diff --git a/db/migrations/20260716030719_add_artwork_blur_hash.sql b/db/migrations/20260716030719_add_artwork_blur_hash.sql
index a7b75dfc5..40c0c4014 100644
--- a/db/migrations/20260716030719_add_artwork_blur_hash.sql
+++ b/db/migrations/20260716030719_add_artwork_blur_hash.sql
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 -- +goose Up
-alter table album add column blur_hash varchar;
+-- blur_hash is not null default '' so NULLs never reach the Go string field; '' means "not computed".
+alter table album add column blur_hash varchar not null default '';
 alter table album add column blur_hash_updated_at datetime;
-alter table artist add column blur_hash varchar;
+alter table artist add column blur_hash varchar not null default '';
 alter table artist add column blur_hash_updated_at datetime;
-alter table playlist add column blur_hash varchar;
+alter table playlist add column blur_hash varchar not null default '';
 alter table playlist add column blur_hash_updated_at datetime;
 
 -- +goose Down
diff --git a/model/album.go b/model/album.go
index 6030e033e..9122276ff 100644
--- a/model/album.go
+++ b/model/album.go
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ type AlbumRepository interface {
 	Exists(id string) (bool, error)
 	Put(*Album) error
 	UpdateExternalInfo(*Album) error
+	UpdateBlurHash(id string, blurHash string, artworkUpdatedAt time.Time) error
 	Get(id string) (*Album, error)
 	GetAll(...QueryOptions) (Albums, error)
 	GetCursor(...QueryOptions) (AlbumCursor, error)
diff --git a/model/artist.go b/model/artist.go
index 865355623..b917023f8 100644
--- a/model/artist.go
+++ b/model/artist.go
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ type ArtistRepository interface {
 	Exists(id string) (bool, error)
 	Put(m *Artist, colsToUpdate ...string) error
 	UpdateExternalInfo(a *Artist) error
+	UpdateBlurHash(id string, blurHash string, artworkUpdatedAt time.Time) error
 	Get(id string) (*Artist, error)
 	GetAll(options ...QueryOptions) (Artists, error)
 	GetCursor(options ...QueryOptions) (ArtistCursor, error)
diff --git a/model/playlist.go b/model/playlist.go
index 60ca96a78..6c34b1a3d 100644
--- a/model/playlist.go
+++ b/model/playlist.go
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ type PlaylistRepository interface {
 	GetAll(options ...QueryOptions) (Playlists, error)
 	GetCursor(options ...QueryOptions) (PlaylistCursor, error)
 	FindByPath(path string) (*Playlist, error)
+	UpdateBlurHash(id string, blurHash string, artworkUpdatedAt time.Time) error
 	Delete(id string) error
 	Tracks(playlistId string, refreshSmartPlaylist bool) PlaylistTrackRepository
 	GetPlaylists(mediaFileId string) (Playlists, error)
diff --git a/persistence/album_repository.go b/persistence/album_repository.go
index 6ebbd9202..35e5dba8f 100644
--- a/persistence/album_repository.go
+++ b/persistence/album_repository.go
@@ -213,6 +213,16 @@ func (r *albumRepository) Put(al *model.Album) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// UpdateBlurHash is a targeted update: a full-row put would race with the scanner. Deliberately
+// a plain UPDATE with no insert fallback — updating a just-deleted row must be a silent no-op.
+func (r *albumRepository) UpdateBlurHash(id, blurHash string, artworkUpdatedAt time.Time) error {
+	upd := Update(r.tableName).Where(Eq{"id": id}).
+		Set("blur_hash", blurHash).
+		Set("blur_hash_updated_at", artworkUpdatedAt)
+	_, err := r.executeSQL(upd)
+	return err
+}
+
 // TODO Move external metadata to a separated table
 func (r *albumRepository) UpdateExternalInfo(al *model.Album) error {
 	_, err := r.put(al.ID, &dbAlbum{Album: al}, "description", "small_image_url", "medium_image_url", "large_image_url", "external_url", "external_info_updated_at")
diff --git a/persistence/album_repository_test.go b/persistence/album_repository_test.go
index 64ff0095e..bbb821ab8 100644
--- a/persistence/album_repository_test.go
+++ b/persistence/album_repository_test.go
@@ -899,3 +899,34 @@ func _p(id, name string, sortName ...string) model.Participant {
 	}
 	return p
 }
+
+var _ = Describe("AlbumRepository.UpdateBlurHash", func() {
+	var repo model.AlbumRepository
+
+	BeforeEach(func() {
+		ctx := request.WithUser(GinkgoT().Context(), model.User{ID: "userid", UserName: "johndoe"})
+		repo = NewAlbumRepository(ctx, GetDBXBuilder())
+		DeferCleanup(func() {
+			_, err := GetDBXBuilder().NewQuery("update album set blur_hash = '', blur_hash_updated_at = null").Execute()
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+		})
+	})
+
+	It("persists the hash and its artwork version snapshot", func() {
+		al, err := repo.Get("103")
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(al.BlurHash).To(BeEmpty())
+
+		version := time.Date(2024, 5, 1, 10, 30, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+		Expect(repo.UpdateBlurHash(al.ID, "LKO2?U%2Tw=w]~RBVZRi};RPxuwH", version)).To(Succeed())
+
+		updated, err := repo.Get(al.ID)
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(updated.BlurHash).To(Equal("LKO2?U%2Tw=w]~RBVZRi};RPxuwH"))
+		Expect(updated.BlurHashUpdatedAt).ToNot(BeNil())
+		// Round-trip through SQLite must preserve equality — the DTO layer compares with Equal.
+		Expect(updated.BlurHashUpdatedAt.Equal(version)).To(BeTrue())
+		// The targeted update must not touch the row's own timestamps.
+		Expect(updated.UpdatedAt).To(Equal(al.UpdatedAt))
+	})
+})
diff --git a/persistence/artist_repository.go b/persistence/artist_repository.go
index b542dedb4..519e5cb94 100644
--- a/persistence/artist_repository.go
+++ b/persistence/artist_repository.go
@@ -232,6 +232,16 @@ func (r *artistRepository) Put(a *model.Artist, colsToUpdate ...string) error {
 	return err
 }
 
