diff --git a/frontend/application/app/api/media/[...path]/route.ts b/frontend/application/app/api/media/[...path]/route.ts
index e92d452..1f84af8 100644
--- a/frontend/application/app/api/media/[...path]/route.ts
+++ b/frontend/application/app/api/media/[...path]/route.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,24 @@ function getCandidateUrls(filePath: string): string[] {
   return Array.from(set);
 }
 
+function getMimeType(filePath: string, fallback: string): string {
+  const ext = filePath.split('.').pop()?.toLowerCase();
+  switch (ext) {
+    case 'webp': return 'image/webp';
+    case 'jpg':
+    case 'jpeg': return 'image/jpeg';
+    case 'png': return 'image/png';
+    case 'gif': return 'image/gif';
+    case 'svg': return 'image/svg+xml';
+    case 'avif': return 'image/avif';
+    case 'mp4': return 'video/mp4';
+    case 'webm': return 'video/webm';
+    case 'mp3': return 'audio/mpeg';
+    case 'pdf': return 'application/pdf';
+    default: return fallback || 'application/octet-stream';
+  }
+}
+
 export async function GET(
   request: NextRequest,
   { params }: { params: Promise<{ path: string[] }> }
@@ -42,9 +60,11 @@ export async function GET(
       return new NextResponse('Bad Request: Missing file path', { status: 400 });
     }
 
+    const rawFilePath = path.join('/');
     const filePath = path.map(segment => encodeURIComponent(segment)).join('/');
     const candidates = getCandidateUrls(filePath);
 
+    // Forward streaming/caching headers from client
     const forwardedHeaders: HeadersInit = {};
     const rangeHeader = request.headers.get('range');
     if (rangeHeader) forwardedHeaders['range'] = rangeHeader;
@@ -68,7 +88,25 @@ export async function GET(
           break;
         }
       } catch {
-        // Continue
+        // Continue trying next candidate
+      }
+    }
+
+    // If 304 received without body or if not found with conditional headers, retry unconditionally
+    if (backendRes && backendRes.status === 304 && !backendRes.body) {
+      for (const targetUrl of candidates) {
+        try {
+          const freshRes = await fetch(targetUrl, {
+            method: 'GET',
+            cache: 'no-store',
+          });
+          if (freshRes.ok) {
+            backendRes = freshRes;
+            break;
+          }
+        } catch {
+          // Continue
+        }
       }
     }
 
@@ -77,7 +115,8 @@ export async function GET(
     }
 
     const responseHeaders = new Headers();
-    const contentType = backendRes.headers.get('content-type') || 'application/octet-stream';
+    const rawContentType = backendRes.headers.get('content-type') || '';
+    const contentType = getMimeType(rawFilePath, rawContentType);
     responseHeaders.set('Content-Type', contentType);
 
     const contentLength = backendRes.headers.get('content-length');
diff --git a/frontend/application/app/api/uploads/[...path]/route.ts b/frontend/application/app/api/uploads/[...path]/route.ts
index d2f738c..49e64da 100644
--- a/frontend/application/app/api/uploads/[...path]/route.ts
+++ b/frontend/application/app/api/uploads/[...path]/route.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,24 @@ function getCandidateUrls(filePath: string): string[] {
   return Array.from(set);
 }
 
+function getMimeType(filePath: string, fallback: string): string {
+  const ext = filePath.split('.').pop()?.toLowerCase();
+  switch (ext) {
+    case 'webp': return 'image/webp';
+    case 'jpg':
+    case 'jpeg': return 'image/jpeg';
+    case 'png': return 'image/png';
+    case 'gif': return 'image/gif';
+    case 'svg': return 'image/svg+xml';
+    case 'avif': return 'image/avif';
+    case 'mp4': return 'video/mp4';
+    case 'webm': return 'video/webm';
+    case 'mp3': return 'audio/mpeg';
+    case 'pdf': return 'application/pdf';
+    default: return fallback || 'application/octet-stream';
+  }
+}
+
 export async function GET(
   request: NextRequest,
   { params }: { params: Promise<{ path: string[] }> }
@@ -44,6 +62,7 @@ export async function GET(
       return new NextResponse('Bad Request: Missing file path', { status: 400 });
     }
 
+    const rawFilePath = path.join('/');
     const filePath = path.map(segment => encodeURIComponent(segment)).join('/');
     const candidates = getCandidateUrls(filePath);
 
@@ -75,12 +94,31 @@ export async function GET(
       }
     }
 
+    // If 304 received without body or if not found with conditional headers, retry unconditionally
+    if (backendRes && backendRes.status === 304 && !backendRes.body) {
+      for (const targetUrl of candidates) {
+        try {
+          const freshRes = await fetch(targetUrl, {
+            method: 'GET',
+            cache: 'no-store',
+          });
+          if (freshRes.ok) {
+            backendRes = freshRes;
+            break;
+          }
+        } catch {
+          // Continue
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
     if (!backendRes) {
       return new NextResponse('Media file not found upstream', { status: 404 });
     }
 
     const responseHeaders = new Headers();
-    const contentType = backendRes.headers.get('content-type') || 'application/octet-stream';
+    const rawContentType = backendRes.headers.get('content-type') || '';
+    const contentType = getMimeType(rawFilePath, rawContentType);
     responseHeaders.set('Content-Type', contentType);
 
     const contentLength = backendRes.headers.get('content-length');
diff --git a/frontend/application/components/Hero.tsx b/frontend/application/components/Hero.tsx
index ddf36fe..9fa76ce 100644
--- a/frontend/application/components/Hero.tsx
+++ b/frontend/application/components/Hero.tsx
@@ -198,7 +198,6 @@ export default function Hero({ banners = [], onShopNavigate }: { banners?: Banne
                       alt={banner.title || "Canina Pharma Germany"}
                       fill
                       priority={idx === 0}
-                      unoptimized={true}
                       sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, (max-width: 1200px) 50vw, 600px"
                       className="object-cover"
                     />
@@ -211,7 +210,6 @@ export default function Hero({ banners = [], onShopNavigate }: { banners?: Banne
                     alt={activeBanner?.title || "Canina Pharma Germany"}
                     fill
                     priority
-                    unoptimized={true}
                     sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, (max-width: 1200px) 50vw, 600px"
                     className="object-cover"
                   />
diff --git a/frontend/application/components/SafeImage.tsx b/frontend/application/components/SafeImage.tsx
index 7686768..733da6f 100644
--- a/frontend/application/components/SafeImage.tsx
+++ b/frontend/application/components/SafeImage.tsx
@@ -104,12 +104,7 @@ export default function SafeImage({
         unoptimized={
           isBlobOrData ||
           !isAllowedHost ||
-          (typeof src === 'string' && (
-            src.startsWith('/api/uploads/') ||
-            src.startsWith('/api/media/') ||
-            src.startsWith('/uploads/') ||
-            src.toLowerCase().endsWith('.svg')
-          ))
+          (typeof src === 'string' && src.toLowerCase().endsWith('.svg'))
         }
         className={cn(
           "transition-all duration-500 w-full h-full object-contain",