diff --git a/alembic_db/versions/0006_add_loader_path.py b/alembic_db/versions/0006_add_loader_path.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..afa65312d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/alembic_db/versions/0006_add_loader_path.py
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+"""
+Add loader_path column to asset_references.
+
+Stores the in-root loader path (path relative to the storage root with the
+top-level model category dropped) derived from file_path at scan/ingest time,
+so the assets API can return it without re-resolving against every registered
+model-folder base on every request.
+
+Revision ID: 0006_add_loader_path
+Revises: 0005_allow_case_sensitive_tags
+Create Date: 2026-07-02
+"""
+
+from alembic import op
+import sqlalchemy as sa
+
+revision = "0006_add_loader_path"
+down_revision = "0005_allow_case_sensitive_tags"
+branch_labels = None
+depends_on = None
+
+
+def upgrade() -> None:
+    with op.batch_alter_table("asset_references") as batch_op:
+        batch_op.add_column(sa.Column("loader_path", sa.Text(), nullable=True))
+
+
+def downgrade() -> None:
+    with op.batch_alter_table("asset_references") as batch_op:
+        batch_op.drop_column("loader_path")
diff --git a/app/assets/api/routes.py b/app/assets/api/routes.py
index c0a5228d8..f1d9c118c 100644
--- a/app/assets/api/routes.py
+++ b/app/assets/api/routes.py
@@ -168,7 +168,11 @@ def _build_asset_response(result: schemas.AssetDetailResult | schemas.UploadResu
         paths = compute_asset_response_paths(result.ref.file_path)
         logical_path, display_name = paths if paths else (None, None)
         # In-root loader path (model category dropped): what model loaders consume.
-        loader_path = compute_loader_path(result.ref.file_path)
+        # Persisted at scan/ingest; fall back to computing for rows written
+        # before the column existed.
+        loader_path = result.ref.loader_path
+        if loader_path is None:
+            loader_path = compute_loader_path(result.ref.file_path)
     else:
         logical_path, display_name, loader_path = None, None, None
     asset_content_hash = result.asset.hash if result.asset else None
@@ -176,7 +180,7 @@ def _build_asset_response(result: schemas.AssetDetailResult | schemas.UploadResu
         id=result.ref.id,
         name=result.ref.name,
         hash=asset_content_hash,
-        file_path=loader_path,
+        loader_path=loader_path,
         logical_path=logical_path,
         display_name=display_name,
         asset_hash=asset_content_hash,
diff --git a/app/assets/api/schemas_out.py b/app/assets/api/schemas_out.py
index 7143ce77a..4bede72d7 100644
--- a/app/assets/api/schemas_out.py
+++ b/app/assets/api/schemas_out.py
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ class Asset(BaseModel):
     name: str = Field(
         ...,
         deprecated=True,
-        description="Reference label, often caller-provided or derived from the filename. Deprecated for storage path/display semantics; use `file_path`, `logical_path`, and `display_name` when present.",
+        description="Reference label, often caller-provided or derived from the filename. Deprecated for storage path/display semantics; use `loader_path`, `logical_path`, and `display_name` when present.",
     )
     hash: str | None = None
-    file_path: str | None = Field(
+    loader_path: str | None = Field(
         default=None,
         description="In-root loader path for filesystem-backed assets: the path relative to its storage root with the top-level model category dropped (e.g. `models/checkpoints/foo/bar.safetensors` -> `foo/bar.safetensors`). This is the value model loaders consume. `None` when the file is not within a recognized root or model category.",
     )
diff --git a/app/assets/database/models.py b/app/assets/database/models.py
index 9b61d309a..6cdd903c3 100644
--- a/app/assets/database/models.py
+++ b/app/assets/database/models.py
@@ -76,6 +76,10 @@ class AssetReference(Base):
 
     # Cache state fields (from former AssetCacheState)
     file_path: Mapped[str | None] = mapped_column(Text, nullable=True)
+    # In-root loader path derived from file_path at scan/ingest time (model
+    # category dropped). Persisted so responses read it directly instead of
+    # re-resolving against every registered model-folder base per request.
+    loader_path: Mapped[str | None] = mapped_column(Text, nullable=True)
     mtime_ns: Mapped[int | None] = mapped_column(BigInteger, nullable=True)
     needs_verify: Mapped[bool] = mapped_column(Boolean, nullable=False, default=False)
     is_missing: Mapped[bool] = mapped_column(Boolean, nullable=False, default=False)
diff --git a/app/assets/database/queries/asset_reference.py b/app/assets/database/queries/asset_reference.py
index 792411800..26c75ad93 100644
--- a/app/assets/database/queries/asset_reference.py
+++ b/app/assets/database/queries/asset_reference.py
@@ -650,6 +650,7 @@ def upsert_reference(
     name: str,
     mtime_ns: int,
     owner_id: str = "",
+    loader_path: str | None = None,
 ) -> tuple[bool, bool]:
     """Upsert a reference by file_path. Returns (created, updated).
 
