diff --git a/src/image-response/components/ImagePhotoGrid.tsx b/src/image-response/components/ImagePhotoGrid.tsx
index 5ba0717c..3a282e04 100644
--- a/src/image-response/components/ImagePhotoGrid.tsx
+++ b/src/image-response/components/ImagePhotoGrid.tsx
@@ -3,8 +3,11 @@
 import { Photo } from '@/photo';
 import { NextImageSize } from '@/platforms/next-image';
 import { IS_PREVIEW } from '@/app/config';
-import { getOptimizedPhotoUrl } from '@/photo/storage';
-import { fetchBase64ImageFromUrl } from '@/utility/image';
+import {
+  getOptimizedPhotoUrl,
+  getOptimizedPhotoUrlForSuffix,
+} from '@/photo/storage';
+// import { fetchBase64ImageFromUrl } from '@/utility/image';
 import { getSignedUrlForUrl } from '@/platforms/storage';
 
 export default async function ImagePhotoGrid({
@@ -36,6 +39,10 @@ export default async function ImagePhotoGrid({
     ? width ?? 1080
     : 640;
 
+  const optimizedSuffix = count <= 2
+    ? 'lg'
+    : 'md';
+
   let rows = 1;
   if (count > 12) { rows = 4; }
   else if (count > 6) { rows = 3; }
@@ -51,14 +58,26 @@ export default async function ImagePhotoGrid({
     (rows - 1) * gap / rows;
 
   const photoDataUrls = await Promise.all(photos.map(async({ id, url }) => {
-    const optimizedUrl = getOptimizedPhotoUrl({
-      imageUrl: url,
-      size: nextImageWidth,
-      addBypassSecret: IS_PREVIEW,
-    });
-    const presignedUrl = await getSignedUrlForUrl(optimizedUrl, 'GET');
-    const data = await fetchBase64ImageFromUrl(presignedUrl);
-    return { id, data };
+    // Check for optimized image first
+    let optimizedUrl = getOptimizedPhotoUrlForSuffix(url, optimizedSuffix);
+    // Get presigned URL in case it's required
+    optimizedUrl = await getSignedUrlForUrl(optimizedUrl, 'GET');
+    const optimizedUrlExists = await fetch(optimizedUrl)
+      .then(res => res.ok)
+      .catch(() => false);
+
+    // Fall back on `next/image` if optimized image is not available
+    if (!optimizedUrlExists) {
+      optimizedUrl = getOptimizedPhotoUrl({
+        imageUrl: url,
+        size: nextImageWidth,
+        addBypassSecret: IS_PREVIEW,
+      });
+    }
+
+    // const data = await fetchBase64ImageFromUrl(optimizedUrl, 'image/jpeg');
+  
+    return { id, data: optimizedUrl };
   }));
 
   const renderPhoto = (
diff --git a/src/photo/storage/index.ts b/src/photo/storage/index.ts
index aa45c48d..1ecbe47a 100644
--- a/src/photo/storage/index.ts
+++ b/src/photo/storage/index.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import {
 import {
   generateFileNameWithId,
   getFileNamePartsFromStorageUrl,
-  getSignedUrlForUrl,
   getStorageUrlsForPrefix,
   uploadFileFromClient,
 } from '@/platforms/storage';
@@ -127,25 +126,20 @@ export const getOptimizedPhotoUrlForManipulation = (
     compatibilityMode,
   });
 
-const getTestOptimizedPhotoUrl = (url: string) => {
+export const getOptimizedPhotoUrlForSuffix = (
+  url: string,
+  suffix: OptimizedSuffix,
+) => {
   const { urlBase, fileNameBase } = getFileNamePartsFromStorageUrl(url);
-  return getOptimizedUrl({
-    urlBase,
-    fileNameBase,
-    suffix: 'sm',
-  });
+  return getOptimizedUrl({ urlBase, fileNameBase, suffix });
 };
 
+const getTestOptimizedPhotoUrl = (url: string) =>
+  getOptimizedPhotoUrlForSuffix(url, 'sm');
+
 export const doesPhotoUrlHaveOptimizedFiles = async (url: string) =>
   fetch(getTestOptimizedPhotoUrl(url)).then(res => res.ok);
 
-export const doAllPhotosHaveOptimizedFiles = async (photos: Photo[]) =>
-  Promise.all(photos.map(async ({ url }) => fetch(
-    await getSignedUrlForUrl(getTestOptimizedPhotoUrl(url), 'GET'),
-  )))
-    .then(urls => urls.every(url => url.ok))
-    .catch(() => false);
-
 export const getStorageUrlsForPhoto = async ({ url }: Photo) => {
   const getSortScoreForUrl = (url: string) => {
     const { fileNameBase } = getFileNamePartsFromStorageUrl(url);
diff --git a/src/platforms/safe-photo-image-response.ts b/src/platforms/safe-photo-image-response.ts
index 3fd7901f..e4d075fc 100644
--- a/src/platforms/safe-photo-image-response.ts
+++ b/src/platforms/safe-photo-image-response.ts
@@ -20,10 +20,14 @@ export const safePhotoImageResponse = async (
   photos: Photo[],
   jsx: (isNextImageReady: boolean) => JSX.Element,
   options: ConstructorParameters<typeof ImageResponse>[1],
+  disableCheck = true,
 ) => {
   // Make sure next/image can be reached from absolute urls,
   // which may not exist on first pre-render
-  const isNextImageReady = await isNextImageReadyBasedOnPhotos(photos);
+  const isNextImageReady = (
+    disableCheck ||
+    await isNextImageReadyBasedOnPhotos(photos)
+  );
 
   return new ImageResponse(
     jsx(isNextImageReady),
diff --git a/src/utility/image.ts b/src/utility/image.ts
index 840fcf6c..56715297 100644
--- a/src/utility/image.ts
+++ b/src/utility/image.ts
@@ -4,11 +4,12 @@ export const removeBase64Prefix = (base64: string) => {
 
 export const fetchBase64ImageFromUrl = (
   url: string,
+  contentType?: string,
   fetchOptions?: RequestInit,
 ) =>
   fetch(url, fetchOptions)
     .then(async response => {
       const blob = await response.arrayBuffer();
       // eslint-disable-next-line max-len
-      return `data:${response.headers.get('content-type')};base64,${Buffer.from(blob).toString('base64')}`;
+      return `data:${contentType ?? response.headers.get('content-type')};base64,${Buffer.from(blob).toString('base64')}`;
     });