diff --git a/internal/audiobooks/abs/author_series_handler.go b/internal/audiobooks/abs/author_series_handler.go
index b5b01948..939a502c 100644
--- a/internal/audiobooks/abs/author_series_handler.go
+++ b/internal/audiobooks/abs/author_series_handler.go
@@ -68,16 +68,24 @@ func (h *Handler) handleSeriesDetail(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 }
 
 // authorObjectABS builds the real ABS Author.toOldJSON(+numBooks) shape
-// (server/models/Author.js). silo does not track asin/description/imagePath/
-// timestamps, so those are emitted as null/0 — nullable in real ABS, and a
-// present key (not its value) is what keeps strict clients from crashing.
-func authorObjectABS(id, name, libraryID string, numBooks int) map[string]any {
+// (server/models/Author.js). silo does not track asin/description/timestamps,
+// so those are emitted as null/0 — nullable in real ABS, and a present key
+// (not its value) is what keeps strict clients from crashing. imagePath is
+// a server-local filesystem path in real ABS; clients treat any non-null
+// value as "this author has a photo" and fetch it via
+// GET /api/authors/{id}/image rather than dereferencing the path, so a
+// synthetic ABS-shaped path is emitted when silo has a photo for the person.
+func authorObjectABS(id, name, libraryID string, numBooks int, hasPhoto bool) map[string]any {
+	var imagePath any
+	if hasPhoto {
+		imagePath = "/metadata/authors/" + id + ".jpg"
+	}
 	return map[string]any{
 		"id":          id,
 		"asin":        nil,
 		"name":        name,
 		"description": nil,
-		"imagePath":   nil,
+		"imagePath":   imagePath,
 		"libraryId":   libraryID,
 		"addedAt":     0,
 		"updatedAt":   0,
@@ -87,7 +95,7 @@ func authorObjectABS(id, name, libraryID string, numBooks int) map[string]any {
 
 func authorToABS(a Author, lib AudiobookLibrary, baseURL string) map[string]any {
 	libID := audiobookLibraryID(lib)
-	obj := authorObjectABS(a.ID, a.Name, libID, len(a.Books))
+	obj := authorObjectABS(a.ID, a.Name, libID, len(a.Books), a.PosterPath != "")
 	// Author-detail books are full minified library items (not thin stubs) so
 	// any strict client decodes them with its LibraryItem model.
 	books := make([]MinifiedLibraryItem, 0, len(a.Books))
diff --git a/internal/audiobooks/abs/author_series_handler_test.go b/internal/audiobooks/abs/author_series_handler_test.go
index e4b7d7b6..cb1f8e42 100644
--- a/internal/audiobooks/abs/author_series_handler_test.go
+++ b/internal/audiobooks/abs/author_series_handler_test.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ func (s *authorSeriesStubMediaStore) GetSeriesByName(_ context.Context, name str
 
 func TestAuthor_Detail_ReturnsBooks(t *testing.T) {
 	media := &authorSeriesStubMediaStore{
-		author: Author{ID: "42", Name: "Brandon Sanderson", Books: []*models.MediaItem{
+		author: Author{ID: "42", Name: "Brandon Sanderson", PosterPath: "tmdb/people/42/profile", Books: []*models.MediaItem{
 			{ContentID: "book-1", Title: "Mistborn"},
 			{ContentID: "book-2", Title: "Stormlight"},
 		}},
@@ -56,6 +56,11 @@ func TestAuthor_Detail_ReturnsBooks(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("author object missing key %q", k)
 		}
 	}
+	// A photo-bearing author must emit a non-null imagePath — it is the
+	// client's cue to fetch /api/authors/{id}/image.
+	if got["imagePath"] == nil {
+		t.Errorf("imagePath = nil for author with a photo")
+	}
 	// Author items are real-ABS minified library items under libraryItems.
 	items, _ := got["libraryItems"].([]any)
 	if len(items) != 2 {
@@ -83,7 +88,7 @@ func (s *libAuthorsStub) ListLibraryAuthors(_ context.Context, _ int64, _, _ int
 // paginated, paged { results, total, ... } when limit+page are present.
 func TestLibraryAuthors_EnvelopeBranchesOnPagination(t *testing.T) {
 	media := &libAuthorsStub{authors: []AuthorSummary{
-		{ID: "1", Name: "Alpha", NumBooks: 2},
+		{ID: "1", Name: "Alpha", NumBooks: 2, HasPhoto: true},
 		{ID: "2", Name: "Beta", NumBooks: 1},
 	}}
 	h := New(Dependencies{MediaStore: media})
@@ -108,6 +113,16 @@ func TestLibraryAuthors_EnvelopeBranchesOnPagination(t *testing.T) {
 	if len(authors) != 2 {
 		t.Errorf("authors len = %d, want 2", len(authors))
 	}
+	if len(authors) == 2 {
+		a0, _ := authors[0].(map[string]any)
+		a1, _ := authors[1].(map[string]any)
+		if a0["imagePath"] == nil {
+			t.Errorf("imagePath = nil for list author with a photo")
+		}
+		if a1["imagePath"] != nil {
+			t.Errorf("imagePath = %v for list author without a photo, want null", a1["imagePath"])
+		}
+	}
 	if a0, _ := authors[0].(map[string]any); a0 != nil {
 		if _, ok := a0["asin"]; !ok {
 			t.Errorf("author object missing 'asin' (thin shape regression)")
diff --git a/internal/audiobooks/abs/handler.go b/internal/audiobooks/abs/handler.go
index e7912309..0ac3b63f 100644
--- a/internal/audiobooks/abs/handler.go
+++ b/internal/audiobooks/abs/handler.go
@@ -93,6 +93,10 @@ type AuthorSummary struct {
 	ID       string
 	Name     string
 	NumBooks int
+	// HasPhoto reports whether the author's people row carries a photo, so
+	// list responses can emit a non-null imagePath (the client's cue to
+	// fetch /api/authors/{id}/image).
+	HasPhoto bool
 }
 