@@ -659,6 +660,7 @@ def upsert_reference(
     vals = {
         "asset_id": asset_id,
         "file_path": file_path,
+        "loader_path": loader_path,
         "name": name,
         "owner_id": owner_id,
         "mtime_ns": int(mtime_ns),
diff --git a/app/assets/services/bulk_ingest.py b/app/assets/services/bulk_ingest.py
index 4036530e6..c98658bf1 100644
--- a/app/assets/services/bulk_ingest.py
+++ b/app/assets/services/bulk_ingest.py
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ class ReferenceRow(TypedDict):
     id: str
     asset_id: str
     file_path: str
+    loader_path: str | None
     mtime_ns: int
     owner_id: str
     name: str
@@ -172,6 +173,8 @@ def batch_insert_seed_assets(
                 "id": reference_id,
                 "asset_id": asset_id,
                 "file_path": absolute_path,
+                # spec["fname"] is compute_loader_path(abs_path) from build_asset_specs.
+                "loader_path": spec["fname"],
                 "mtime_ns": spec["mtime_ns"],
                 "owner_id": owner_id,
                 "name": spec["info_name"],
diff --git a/app/assets/services/ingest.py b/app/assets/services/ingest.py
index e6cc42fe9..6f6508207 100644
--- a/app/assets/services/ingest.py
+++ b/app/assets/services/ingest.py
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ def _ingest_file_from_path(
             name=info_name or os.path.basename(locator),
             mtime_ns=mtime_ns,
             owner_id=owner_id,
+            loader_path=compute_loader_path(locator),
         )
 
         # Get the reference we just created/updated
diff --git a/app/assets/services/schemas.py b/app/assets/services/schemas.py
index 4d2af8a02..0fda6871d 100644
--- a/app/assets/services/schemas.py
+++ b/app/assets/services/schemas.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ class ReferenceData:
     preview_id: str | None
     created_at: datetime
     updated_at: datetime
+    loader_path: str | None = None
     system_metadata: dict[str, Any] | None = None
     job_id: str | None = None
     last_access_time: datetime | None = None
@@ -93,6 +94,7 @@ def extract_reference_data(ref: AssetReference) -> ReferenceData:
         id=ref.id,
         name=ref.name,
         file_path=ref.file_path,
+        loader_path=ref.loader_path,
         user_metadata=ref.user_metadata,
         preview_id=ref.preview_id,
         system_metadata=ref.system_metadata,
diff --git a/openapi.yaml b/openapi.yaml
index 094b2277d..68f59dd62 100644
--- a/openapi.yaml
+++ b/openapi.yaml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ components:
                     description: Blake3 hash of the asset content.
                     pattern: ^blake3:[a-f0-9]{64}$
                     type: string
-                file_path:
+                loader_path:
                     description: 'In-root loader path for filesystem-backed assets: the path relative to its storage root with the top-level model category dropped (e.g. `models/checkpoints/foo/bar.safetensors` -> `foo/bar.safetensors`). This is the value model loaders consume. `None` when the file is not within a recognized root or model category.'
                     nullable: true
                     type: string
diff --git a/tests-unit/assets_test/services/test_bulk_ingest.py b/tests-unit/assets_test/services/test_bulk_ingest.py
index 07cd5510d..c174fce44 100644
--- a/tests-unit/assets_test/services/test_bulk_ingest.py
+++ b/tests-unit/assets_test/services/test_bulk_ingest.py
@@ -191,6 +191,8 @@ class TestBatchInsertSeedAssets:
         refs = session.query(AssetReference).all()
         assert len(refs) == 1
         assert refs[0].file_path == absolute_path
+        # loader_path is persisted from the spec's fname (compute_loader_path).
+        assert refs[0].loader_path == "same-file.safetensors"
         assert set(get_reference_tags(session, reference_id=refs[0].id)) == {
             "models",
             "model_type:checkpoints",
diff --git a/tests-unit/assets_test/test_uploads.py b/tests-unit/assets_test/test_uploads.py
index d428e74ca..f27172f4a 100644
--- a/tests-unit/assets_test/test_uploads.py
+++ b/tests-unit/assets_test/test_uploads.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ def test_upload_ok_duplicate_reference(http: requests.Session, api_base: str, ma
     assert a2["asset_hash"] == a1["asset_hash"]
     assert a2["hash"] == a1["hash"]
     assert a2["id"] != a1["id"]  # new reference with same content
-    assert a2.get("file_path") is None
+    assert a2.get("loader_path") is None
     assert a2.get("display_name") is None
 
