diff --git a/internal/components/gallery/image.go b/internal/components/gallery/image.go
index c249d7a..c834c08 100644
--- a/internal/components/gallery/image.go
+++ b/internal/components/gallery/image.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"git.schreifuchs.ch/schreifuchs/schreifuchs.ch/internal/components/images"
 	"github.com/valkey-io/valkey-go"
 )
 
@@ -22,6 +23,10 @@ type Image struct {
 	Height int
 }
 
+func (i Image) URL() string {
+	return images.URLFromUID(i.UID)
+}
+
 const (
 	imagesKey = "gallery:images:list"
 	hashKey   = "gallery:images:hash"
diff --git a/internal/components/images/helpers.go b/internal/components/images/helpers.go
index 5ee781d..1c58981 100644
--- a/internal/components/images/helpers.go
+++ b/internal/components/images/helpers.go
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ func UIDFromPath(path string) (uid string, err error) {
 
 func URLFromPath(path string) (url string, err error) {
 	uid, err := UIDFromPath(path)
+	url = URLFromUID(uid)
+	return
+}
+
+func URLFromUID(uid string) (url string) {
 	url = "/images/" + uid
 	return
 }
diff --git a/internal/handlers/restgallery/controller.go b/internal/handlers/restgallery/controller.go
index cf8c466..7ec0f27 100644
--- a/internal/handlers/restgallery/controller.go
+++ b/internal/handlers/restgallery/controller.go
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 package restgallery
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"log/slog"
 	"net/http"
 
+	"git.schreifuchs.ch/schreifuchs/schreifuchs.ch/internal/pkg/templer"
 	"git.schreifuchs.ch/schreifuchs/schreifuchs.ch/web/pages"
 )
 
+const preloadCount = 6
+
 func (h *Handler) gallery(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	imgs, err := h.srv.GetGallerySet(r.Context())
 	if err != nil {
@@ -14,5 +18,14 @@ func (h *Handler) gallery(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
 		return
 	}
-	h.r.Render(r.Context(), w, r, pages.GallerySet(imgs))
+	ctx := r.Context()
+	for i, image := range imgs.LG.Images {
+		if i > preloadCount {
+			break
+		}
+		slog.Info("preloading images", "img", image.UID)
+		ctx = templer.AppendHeader(ctx, fmt.Sprintf(`<link rel="preload" href="%s" as="image" />`, image.URL()))
+	}
+
+	h.r.Render(ctx, w, r, pages.GallerySet(imgs))
 }