diff --git a/backend/Cargo.lock b/backend/Cargo.lock
index 55c05b4..e7b0b35 100644
--- a/backend/Cargo.lock
+++ b/backend/Cargo.lock
@@ -1558,7 +1558,7 @@ checksum = "c41e0c4fef86961ac6d6f8a82609f55f31b05e4fce149ac5710e439df7619ba4"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "mangalord"
-version = "0.115.1"
+version = "0.115.2"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "argon2",
diff --git a/backend/Cargo.toml b/backend/Cargo.toml
index f065cd7..15bb0c6 100644
--- a/backend/Cargo.toml
+++ b/backend/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "mangalord"
-version = "0.115.1"
+version = "0.115.2"
 edition = "2021"
 default-run = "mangalord"
 
diff --git a/frontend/package.json b/frontend/package.json
index 24385fd..916882a 100644
--- a/frontend/package.json
+++ b/frontend/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "mangalord-frontend",
-  "version": "0.115.1",
+  "version": "0.115.2",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/BookmarkList.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/BookmarkList.svelte
index cfa9feb..02f4cf5 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/BookmarkList.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/BookmarkList.svelte
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
                         alt=""
                         class="cover"
                         loading="lazy"
+                        decoding="async"
                     />
                 {:else}
                     <div class="cover cover-placeholder">
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/CollectionsGrid.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/CollectionsGrid.svelte
index 149faa2..994aaee 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/CollectionsGrid.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/CollectionsGrid.svelte
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
                                 alt=""
                                 class="collage-cover"
                                 loading="lazy"
+                                decoding="async"
                             />
                         {/each}
                     {/if}
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/ContinueReadingShelf.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/ContinueReadingShelf.svelte
index a834f14..8fb137f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/ContinueReadingShelf.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/ContinueReadingShelf.svelte
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
                                 alt=""
                                 class="cover"
                                 loading="lazy"
+                                decoding="async"
                             />
                         {:else}
                             <span class="cover cover-placeholder">
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/HistoryList.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/HistoryList.svelte
index 676ec46..af5481d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/HistoryList.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/HistoryList.svelte
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@
                             alt=""
                             class="cover"
                             loading="lazy"
+                            decoding="async"
                         />
                     {:else}
                         <div class="cover cover-placeholder">
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/HistoryList.svelte.test.ts b/frontend/src/lib/components/HistoryList.svelte.test.ts
index 3bed83a..3c67646 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/HistoryList.svelte.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/HistoryList.svelte.test.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,16 @@ describe('HistoryList', () => {
         expect(cont.getAttribute('href')).toBe('/manga/m1/chapter/c9');
     });
 
+    it('renders covers with lazy loading and async decode', () => {
+        render(HistoryList, {
+            props: { entries: [entry({ manga_cover_image_path: 'mangas/m1/cover.jpg' })] }
+        });
+        const img = document.querySelector('img.cover') as HTMLImageElement;
+        expect(img).not.toBeNull();
+        expect(img.getAttribute('loading')).toBe('lazy');
+        expect(img.getAttribute('decoding')).toBe('async');
+    });
+
     it('appends the page number to the continue line only past page 1', () => {
         // The page suffix is a separate text node from "Continue Chapter N",
         // so assert against the link's normalized text rather than getByText.
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/TaggedChapterRow.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/TaggedChapterRow.svelte
index 21f99c1..ff4d1c6 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/TaggedChapterRow.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/TaggedChapterRow.svelte
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 <li class="row" data-testid={testid}>
     <a {href} class="cover-link" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">
         {#if primaryCover}
-            <img src={fileUrl(primaryCover)} alt="" class="cover" loading="lazy" />
+            <img src={fileUrl(primaryCover)} alt="" class="cover" loading="lazy" decoding="async" />
         {:else}
             <div class="cover cover-placeholder"></div>
         {/if}
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
         {#if item.sample_storage_keys.length > 1}
             <div class="samples">
                 {#each item.sample_storage_keys.slice(1) as key (key)}
-                    <img src={fileUrl(key)} alt="" class="sample" loading="lazy" />
+                    <img src={fileUrl(key)} alt="" class="sample" loading="lazy" decoding="async" />
                 {/each}
             </div>
         {/if}
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/TaggedMangaRow.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/TaggedMangaRow.svelte
index fb44c16..fe86e5d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/TaggedMangaRow.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/TaggedMangaRow.svelte
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 <li class="row" data-testid={testid}>
     <a {href} class="cover-link" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">
         {#if primaryCover}
-            <img src={fileUrl(primaryCover)} alt="" class="cover" loading="lazy" />
+            <img src={fileUrl(primaryCover)} alt="" class="cover" loading="lazy" decoding="async" />
         {:else}
             <div class="cover cover-placeholder"></div>
         {/if}
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
         {#if sampleStrip.length > 0}
             <div class="samples">
                 {#each sampleStrip as key (key)}
-                    <img src={fileUrl(key)} alt="" class="sample" loading="lazy" />
+                    <img src={fileUrl(key)} alt="" class="sample" loading="lazy" decoding="async" />
                 {/each}
             </div>
         {/if}
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/TaggedPageRow.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/TaggedPageRow.svelte
index 01c0281..0add940 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/TaggedPageRow.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/TaggedPageRow.svelte
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
             alt=""
             class="cover"
             loading="lazy"
+            decoding="async"
         />
     </a>
     <div class="meta">
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/manga/[id]/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/manga/[id]/+page.svelte
index 6bc1612..db83056 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/manga/[id]/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/manga/[id]/+page.svelte
@@ -380,6 +380,7 @@
                     src={fileUrl(manga.cover_image_path)}
                     alt=""
                     loading="eager"
+                    decoding="async"
                 />
             {/if}
             <div class="hero-text">
@@ -401,6 +402,7 @@
                 alt="{manga.title} cover"
                 class="cover"
                 loading="eager"
+                decoding="async"
                 data-testid="manga-cover"
             />
         {/if}
@@ -791,7 +793,10 @@
 
     .cover {
         width: 100%;
-        height: auto;
+        /* Reserve the 2/3 box so the meta column doesn't reflow when the
+           cover decodes (mirrors MangaCard's cover). */
+        aspect-ratio: 2 / 3;
+        object-fit: cover;
         border-radius: var(--radius-md);
         background: var(--surface);
     }