diff --git a/accounts/sync.py b/accounts/sync.py
index 38a17d6..69742ff 100644
--- a/accounts/sync.py
+++ b/accounts/sync.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from django.http import JsonResponse
 from django.utils import timezone
 from django.views.decorators.http import require_http_methods
 
-from books.models import EBook, EBookProgress, EBookHighlights, EBookBookmarks
+from books.models import EBook, EBookProgress, EBookHighlights, EBookBookmarks, book_rows
 from books.views import _now_ms, progress_state
 from podcasts.models import PodcastFeed, EpisodeProgress, PodcastQueue
 from radio.models import SavedStation
@@ -30,9 +30,7 @@ def sync_snapshot(request):
 
     user = request.user
 
-    books = list(EBook.objects.filter(user=user).values('id', 'meta_ct', 'meta_iv', 'uploaded_at', 'is_read'))
-    for b in books:
-        b['uploaded_at'] = b['uploaded_at'].isoformat()
+    books = [{k: b[k] for k in ('id', 'meta_ct', 'meta_iv', 'uploaded_at', 'is_read')} for b in book_rows(user)]
 
     book_progress = [
         {'book_id': p.book_id, 'updated_at': p.updated_at.isoformat(), **progress_state(p)}
diff --git a/books/migrations/0007_list_indexes.py b/books/migrations/0007_list_indexes.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..054c9b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/books/migrations/0007_list_indexes.py
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# Generated by Django 6.1 on 2026-10-19 13:24
+
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('books', '0006_covers_and_prefs'),
+        migrations.swappable_dependency(settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AddIndex(
+            model_name='ebook',
+            index=models.Index(fields=['user', 'uploaded_at', 'is_read'], name='ebook_list_idx'),
+        ),
+        migrations.AddIndex(
+            model_name='ebook',
+            index=models.Index(fields=['user', 'cover_iv'], name='ebook_cover_idx'),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/books/models.py b/books/models.py
index d50c5eb..ce958d2 100644
--- a/books/models.py
+++ b/books/models.py
@@ -17,11 +17,34 @@ class EBook(models.Model):
 
     class Meta:
         ordering = ['uploaded_at']
+        # The list reads these from indexes, never from the row: the file (data_ct) stands
+        # before them in it, and SQLite walks through all of a file to reach a column after it
+        # — 37 s for a library of 400 books (docs/database.md). See book_rows().
+        indexes = [
+            models.Index(fields=['user', 'uploaded_at', 'is_read'], name='ebook_list_idx'),
+            models.Index(fields=['user', 'cover_iv'], name='ebook_cover_idx'),
+        ]
 
     def __str__(self):
         return f"EBook #{self.pk} (user={self.user_id})"
 
 
+def book_rows(user):
+    """Every book of the user as {id, meta_ct, meta_iv, uploaded_at (ISO), is_read, has_cover},
+    oldest first — read without passing a book's file: meta_ct and meta_iv stand before it in
+    the row, the rest comes from the covering indexes ebook_list_idx and ebook_cover_idx."""
+    books = {b['id']: b for b in EBook.objects.filter(user=user).order_by().values('id', 'meta_ct', 'meta_iv')}
+    for book_id, at, read in EBook.objects.filter(user=user).order_by().values_list('id', 'uploaded_at', 'is_read'):
+        if book_id in books:
+            books[book_id].update(uploaded_at=at, is_read=read)
+    covered = set(EBook.objects.filter(user=user).exclude(cover_iv='').order_by().values_list('id', flat=True))
+    out = sorted((b for b in books.values() if 'uploaded_at' in b), key=lambda b: (b['uploaded_at'], b['id']))
+    for b in out:
+        b['uploaded_at'] = b['uploaded_at'].isoformat()
+        b['has_cover'] = b['id'] in covered
+    return out
+
+
 class LibraryPrefs(models.Model):
     """The library's own settings, encrypted with the user's key (the folder order:
     folder names are private, docs/library.md). One blob, replaced as a whole."""
diff --git a/books/tests.py b/books/tests.py
index e98d3d1..0be2825 100644
--- a/books/tests.py
+++ b/books/tests.py
@@ -199,3 +199,29 @@ class CoverAndPrefsTests(TestCase):
         self.post('/books/prefs/', {'prefs_ct': 'AAA', 'prefs_iv': 'a1b2c3d4e5f6'})
         self.post('/books/prefs/', {'prefs_ct': 'BBB', 'prefs_iv': 'a1b2c3d4e5f7'})
         self.assertEqual(self.client.get('/books/prefs/', **self.auth).json(), {'prefs_ct': 'BBB', 'prefs_iv': 'a1b2c3d4e5f7'})
+
+
+class BookRowsReadPastNoFileTests(TestCase):
+    """The list must not read a column that stands after the file (data_ct) in a book's row:
+    SQLite would walk through the whole file to get there (docs/database.md)."""
+
+    def test_the_list_queries_use_covering_indexes(self):
+        from django.contrib.auth.models import User
+        from django.db import connection
+        from django.test.utils import CaptureQueriesContext
+        from books.models import EBook, book_rows
+        user = User.objects.create_user('rows', password='x')
+        EBook.objects.create(user=user, meta_ct='m', meta_iv='i', data_ct='d' * 100000, data_iv='j', cover_iv='c', cover_ct='cc')
+        EBook.objects.create(user=user, meta_ct='m2', meta_iv='i2', data_ct='d', data_iv='j')
+        with CaptureQueriesContext(connection) as q:
+            rows = book_rows(user)
+        self.assertEqual([r['meta_ct'] for r in rows], ['m', 'm2'])
+        self.assertEqual([r['has_cover'] for r in rows], [True, False])
+        late = ('uploaded_at', 'is_read', 'cover_iv', 'cover_ct', 'data_ct', 'data_iv')
+        with connection.cursor() as cur:
+            for query in q.captured_queries:
+                sql = query['sql']
+                if any(col in sql for col in late):
+                    cur.execute('EXPLAIN QUERY PLAN ' + sql.replace('%s', '?'), [user.id] if '?' in sql or '%s' in sql else [])
+                    plan = ' '.join(str(r) for r in cur.fetchall())
+                    self.assertIn('COVERING INDEX', plan, sql)
diff --git a/books/views.py b/books/views.py
index 701798b..14a4c47 100644
--- a/books/views.py
+++ b/books/views.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from django.http import JsonResponse
 from django.views.decorators.csrf import csrf_exempt
 from django.views.decorators.http import require_http_methods
 
