diff --git a/backend/openapi-schema.yml b/backend/openapi-schema.yml
index d3456c8c..ba1d443b 100644
--- a/backend/openapi-schema.yml
+++ b/backend/openapi-schema.yml
@@ -1251,8 +1251,7 @@ paths:
         '200':
           content:
             application/json:
-              schema:
-                $ref: '#/components/schemas/AssignedTaskResponse'
+              schema: {}
           description: Successful Response
         '422':
           content:
@@ -1289,8 +1288,7 @@ paths:
         '200':
           content:
             application/json:
-              schema:
-                $ref: '#/components/schemas/AssignedTaskResponse'
+              schema: {}
           description: Successful Response
         '422':
           content:
@@ -1327,8 +1325,7 @@ paths:
         '200':
           content:
             application/json:
-              schema:
-                $ref: '#/components/schemas/AssignedTaskResponse'
+              schema: {}
           description: Successful Response
         '422':
           content:
diff --git a/backend/transcribee_backend/auth.py b/backend/transcribee_backend/auth.py
index d352acd3..10d86b4f 100644
--- a/backend/transcribee_backend/auth.py
+++ b/backend/transcribee_backend/auth.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 from typing import Optional, Tuple
 
 from fastapi import Depends, Header, HTTPException
+from sqlalchemy.orm import joinedload
 from sqlmodel import Session, col, or_, select
 
 from transcribee_backend.db import get_session
@@ -157,7 +158,9 @@ def get_authorized_task(
     session: Session = Depends(get_session),
     authorized_worker: Worker = Depends(get_authorized_worker),
 ):
-    statement = select(Task).where(Task.id == task_id)
+    statement = (
+        select(Task).where(Task.id == task_id).options(joinedload(Task.current_attempt))
+    )
     task = session.exec(statement).one_or_none()
     if task is None:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=404)
diff --git a/backend/transcribee_backend/models/task.py b/backend/transcribee_backend/models/task.py
index d5ff8972..e3a45eb1 100644
--- a/backend/transcribee_backend/models/task.py
+++ b/backend/transcribee_backend/models/task.py
@@ -95,6 +95,12 @@ class Task(TaskBase, table=True):
             "secondaryjoin": "Task.id==TaskDependency.dependant_on_id",
         },
     )
+    dependency_links: List[TaskDependency] = Relationship(
+        sa_relationship_kwargs={
+            "primaryjoin": "Task.id==TaskDependency.dependent_task_id",
+            "viewonly": True,
+        },
+    )
     dependants: List["Task"] = Relationship(
         back_populates="dependencies",
         link_model=TaskDependency,
@@ -155,12 +161,29 @@ class TaskResponse(TaskBase):
 
     @classmethod
     def from_orm(cls, task: Task, update={}) -> Self:
-        return super().from_orm(
-            task,
-            update={
-                "dependencies": [x.id for x in task.dependencies],
-                **update,
-            },
+        # The following code is equivalent to this:
+        #     return super().from_orm(
+        #         task,
+        #         update={
+        #             "dependencies": [x.dependant_on_id for x in task.dependency_links],
+        #             **update,
+        #         },
+        #     )
+        # But much faster, because from_orm destructures the `obj` to mix it
+        # with the `update` dict, which causes an access to all attributes,
+        # including `dependencies`/`dependents` which are then all seperately
+        # selected from the database, causing many query
+        # Even with a small number of document this cuts the loading time of
+        # the `/api/v1/documents/` endpoint roughly in half on my test machine
+        return cls(
+            id=task.id,
+            state=task.state,
+            dependencies=[x.dependant_on_id for x in task.dependency_links],
+            current_attempt=None,
+            document_id=task.document_id,
+            task_type=task.task_type,
+            task_parameters=task.task_parameters,
+            **update,
         )
 
 
diff --git a/backend/transcribee_backend/routers/document.py b/backend/transcribee_backend/routers/document.py
index 649fc3af..3cccd898 100644
--- a/backend/transcribee_backend/routers/document.py
+++ b/backend/transcribee_backend/routers/document.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 from fastapi.exceptions import RequestValidationError
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 from pydantic.error_wrappers import ErrorWrapper
+from sqlalchemy.orm import selectinload
 from sqlalchemy.sql.expression import desc
 from sqlmodel import Session, col, select
 from transcribee_proto.api import Document as ApiDocument
@@ -409,6 +410,12 @@ def list_documents(
         select(Document)
         .where(Document.user == token.user)
         .order_by(desc(Document.changed_at), Document.id)
+        .options(
+            selectinload("tasks"),
+            selectinload("media_files"),
+            selectinload("media_files.tags"),
+            selectinload("tasks.dependency_links"),
+        )
     )
     results = session.exec(statement)
     return [doc.as_api_document() for doc in results]
@@ -455,7 +462,11 @@ def get_document_tasks(
     auth: AuthInfo = Depends(get_doc_min_readonly_auth),
     session: Session = Depends(get_session),
 ) -> List[TaskResponse]:
-    statement = select(Task).where(Task.document_id == auth.document.id)
+    statement = (
+        select(Task)
+        .where(Task.document_id == auth.document.id)
+        .options(selectinload(Task.dependency_links))
+    )
     return [TaskResponse.from_orm(x) for x in session.exec(statement)]
 