     # Third upload with the same data but different name also creates new AssetReference
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ def test_upload_ok_duplicate_reference(http: requests.Session, api_base: str, ma
     assert a3["asset_hash"] == a1["asset_hash"]
     assert a3["id"] != a1["id"]
     assert a3["id"] != a2["id"]
-    assert a3.get("file_path") is None
+    assert a3.get("loader_path") is None
     assert a3.get("display_name") is None
 
 
@@ -102,17 +102,17 @@ def test_upload_fastpath_from_existing_hash_no_file(http: requests.Session, api_
     assert "checkpoints" in b2["tags"]
     assert "uploaded" not in b2["tags"]
     assert not any(tag.startswith("model_type:") for tag in b2["tags"])
-    assert b2.get("file_path") is None
+    assert b2.get("loader_path") is None
     assert b2.get("display_name") is None
 
     rg = http.get(f"{api_base}/api/assets/{b2['id']}", timeout=120)
     detail = rg.json()
     assert rg.status_code == 200, detail
-    assert detail.get("file_path") is None
+    assert detail.get("loader_path") is None
     assert detail.get("display_name") is None
 
 
-def test_create_from_hash_with_model_tags_does_not_synthesize_file_path(
+def test_create_from_hash_with_model_tags_does_not_synthesize_loader_path(
     http: requests.Session, api_base: str
 ):
     seed_name = "from_hash_seed.safetensors"
@@ -137,13 +137,13 @@ def test_create_from_hash_with_model_tags_does_not_synthesize_file_path(
     assert created_r.status_code == 201, created
     assert created["created_new"] is False
     assert created["asset_hash"] == seed["asset_hash"]
-    assert created.get("file_path") is None
+    assert created.get("loader_path") is None
     assert created.get("display_name") is None
 
     detail_r = http.get(f"{api_base}/api/assets/{created['id']}", timeout=120)
     detail = detail_r.json()
     assert detail_r.status_code == 200, detail
-    assert detail.get("file_path") is None
+    assert detail.get("loader_path") is None
     assert detail.get("display_name") is None
 
 
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ def test_duplicate_byte_upload_is_reference_only_and_does_not_need_destination(
     assert "not-a-destination" in duplicate["tags"]
     assert "uploaded" not in duplicate["tags"]
     assert "input" not in duplicate["tags"]
-    assert duplicate.get("file_path") is None
+    assert duplicate.get("loader_path") is None
     assert duplicate.get("display_name") is None
 
 
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ def test_upload_multiple_tags_fields_are_merged(http: requests.Session, api_base
         ),
     ],
 )
-def test_upload_response_includes_file_path_and_display_name(
+def test_upload_response_includes_loader_path_and_display_name(
     tags: list[str],
     extension: str,
     expected_prefix: str,
@@ -273,16 +273,16 @@ def test_upload_response_includes_file_path_and_display_name(
     expected_logical_path = f"{expected_prefix}/{expected_suffix}"
     expected_display_name = f"{expected_display_prefix}{expected_suffix}"
     # In-root loader path: model category dropped, no subfolders here -> just the filename.
-    expected_file_path = expected_suffix
+    expected_loader_path = expected_suffix
 
-    assert created["file_path"] == expected_file_path
+    assert created["loader_path"] == expected_loader_path
     assert created["logical_path"] == expected_logical_path
     assert created["display_name"] == expected_display_name
 
     detail_r = http.get(f"{api_base}/api/assets/{created['id']}", timeout=120)
     detail = detail_r.json()
     assert detail_r.status_code == 200, detail
-    assert detail["file_path"] == expected_file_path
+    assert detail["loader_path"] == expected_loader_path
     assert detail["logical_path"] == expected_logical_path
     assert detail["display_name"] == expected_display_name
 
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ def test_upload_response_includes_file_path_and_display_name(
     listed = list_r.json()
     assert list_r.status_code == 200, listed
     match = next(a for a in listed["assets"] if a["id"] == created["id"])
-    assert match["file_path"] == expected_file_path
+    assert match["loader_path"] == expected_loader_path
     assert match["logical_path"] == expected_logical_path
     assert match["display_name"] == expected_display_name