-from .models import EBook, EBookProgress, EBookHighlights, EBookBookmarks, LibraryPrefs
+from .models import EBook, EBookProgress, EBookHighlights, EBookBookmarks, LibraryPrefs, book_rows
 
 
 def _require_auth(request):
@@ -291,13 +291,7 @@ def book_list(request):
     err = _require_auth(request)
     if err:
         return err
-    with_cover = set(request.user.ebooks.exclude(cover_ct='').values_list('id', flat=True))
-    books = list(
-        request.user.ebooks.values('id', 'meta_ct', 'meta_iv', 'uploaded_at', 'is_read')
-    )
-    for b in books:
-        b['uploaded_at'] = b['uploaded_at'].isoformat()
-        b['has_cover'] = b['id'] in with_cover
+    books = book_rows(request.user)
     progress_map = {p.book_id: p for p in EBookProgress.objects.filter(user=request.user)}
     highlighted_ids = set(
         EBookHighlights.objects.filter(user=request.user).values_list('book_id', flat=True)
diff --git a/docs/database.md b/docs/database.md
index 096f22f..6b02b09 100644
--- a/docs/database.md
+++ b/docs/database.md
@@ -22,3 +22,15 @@ database: a copy of `db.sqlite3` alone may miss the latest writes. To copy it sa
 
 or stop the container first. Back to the old mode, if ever needed:
 `PRAGMA journal_mode=DELETE` (with no other connection open) and remove `diora/sqlite.py`'s hook.
+
+## The book list never reads past the file
+
+A book's row is `user, meta_ct, meta_iv, data_ct (the file), data_iv, uploaded_at, is_read,
+cover_ct, cover_iv`. SQLite stores a big value in a chain of overflow pages, and to reach a
+column *after* it, it walks the whole chain: listing 427 books read gigabytes and took 37 s
+(the desktop app gives up after 10 s, so it never synced). Since then `books.models.book_rows()`
+reads `id, meta_ct, meta_iv` from the rows (they stand before the file) and `uploaded_at,
+is_read` / whether there is a cover from the covering indexes `ebook_list_idx` and
+`ebook_cover_idx` — no list query touches a file. `books/tests.py` checks the query plans.
+Writes still rewrite the whole row (file included); moving the files into a table of their own
+would end that too.
diff --git a/e2e/navigation.spec.js b/e2e/navigation.spec.js
index 3d0a7ee..6df58f6 100644
--- a/e2e/navigation.spec.js
+++ b/e2e/navigation.spec.js
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ test('editions: two books joined show once with their formats, set apart show tw
   await page.goto('/#books');
   await page.waitForFunction(() => typeof _importMany === 'function' && Array.isArray(_lastBookListData));
   await page.locator('#book-file-input').setInputFiles(files);
-  await page.waitForFunction(() => _lastBookListData.filter(b => /^Mehrfach/.test(b.title)).length === 2, null, { timeout: 30000 });
+  await page.waitForFunction(() => _lastBookListData.filter(b => /^Mehrfach/.test(b.title) && b.id).length === 2, null, { timeout: 30000 });
   const ids = await page.evaluate(() => _lastBookListData.filter(b => /^Mehrfach/.test(b.title)).map(b => b.id));
   const list = page.locator('#book-list');
   // New books: as cards under "Ungelesen" (not in the "Zuletzt gelesen" area on top).