diff --git a/spec/whistlegraph-admin-spec.mjs b/spec/whistlegraph-admin-spec.mjs
index c68549afe5..818cadc822 100644
--- a/spec/whistlegraph-admin-spec.mjs
+++ b/spec/whistlegraph-admin-spec.mjs
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ describe("Whistlegraph Desk", () => {
     expect(publicData.createdWorks.fear.title).toBe("Inside My Mouth");
     expect(publicData.deletedWorks).toEqual([]);
     expect(publicData.activeCodes).toEqual(["fear"]);
+    expect(publicData.materializedWorks.fear).toEqual({ perf: 1, views: 0 });
 
     const renamed = await handler({ httpMethod: "POST", headers, queryStringParameters: { action: "work-rename" }, body: JSON.stringify({ from: "fear", code: "mouth", title: "Inside My Mouth", by: "Alex Freundlich", year: 2026, c: "#b44887" }) });
     expect(renamed.statusCode).toBe(200);
diff --git a/system/netlify/functions/whistlegraph-admin.mjs b/system/netlify/functions/whistlegraph-admin.mjs
index ae82db66b4..3c561c007f 100644
--- a/system/netlify/functions/whistlegraph-admin.mjs
+++ b/system/netlify/functions/whistlegraph-admin.mjs
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ const HEADERS = {
   "Access-Control-Allow-Methods": "GET, PATCH, POST, DELETE, OPTIONS",
 };
 
-let modelCache = { stamp: "", workCodes: new Set(), workByCode: new Map(), postIds: new Set(), postWorks: new Map() };
+let modelCache = { stamp: "", workCodes: new Set(), workByCode: new Map(), postIds: new Set(), postWorks: new Map(), postById: new Map() };
 let visualCache = { stamp: "", byId: new Map(), searchable: [], metadata: { count: 0 } };
 
 function loadBaseModel() {
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ function loadBaseModel() {
     workByCode: new Map((graphs.works || []).map((work) => [String(work.code), work])),
     postIds: new Set((posts.posts || []).map((post) => String(post.id))),
     postWorks: new Map((posts.posts || []).map((post) => [String(post.id), post.works || []])),
+    postById: new Map((posts.posts || []).map((post) => [String(post.id), post])),
   };
   return modelCache;
 }
@@ -102,11 +103,30 @@ async function readCuration(database, loadModelFn = loadBaseModel) {
   for (const code of Object.keys(payload.createdWorks)) validCodes.add(code);
   for (const code of payload.deletedWorks) validCodes.delete(code);
   const activeCodes = new Set();
+  const materialized = new Map();
   for (const [postId, baseWorks] of model.postWorks || []) {
     const assigned = payload.posts[postId]?.works || baseWorks;
-    for (const code of assigned) if (validCodes.has(code)) activeCodes.add(code);
+    const post = model.postById?.get(postId) || {};
+    for (const code of assigned) if (validCodes.has(code)) {
+      activeCodes.add(code);
+      const row = materialized.get(code) || { perf: 0, views: 0, posts: [] };
+      row.perf += 1;
+      row.views += Number(post.views) || 0;
+      row.posts.push(post);
+      materialized.set(code, row);
+    }
+  }
+  const materializedWorks = {};
+  for (const [code, row] of materialized) {
+    const work = { ...(model.workByCode?.get(code) || {}), ...(payload.works[code] || {}), ...(payload.createdWorks[code] || {}) };
+    const featured = row.posts.find((post) => String(post.id) === String(work.featuredPost || ""));
+    const hero = featured || row.posts.sort((a, b) => (Number(b.views) || 0) - (Number(a.views) || 0))[0];
+    const thumb = hero?.thumb || (hero?.media !== "audio" && hero?.id
+      ? `https://assets.aesthetic.computer/whistlegraph/index/posts/${hero.id}.jpg`
+      : null);
+    materializedWorks[code] = { perf: row.perf, views: row.views, ...(thumb ? { thumb } : {}) };
   }
-  return { ...payload, activeCodes: [...activeCodes] };
+  return { ...payload, activeCodes: [...activeCodes], materializedWorks };
 }
 
 function deployError(message, statusCode = 409) {
diff --git a/system/public/whistlegraph.org/index.html b/system/public/whistlegraph.org/index.html
index 42dab62bfe..06fd7b19ab 100644
--- a/system/public/whistlegraph.org/index.html
+++ b/system/public/whistlegraph.org/index.html
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ const esc=s=>String(s||"").replace(/[&<>"]/g,c=>({"&":"&amp;","<":"&lt;",">":"&g
 // the authenticated Whistlegraph Desk layer over that model and survive deploys.
 const curationLoaded=fetch("/api/whistlegraph-admin?action=curation",{cache:"no-store"})
   .then(r=>r.ok?r.json():{works:{},posts:{}})
-  .then(data=>(LIVE_CURATION={works:data.works||{},posts:data.posts||{},createdWorks:data.createdWorks||{},deletedWorks:data.deletedWorks||[],trashedWorks:data.trashedWorks||{},activeCodes:data.activeCodes||[]},LIVE_CURATION))
+  .then(data=>(LIVE_CURATION={works:data.works||{},posts:data.posts||{},createdWorks:data.createdWorks||{},deletedWorks:data.deletedWorks||[],trashedWorks:data.trashedWorks||{},activeCodes:data.activeCodes||[],materializedWorks:data.materializedWorks||{}},LIVE_CURATION))
   .catch(()=>LIVE_CURATION);
 
 // A whistlegraph's posts — every published appearance, most-seen first —
@@ -679,8 +679,8 @@ Promise.all([
   const activeCodes=new Set(curation.activeCodes||[]);
   const generatedWorks=(data.works||data.graphs.filter(w=>w.kind==="graph"))
     .filter(work=>!deletedWorks.has(work.code)&&(!activeCodes.size||activeCodes.has(work.code)))
-    .map(work=>({...work,...(curation.works?.[work.code]||{})}));
-  const createdWorks=Object.entries(curation.createdWorks||{}).map(([code,work])=>({code,...work,kind:"graph"}));
+    .map(work=>({...work,...(curation.works?.[work.code]||{}),...(curation.materializedWorks?.[work.code]||{})}));
+  const createdWorks=Object.entries(curation.createdWorks||{}).map(([code,work])=>({code,...work,...(curation.materializedWorks?.[code]||{}),kind:"graph"}));
   WORKS=[...generatedWorks,...createdWorks]; CURATED_N=data.curated;
   BY=Object.fromEntries(WORKS.map(w=>[w.code,w]));
   LEGACY_BY=Object.fromEntries((data.legacy||[]).map(w=>[w.code,w]));
@@ -731,11 +731,11 @@ Promise.all([
     selectSection(section,true);
   }));
   routeLocation();
-  // Reconcile Desk relationship edits immediately after first paint. Deferring
-  // this to requestIdleCallback left newly created works showing their count
-  // but no assigned gallery/thumbnail indefinitely in background or busy tabs.
+  // Counts and thumbnails are materialized by the curation API, so the heavy
+  // post archive can return to an idle/deferred fetch. Detail routes still load
+  // it immediately when opened.
   const reconcilePosts=()=>loadPosts().then(()=>{if(curSection==="works"&&!document.getElementById("detail").classList.contains("on"))renderReset(true)});
-  reconcilePosts();
+  if("requestIdleCallback" in window)requestIdleCallback(reconcilePosts);else setTimeout(reconcilePosts,0);
 });
 
 function showDetail(code, keepScroll){