 // SeriesSummary is an aggregated series entry for /libraries/{id}/series.
diff --git a/internal/audiobooks/abs/libraries_handler.go b/internal/audiobooks/abs/libraries_handler.go
index 1c5d8dc7..f5ec3828 100644
--- a/internal/audiobooks/abs/libraries_handler.go
+++ b/internal/audiobooks/abs/libraries_handler.go
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ func (h *Handler) handleLibraryAuthors(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	libID := audiobookLibraryID(lib)
 	results := make([]map[string]any, 0, len(pageAuthors))
 	for _, a := range pageAuthors {
-		results = append(results, authorObjectABS(a.ID, a.Name, libID, a.NumBooks))
+		results = append(results, authorObjectABS(a.ID, a.Name, libID, a.NumBooks, a.HasPhoto))
 	}
 	// Real ABS LibraryController.getAuthors branches on isPaginated =
 	// (limit present & numeric) && (page present & numeric): paged envelope
diff --git a/internal/audiobooks/media_store.go b/internal/audiobooks/media_store.go
index c7113540..ceeac297 100644
--- a/internal/audiobooks/media_store.go
+++ b/internal/audiobooks/media_store.go
@@ -764,15 +764,20 @@ func (s *ABSMediaStore) ListLibraryAuthors(ctx context.Context, libraryID int64,
 	var orderBy string
 	switch sortBy {
 	case "addedAt":
-		orderBy = "added_at " + dir + ", person_id"
+		orderBy = "c.added_at " + dir + ", c.person_id"
 	case "numBooks":
-		orderBy = "num_books " + dir + ", LOWER(name)"
+		orderBy = "c.num_books " + dir + ", LOWER(c.name)"
 	default: // name
-		orderBy = "LOWER(name) " + dir
+		orderBy = "LOWER(c.name) " + dir
 	}
 
-	dataSQL := `SELECT person_id, name, num_books, added_at FROM abs_audiobook_author_counts
-		WHERE library_id = $1 ORDER BY ` + orderBy
+	// The MV carries no photo column; join people at read time so photo
+	// presence is always current instead of stale until the next REFRESH.
+	dataSQL := `SELECT c.person_id, c.name, c.num_books, c.added_at,
+			COALESCE(p.photo_path, '') <> ''
+		FROM abs_audiobook_author_counts c
+		LEFT JOIN people p ON p.id = c.person_id
+		WHERE c.library_id = $1 ORDER BY ` + orderBy
 	args := []any{int(libraryID)}
 	if limit > 0 {
 		dataSQL += ` LIMIT $2 OFFSET $3`
@@ -786,15 +791,16 @@ func (s *ABSMediaStore) ListLibraryAuthors(ctx context.Context, libraryID int64,
 	out := make([]abs.AuthorSummary, 0, 64)
 	for rows.Next() {
 		var (
-			id      int64
-			name    string
-			books   int
-			addedAt time.Time
+			id       int64
+			name     string
+			books    int
+			addedAt  time.Time
+			hasPhoto bool
 		)
-		if err := rows.Scan(&id, &name, &books, &addedAt); err != nil {
+		if err := rows.Scan(&id, &name, &books, &addedAt, &hasPhoto); err != nil {
 			return nil, 0, fmt.Errorf("abs_media_store: scan author: %w", err)
 		}
-		out = append(out, abs.AuthorSummary{ID: fmt.Sprintf("%d", id), Name: name, NumBooks: books})
+		out = append(out, abs.AuthorSummary{ID: fmt.Sprintf("%d", id), Name: name, NumBooks: books, HasPhoto: hasPhoto})
 	}
 	return out, total, rows.Err()
 }
@@ -846,7 +852,8 @@ func (s *ABSMediaStore) listLibraryAuthorsLive(ctx context.Context, libraryID in
 		orderBy = "LOWER(p.name) " + dir
 	}
 	dataSQL := `
-		SELECT p.id, p.name, COUNT(DISTINCT mi.content_id) AS num_books
+		SELECT p.id, p.name, COUNT(DISTINCT mi.content_id) AS num_books,
+			p.photo_path <> ''
 		FROM media_items mi
 		JOIN item_people ip ON ip.content_id = mi.content_id AND ip.kind = 7
 		JOIN people p ON p.id = ip.person_id
@@ -866,14 +873,15 @@ func (s *ABSMediaStore) listLibraryAuthorsLive(ctx context.Context, libraryID in
 	out := make([]abs.AuthorSummary, 0, 64)
 	for rows.Next() {
 		var (
-			id    int64
-			name  string
-			books int
+			id       int64
+			name     string
+			books    int
+			hasPhoto bool
 		)
-		if err := rows.Scan(&id, &name, &books); err != nil {
+		if err := rows.Scan(&id, &name, &books, &hasPhoto); err != nil {
 			return nil, 0, fmt.Errorf("abs_media_store: scan author (live): %w", err)
 		}
-		out = append(out, abs.AuthorSummary{ID: fmt.Sprintf("%d", id), Name: name, NumBooks: books})
+		out = append(out, abs.AuthorSummary{ID: fmt.Sprintf("%d", id), Name: name, NumBooks: books, HasPhoto: hasPhoto})
 	}
 	return out, total, rows.Err()
 }