash,omitempty"`
+	ImageAbsent bool   `structs:"-" json:"imageAbsent,omitempty"`
+	BlurHash    string `structs:"-" json:"blurHash,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // ItemArtwork is an entity's resolved artwork state. Hash=="" means known absent.
diff --git a/model/artwork_test.go b/model/artwork_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..606e45277
--- /dev/null
+++ b/model/artwork_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+package model_test
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/model"
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+)
+
+var _ = Describe("ItemImage JSON", func() {
+	It("exposes artwork state on an album", func() {
+		al := model.Album{ID: "al-1", Name: "Album"}
+		al.ImageHash = "0123456789abcdef"
+		al.BlurHash = "LEHV6nWB2yk8"
+
+		var out map[string]any
+		data, err := json.Marshal(al)
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(json.Unmarshal(data, &out)).To(Succeed())
+
+		Expect(out).To(HaveKeyWithValue("imageHash", "0123456789abcdef"))
+		Expect(out).To(HaveKeyWithValue("blurHash", "LEHV6nWB2yk8"))
+	})
+
+	It("omits artwork state when the entity has none", func() {
+		var out map[string]any
+		data, err := json.Marshal(model.Album{ID: "al-2", Name: "Album"})
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(json.Unmarshal(data, &out)).To(Succeed())
+
+		Expect(out).ToNot(HaveKey("imageHash"))
+		Expect(out).ToNot(HaveKey("blurHash"))
+		Expect(out).ToNot(HaveKey("imageAbsent"))
+	})
+
+	It("exposes known-absent artwork so clients can skip the request", func() {
+		ar := model.Artist{ID: "ar-1", Name: "Artist"}
+		ar.ImageAbsent = true
+
+		var out map[string]any
+		data, err := json.Marshal(ar)
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(json.Unmarshal(data, &out)).To(Succeed())
+
+		Expect(out).To(HaveKeyWithValue("imageAbsent", true))
+	})
+})
diff --git a/model/mediafile.go b/model/mediafile.go
index 7c56f43df..ac0a7f655 100644
--- a/model/mediafile.go
+++ b/model/mediafile.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import (
 type MediaFile struct {
 	Annotations  `structs:"-" hash:"ignore"`
 	Bookmarkable `structs:"-" hash:"ignore"`
-	ItemImage    `structs:"-" json:"-" hash:"ignore"`
+	ItemImage    `structs:"-" hash:"ignore"`
 
 	ID          string `structs:"id"  json:"id" hash:"ignore"`
 	PID         string `structs:"pid" json:"-" hash:"ignore"`
diff --git a/model/playlist.go b/model/playlist.go
index ac64cad62..9aa54bf13 100644
--- a/model/playlist.go
+++ b/model/playlist.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 
 type Playlist struct {
 	Annotations `structs:"-"`
-	ItemImage   `structs:"-" json:"-"`
+	ItemImage   `structs:"-"`
 
 	ID               string         `structs:"id" json:"id"`
 	Name             string         `structs:"name" json:"name"`
diff --git a/model/radio.go b/model/radio.go
index 2a90d8c76..5ee0e86fe 100644
--- a/model/radio.go
+++ b/model/radio.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 type Radio struct {
-	ItemImage `structs:"-" json:"-"`
+	ItemImage `structs:"-"`
 
 	ID            string    `structs:"id"              json:"id"`
 	StreamUrl     string    `structs:"stream_url"      json:"streamUrl"`