 
diff --git a/backend/transcribee_backend/routers/task.py b/backend/transcribee_backend/routers/task.py
index f07a62ef..5b7c8619 100644
--- a/backend/transcribee_backend/routers/task.py
+++ b/backend/transcribee_backend/routers/task.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Body, Depends, Query
 from fastapi.exceptions import HTTPException
-from sqlalchemy.orm import aliased
+from sqlalchemy.orm import aliased, selectinload
 from sqlalchemy.sql.operators import is_
 from sqlmodel import Session, col, select
 from transcribee_proto.api import KeepaliveBody
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ def keepalive(
     keepalive_data: KeepaliveBody = Body(),
     session: Session = Depends(get_session),
     task: Task = Depends(get_authorized_task),
-) -> Optional[AssignedTaskResponse]:
+):
     # mostly to please the type checker, get_authorized_task already ensures
     # that the task has a current attempt
     if task.current_attempt is None:
@@ -115,7 +115,6 @@ def keepalive(
         session.add(task.current_attempt)
     session.add(task)
     session.commit()
-    return AssignedTaskResponse.from_orm(task)
 
 
 @task_router.post("/{task_id}/mark_completed/")
@@ -124,11 +123,10 @@ def mark_completed(
     session: Session = Depends(get_session),
     task: Task = Depends(get_authorized_task),
     now: datetime.datetime = Depends(now_tz_aware),
-) -> Optional[AssignedTaskResponse]:
+):
     finish_current_attempt(
         session=session, task=task, now=now, extra_data=extra_data, successful=True
     )
-    return AssignedTaskResponse.from_orm(task)
 
 
 @task_router.post("/{task_id}/mark_failed/")
@@ -137,21 +135,24 @@ def mark_failed(
     session: Session = Depends(get_session),
     task: Task = Depends(get_authorized_task),
     now: datetime.datetime = Depends(now_tz_aware),
-) -> Optional[AssignedTaskResponse]:
+):
     now = now_tz_aware()
 
     finish_current_attempt(
         session=session, task=task, now=now, extra_data=extra_data, successful=False
     )
 
-    return AssignedTaskResponse.from_orm(task)
-
 
 @task_router.get("/")
 def list_tasks(
     session: Session = Depends(get_session),
     token: UserToken = Depends(get_user_token),
 ) -> List[TaskResponse]:
-    statement = select(Task).join(Document).where(Document.user == token.user)
+    statement = (
+        select(Task)
+        .join(Document)
+        .where(Document.user == token.user)
+        .options(selectinload(Task.dependency_links))
+    )
     results = session.exec(statement)
     return [TaskResponse.from_orm(x) for x in results]
diff --git a/backend/transcribee_backend/routers/user.py b/backend/transcribee_backend/routers/user.py
index 75fe90df..4d89d140 100644
--- a/backend/transcribee_backend/routers/user.py
+++ b/backend/transcribee_backend/routers/user.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException
-from sqlmodel import Session, delete, select
+from sqlmodel import Session, delete
 from transcribee_proto.api import LoginResponse
 
 from transcribee_backend.auth import (
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 )
 from transcribee_backend.db import get_session
 from transcribee_backend.exceptions import UserAlreadyExists
-from transcribee_backend.models import CreateUser, User, UserBase, UserToken
+from transcribee_backend.models import CreateUser, UserBase, UserToken
 from transcribee_backend.models.user import ChangePasswordRequest
 
 user_router = APIRouter()
@@ -57,11 +57,8 @@ def logout(
 @user_router.get("/me/")
 def read_user(
     token: UserToken = Depends(get_user_token),
-    session: Session = Depends(get_session),
 ) -> UserBase:
-    statement = select(User).where(User.id == token.user_id)
-    user = session.exec(statement).one()
-    return UserBase(username=user.username)
+    return UserBase(username=token.user.username)
 
 
 @user_router.post("/change_password/")
diff --git a/frontend/src/openapi-schema.ts b/frontend/src/openapi-schema.ts
index 71cdac75..c60662f9 100644
--- a/frontend/src/openapi-schema.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/openapi-schema.ts
@@ -1014,7 +1014,7 @@ export interface operations {
       /** @description Successful Response */
       200: {
         content: {
-          "application/json": components["schemas"]["AssignedTaskResponse"];
+          "application/json": unknown;
         };
       };
       /** @description Validation Error */
@@ -1044,7 +1044,7 @@ export interface operations {
       /** @description Successful Response */
       200: {
         content: {
-          "application/json": components["schemas"]["AssignedTaskResponse"];
+          "application/json": unknown;
         };
       };
       /** @description Validation Error */
@@ -1074,7 +1074,7 @@ export interface operations {
       /** @description Successful Response */
       200: {
         content: {
-          "application/json": components["schemas"]["AssignedTaskResponse"];
+          "application/json": unknown;
         };
       };
       /** @description Validation Error */