+// UpdateBlurHash is a targeted update: a full-row put would race with the scanner. Deliberately
+// a plain UPDATE with no insert fallback — updating a just-deleted row must be a silent no-op.
+func (r *artistRepository) UpdateBlurHash(id, blurHash string, artworkUpdatedAt time.Time) error {
+	upd := Update(r.tableName).Where(Eq{"id": id}).
+		Set("blur_hash", blurHash).
+		Set("blur_hash_updated_at", artworkUpdatedAt)
+	_, err := r.executeSQL(upd)
+	return err
+}
+
 func (r *artistRepository) UpdateExternalInfo(a *model.Artist) error {
 	dba := &dbArtist{Artist: a}
 	_, err := r.put(a.ID, dba,
diff --git a/persistence/playlist_repository.go b/persistence/playlist_repository.go
index e39f0bbd3..87af440c4 100644
--- a/persistence/playlist_repository.go
+++ b/persistence/playlist_repository.go
@@ -155,6 +155,16 @@ func (r *playlistRepository) GetWithTracks(id string, refreshSmartPlaylist, incl
 	return pls, nil
 }
 
+// UpdateBlurHash is a targeted update: a full-row put would race with playlist sync. Deliberately
+// a plain UPDATE with no insert fallback — updating a just-deleted row must be a silent no-op.
+func (r *playlistRepository) UpdateBlurHash(id, blurHash string, artworkUpdatedAt time.Time) error {
+	upd := Update(r.tableName).Where(Eq{"id": id}).
+		Set("blur_hash", blurHash).
+		Set("blur_hash_updated_at", artworkUpdatedAt)
+	_, err := r.executeSQL(upd)
+	return err
+}
+
 func (r *playlistRepository) FindByPath(path string) (*model.Playlist, error) {
 	return r.findBy(Eq{"path": path})
 }
diff --git a/tests/mock_album_repo.go b/tests/mock_album_repo.go
index 03dfed879..d68cf2904 100644
--- a/tests/mock_album_repo.go
+++ b/tests/mock_album_repo.go
@@ -29,6 +29,17 @@ func (m *MockAlbumRepo) SetError(err bool) {
 	m.Err = err
 }
 
+func (m *MockAlbumRepo) UpdateBlurHash(id, blurHash string, artworkUpdatedAt time.Time) error {
+	if m.Err {
+		return errors.New("unexpected error")
+	}
+	if al, ok := m.Data[id]; ok {
+		al.BlurHash = blurHash
+		al.BlurHashUpdatedAt = &artworkUpdatedAt
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (m *MockAlbumRepo) SetData(albums model.Albums) {
 	m.Data = make(map[string]*model.Album, len(albums))
 	m.All = albums
diff --git a/tests/mock_artist_repo.go b/tests/mock_artist_repo.go
index e6ea7aea4..192b48ba5 100644
--- a/tests/mock_artist_repo.go
+++ b/tests/mock_artist_repo.go
@@ -32,6 +32,17 @@ func (m *MockArtistRepo) SetData(artists model.Artists) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (m *MockArtistRepo) UpdateBlurHash(id, blurHash string, artworkUpdatedAt time.Time) error {
+	if m.Err {
+		return errors.New("unexpected error")
+	}
+	if ar, ok := m.Data[id]; ok {
+		ar.BlurHash = blurHash
+		ar.BlurHashUpdatedAt = &artworkUpdatedAt
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (m *MockArtistRepo) Exists(id string) (bool, error) {
 	if m.Err {
 		return false, errors.New("Error!")
diff --git a/tests/mock_playlist_repo.go b/tests/mock_playlist_repo.go
index 8f8842c8e..6d6efcda8 100644
--- a/tests/mock_playlist_repo.go
+++ b/tests/mock_playlist_repo.go
@@ -42,6 +42,17 @@ func (m *MockPlaylistRepo) SetData(playlists model.Playlists) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (m *MockPlaylistRepo) UpdateBlurHash(id, blurHash string, artworkUpdatedAt time.Time) error {
+	if m.Err {
+		return errors.New("unexpected error")
+	}
+	if pl, ok := m.Data[id]; ok {
+		pl.BlurHash = blurHash
+		pl.BlurHashUpdatedAt = &artworkUpdatedAt
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (m *MockPlaylistRepo) GetAll(options ...model.QueryOptions) (model.Playlists, error) {
 	if len(options) > 0 {
 		m.Options = options[0]