diff --git a/src/api/private/me/me.controller.ts b/src/api/private/me/me.controller.ts
index f59af2164..6f79306d0 100644
--- a/src/api/private/me/me.controller.ts
+++ b/src/api/private/me/me.controller.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,9 @@ export class MeController {
   @Get('media')
   async getMyMedia(@RequestUser() user: User): Promise<MediaUploadDto[]> {
     const media = await this.mediaService.listUploadsByUser(user);
-    return media.map((media) => this.mediaService.toMediaUploadDto(media));
+    return await Promise.all(
+      media.map((media) => this.mediaService.toMediaUploadDto(media)),
+    );
   }
 
   @Delete()
diff --git a/src/api/private/media/media.controller.ts b/src/api/private/media/media.controller.ts
index fc6a6720e..4daf956f9 100644
--- a/src/api/private/media/media.controller.ts
+++ b/src/api/private/media/media.controller.ts
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ export class MediaController {
       const mediaUpload = await this.mediaService.findUploadByFilename(
         filename,
       );
-      if (mediaUpload.user.username !== username) {
+      if ((await mediaUpload.user).username !== username) {
         this.logger.warn(
           `${username} tried to delete '${filename}', but is not the owner`,
           'deleteMedia',
diff --git a/src/api/private/notes/notes.controller.ts b/src/api/private/notes/notes.controller.ts
index 5a43b713f..fd02e839b 100644
--- a/src/api/private/notes/notes.controller.ts
+++ b/src/api/private/notes/notes.controller.ts
@@ -72,7 +72,9 @@ export class NotesController {
   @UseGuards(PermissionsGuard)
   async getNotesMedia(@RequestNote() note: Note): Promise<MediaUploadDto[]> {
     const media = await this.mediaService.listUploadsByNote(note);
-    return media.map((media) => this.mediaService.toMediaUploadDto(media));
+    return await Promise.all(
+      media.map((media) => this.mediaService.toMediaUploadDto(media)),
+    );
   }
 
   @Post()
diff --git a/src/api/public/me/me.controller.ts b/src/api/public/me/me.controller.ts
index 059e681c7..1e1d6c908 100644
--- a/src/api/public/me/me.controller.ts
+++ b/src/api/public/me/me.controller.ts
@@ -188,6 +188,8 @@ export class MeController {
   @ApiUnauthorizedResponse({ description: unauthorizedDescription })
   async getMyMedia(@RequestUser() user: User): Promise<MediaUploadDto[]> {
     const media = await this.mediaService.listUploadsByUser(user);
-    return media.map((media) => this.mediaService.toMediaUploadDto(media));
+    return await Promise.all(
+      media.map((media) => this.mediaService.toMediaUploadDto(media)),
+    );
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/api/public/media/media.controller.ts b/src/api/public/media/media.controller.ts
index c495a561e..d7db8b3e2 100644
--- a/src/api/public/media/media.controller.ts
+++ b/src/api/public/media/media.controller.ts
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ export class MediaController {
       const mediaUpload = await this.mediaService.findUploadByFilename(
         filename,
       );
-      if (mediaUpload.user.username !== username) {
+      if ((await mediaUpload.user).username !== username) {
         this.logger.warn(
           `${username} tried to delete '${filename}', but is not the owner`,
           'deleteMedia',
diff --git a/src/api/public/notes/notes.controller.ts b/src/api/public/notes/notes.controller.ts
index 99980c9bc..28b2bd837 100644
--- a/src/api/public/notes/notes.controller.ts
+++ b/src/api/public/notes/notes.controller.ts
@@ -298,6 +298,8 @@ export class NotesController {
     @RequestNote() note: Note,
   ): Promise<MediaUploadDto[]> {
     const media = await this.mediaService.listUploadsByNote(note);
-    return media.map((media) => this.mediaService.toMediaUploadDto(media));
+    return await Promise.all(
+      media.map((media) => this.mediaService.toMediaUploadDto(media)),
+    );
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/media/media-upload.entity.ts b/src/media/media-upload.entity.ts
index 7a6d71e13..2e2051ca6 100644
--- a/src/media/media-upload.entity.ts
+++ b/src/media/media-upload.entity.ts
@@ -25,12 +25,12 @@ export class MediaUpload {
   @ManyToOne((_) => Note, (note) => note.mediaUploads, {
     nullable: true,
   })
-  note: Note | null;
+  note: Promise<Note | null>;
 
   @ManyToOne((_) => User, (user) => user.mediaUploads, {
     nullable: false,
   })
-  user: User;
+  user: Promise<User>;
 
