android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/library/data/LibraryMappers.kt

@@ -64,11 +64,12 @@ fun AlbumDetailWire.toAlbumEntity(): CachedAlbumEntity =
 // source of truth for cache-first reads; mapping to a domain type here
 // keeps Room types out of the UI layer.
 
-fun CachedArtistEntity.toDomain(): ArtistRef =
+fun CachedArtistEntity.toDomain(coverAlbumId: String = ""): ArtistRef =
     ArtistRef(
         id = id,
         name = name,
         sortName = sortName,
+        coverAlbumId = coverAlbumId,
     )
 
 fun CachedAlbumEntity.toDomain(artistName: String = ""): AlbumRef =

android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/library/data/LibraryRepository.kt

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import com.fabledsword.minstrel.models.ArtistDetailRef
 import com.fabledsword.minstrel.models.ArtistRef
 import com.fabledsword.minstrel.models.TrackRef
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.Flow
+import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.combine
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.map
 import retrofit2.Retrofit
 import retrofit2.create
@@ -43,8 +44,17 @@ class LibraryRepository @Inject constructor(
 
     // ---- Reads (Flow, cache-first; the cache is the source of truth) ----
 
+    // Joins each artist to its first cached album (by sort title) so the
+    // tile cover derives from /api/albums/{id}/cover — cached_artists
+    // stores no cover and sync carries none. Mirrors Flutter's
+    // artistTileProvider JOIN.
     fun observeArtists(): Flow<List<ArtistRef>> =
-        artistDao.observeAll().map { rows -> rows.map { it.toDomain() } }
+        combine(artistDao.observeAll(), albumDao.observeAll()) { artists, albums ->
+            val firstAlbumByArtist = albums
+                .groupBy { it.artistId }
+                .mapValues { (_, list) -> list.minByOrNull { it.sortTitle }?.id ?: "" }
+            artists.map { it.toDomain(coverAlbumId = firstAlbumByArtist[it.id] ?: "") }
+        }
 
     fun observeAlbums(): Flow<List<AlbumRef>> =
         albumDao.observeAll().map { rows -> rows.map { it.toDomain() } }

android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/library/widgets/ArtistCard.kt

@@ -19,15 +19,14 @@ import androidx.compose.ui.Alignment
 import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
 import androidx.compose.ui.draw.clip
 import androidx.compose.ui.graphics.Color
-import androidx.compose.ui.layout.ContentScale
 import androidx.compose.ui.text.style.TextAlign
 import androidx.compose.ui.text.style.TextOverflow
 import androidx.compose.ui.unit.dp
-import coil3.compose.AsyncImage
 import com.composables.icons.lucide.Lucide
 import com.composables.icons.lucide.User
 import com.fabledsword.minstrel.models.ArtistRef
 import com.fabledsword.minstrel.nav.LocalDetailSeedCache
+import com.fabledsword.minstrel.shared.widgets.ServerImage
 
 /**
  * One artist tile. Circular cover; name centered beneath. Tap fires
@@ -61,20 +60,17 @@ fun ArtistCard(
                     .clip(CircleShape),
                 contentAlignment = Alignment.Center,
             ) {
-                if (artist.coverUrl.isEmpty()) {
+                ServerImage(
+                    url = artist.displayCoverUrl,
+                    contentDescription = artist.name,
+                    modifier = Modifier.fillMaxSize(),
+                ) {
                     Icon(
                         imageVector = Lucide.User,
                         contentDescription = null,
                         tint = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant,
                         modifier = Modifier.size(56.dp),
                     )
-                } else {
-                    AsyncImage(
-                        model = artist.coverUrl,
-                        contentDescription = artist.name,
-                        modifier = Modifier.fillMaxSize(),
-                        contentScale = ContentScale.Crop,
-                    )
                 }
             }
             Spacer(Modifier.height(8.dp))

android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/metadata/MetadataProvider.kt

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import com.fabledsword.minstrel.models.TrackRef
 import kotlinx.coroutines.CoroutineScope
 import kotlinx.coroutines.Job
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.Flow
+import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.combine
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.map
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.onEach
 import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
@@ -70,9 +71,12 @@ class MetadataProvider @Inject constructor(
             .onEach { row -> if (row == null) fetchAlbum(id) }
 
     fun observeArtist(id: String): Flow<ArtistRef?> =
-        artistDao.observeById(id)
-            .map { it?.toDomain() }
-            .onEach { row -> if (row == null) fetchArtist(id) }
+        combine(
+            artistDao.observeById(id),
+            albumDao.observeByArtist(id),
+        ) { artist, albums ->
+            artist?.toDomain(coverAlbumId = albums.minByOrNull { it.sortTitle }?.id ?: "")
+        }.onEach { row -> if (row == null) fetchArtist(id) }
 
     fun observeTrack(id: String): Flow<TrackRef?> =
         trackDao.observeById(id)

android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/models/ArtistRef.kt

@@ -14,4 +14,23 @@ data class ArtistRef(
     val sortName: String = "",
     val albumCount: Int = 0,
     val coverUrl: String = "",
-)
+    val coverAlbumId: String = "",
+) {
+    /**
+     * Cover URL the UI should render, or null when the artist has no
+     * representative cover. Prefers the server-provided `coverUrl`
+     * (relative, e.g. `/api/artists` ships it); otherwise derives the
+     * first cached album's `/api/albums/{id}/cover` via [coverAlbumId].
+     *
+     * The fallback matters because cached_artists stores no cover and
+     * the sync payload carries none — so for cache-sourced artist tiles
+     * we mirror Flutter's `artistTileProvider`, which JOINs the first
+     * album to supply the cover. Resolve through `ServerImage`.
+     */
+    val displayCoverUrl: String?
+        get() = when {
+            coverUrl.isNotEmpty() -> coverUrl
+            coverAlbumId.isNotEmpty() -> "/api/albums/$coverAlbumId/cover"
+            else -> null
+        }
+}

android/app/src/test/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/library/data/LibraryRepositoryTest.kt

@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ class LibraryRepositoryTest {
                     CachedArtistEntity(id = "a1", name = "Boards of Canada", sortName = "Boards of Canada"),
                 ),
             )
+        // observeArtists now combines with albums (to derive the tile
+        // cover from the first album); stub it so combine can emit.
+        every { albumDao.observeAll() } returns flowOf(emptyList())
         val repo = LibraryRepository(artistDao, albumDao, trackDao, retrofit)
 
         repo.observeArtists().test {