   @Column({
     nullable: false,
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ export class MediaUpload {
   ): Omit<MediaUpload, 'createdAt'> {
     const upload = new MediaUpload();
     upload.id = id;
-    upload.note = note;
-    upload.user = user;
+    upload.note = Promise.resolve(note);
+    upload.user = Promise.resolve(user);
     upload.backendType = backendType;
     upload.backendData = null;
     upload.fileUrl = fileUrl;
diff --git a/src/media/media.service.spec.ts b/src/media/media.service.spec.ts
index a22e6c374..3260a1ef6 100644
--- a/src/media/media.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/media/media.service.spec.ts
@@ -167,9 +167,9 @@ describe('MediaService', () => {
       const mockMediaUploadEntry = {
         id: 'testMediaUpload',
         backendData: 'testBackendData',
-        user: {
+        user: Promise.resolve({
           username: 'hardcoded',
-        } as User,
+        } as User),
       } as MediaUpload;
       jest
         .spyOn(service.mediaBackend, 'deleteFile')
@@ -196,15 +196,15 @@ describe('MediaService', () => {
       const mockMediaUploadEntry = {
         id: 'testMediaUpload',
         backendData: backendData,
-        user: {
+        user: Promise.resolve({
           username: username,
-        } as User,
+        } as User),
       } as MediaUpload;
       jest
         .spyOn(mediaRepo, 'findOne')
         .mockResolvedValueOnce(mockMediaUploadEntry);
       const mediaUpload = await service.findUploadByFilename(testFileName);
-      expect(mediaUpload.user.username).toEqual(username);
+      expect((await mediaUpload.user).username).toEqual(username);
       expect(mediaUpload.backendData).toEqual(backendData);
     });
     it("fails: can't find mediaUpload", async () => {
@@ -218,13 +218,14 @@ describe('MediaService', () => {
 
   describe('listUploadsByUser', () => {
     describe('works', () => {
+      const username = 'hardcoded';
       it('with one upload from user', async () => {
         const mockMediaUploadEntry = {
           id: 'testMediaUpload',
           backendData: 'testBackendData',
-          user: {
-            username: 'hardcoded',
-          } as User,
+          user: Promise.resolve({
+            username: username,
+          } as User),
         } as MediaUpload;
         jest
           .spyOn(mediaRepo, 'find')
@@ -237,14 +238,14 @@ describe('MediaService', () => {
       it('without uploads from user', async () => {
         jest.spyOn(mediaRepo, 'find').mockResolvedValueOnce([]);
         const mediaList = await service.listUploadsByUser({
-          username: 'hardcoded',
+          username: username,
         } as User);
         expect(mediaList).toEqual([]);
       });
       it('with error (undefined as return value of find)', async () => {
         jest.spyOn(mediaRepo, 'find').mockResolvedValueOnce(undefined);
         const mediaList = await service.listUploadsByUser({
-          username: 'hardcoded',
+          username: username,
         } as User);
         expect(mediaList).toEqual([]);
       });
@@ -257,9 +258,9 @@ describe('MediaService', () => {
         const mockMediaUploadEntry = {
           id: 'testMediaUpload',
           backendData: 'testBackendData',
-          note: {
+          note: Promise.resolve({
             id: '123',
-          } as Note,
+          } as Note),
         } as MediaUpload;
         jest
           .spyOn(mediaRepo, 'find')
@@ -294,15 +295,15 @@ describe('MediaService', () => {
       const mockMediaUploadEntry = {
         id: 'testMediaUpload',
         backendData: 'testBackendData',
-        note: mockNote,
-        user: {
+        note: Promise.resolve(mockNote),
+        user: Promise.resolve({
           username: 'hardcoded',
-        } as User,
+        } as User),
       } as MediaUpload;
       jest
         .spyOn(mediaRepo, 'save')
         .mockImplementationOnce(async (entry: MediaUpload) => {
-          expect(entry.note).toBeNull();
+          expect(await entry.note).toBeNull();
           return entry;
         });
       await service.removeNoteFromMediaUpload(mockMediaUploadEntry);
diff --git a/src/media/media.service.ts b/src/media/media.service.ts
index df8004aca..23ade8417 100644
--- a/src/media/media.service.ts
+++ b/src/media/media.service.ts
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ export class MediaService {
       'Setting note to null for mediaUpload: ' + mediaUpload.id,
       'removeNoteFromMediaUpload',
     );
-    mediaUpload.note = null;
+    mediaUpload.note = Promise.resolve(null);
     await this.mediaUploadRepository.save(mediaUpload);
   }
 
@@ -219,12 +219,12 @@ export class MediaService {
     }
   }
 
-  toMediaUploadDto(mediaUpload: MediaUpload): MediaUploadDto {
+  async toMediaUploadDto(mediaUpload: MediaUpload): Promise<MediaUploadDto> {
     return {
       url: mediaUpload.fileUrl,
-      noteId: mediaUpload.note?.id ?? null,
+      noteId: (await mediaUpload.note)?.id ?? null,
       createdAt: mediaUpload.createdAt,
-      username: mediaUpload.user.username,
+      username: (await mediaUpload.user).username,
     };
   }