diff --git a/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/gallery/components/NewGallery.tsx b/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/gallery/components/NewGallery.tsx
index 9f6807d278..985a8a6427 100644
--- a/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/gallery/components/NewGallery.tsx
+++ b/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/gallery/components/NewGallery.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import { Box, Flex, forwardRef, Grid, GridItem, Image, Skeleton, Spinner, Text } from '@invoke-ai/ui-library';
+import { skipToken } from '@reduxjs/toolkit/query';
 import { useAppSelector } from 'app/store/storeHooks';
 import { selectImageCollectionQueryArgs } from 'features/gallery/store/gallerySelectors';
-import React, { memo, useCallback, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
+import { memo, useCallback, useMemo } from 'react';
 import { VirtuosoGrid } from 'react-virtuoso';
 import { useGetImageCollectionCountsQuery, useGetImageCollectionQuery } from 'services/api/endpoints/images';
 import type { ImageDTO } from 'services/api/types';
@@ -18,264 +19,113 @@ const ImageSkeleton = memo(() => <Skeleton w="full" h="full" />);
 
 ImageSkeleton.displayName = 'ImageSkeleton';
 
-// Hook to manage image data for virtual scrolling
+// Hook to manage position calculations and image access
 const useVirtualImageData = () => {
   const queryArgs = useAppSelector(selectImageCollectionQueryArgs);
 
   // Get total counts for position mapping
   const { data: counts, isLoading: countsLoading } = useGetImageCollectionCountsQuery(queryArgs);
 
-  // Cache for loaded image ranges
-  const [loadedRanges, setLoadedRanges] = useState<Map<string, ImageDTO[]>>(new Map());
-
   // Calculate position mappings
   const positionInfo = useMemo(() => {
     if (!counts) {
       return null;
     }
 
-    const result = {
+    return {
       totalCount: counts.total_count,
       starredCount: counts.starred_count ?? 0,
       unstarredCount: counts.unstarred_count ?? 0,
       starredEnd: (counts.starred_count ?? 0) - 1,
     };
-
-    return result;
   }, [counts]);
 
-  // Clear cache when search parameters change
-  React.useEffect(() => {
-    setLoadedRanges(new Map());
-  }, [queryArgs.board_id, queryArgs.search_term, queryArgs.categories]);
-
-  // Return flag to indicate when search parameters have changed
-  const searchParamsChanged = useMemo(() => queryArgs, [queryArgs]);
-
-  // Function to generate cache key for a range
-  const getRangeKey = useCallback((collection: 'starred' | 'unstarred', offset: number, limit: number) => {
-    return `${collection}-${offset}-${limit}`;
-  }, []);
-
-  // Function to get images for a specific position range
-  const getImagesForRange = useCallback(
-    (startIndex: number, endIndex: number) => {
+  // Function to get query params for a specific position
+  const getQueryParamsForPosition = useCallback(
+    (index: number) => {
       if (!positionInfo) {
-        return [];
+        return null;
       }
 
-      const requestedImages: (ImageDTO | null)[] = new Array(endIndex - startIndex + 1).fill(null);
-      const rangesToLoad: Array<{
-        collection: 'starred' | 'unstarred';
-        offset: number;
-        limit: number;
-        targetStartIndex: number;
-      }> = [];
-
-      for (let i = startIndex; i <= endIndex; i++) {
-        const relativeIndex = i - startIndex;
-
-        // Handle case where there are no starred images
-        if (positionInfo.starredCount === 0 || i >= positionInfo.starredCount) {
-          // This position is in the unstarred collection
-          const unstarredOffset = i - positionInfo.starredCount;
-          const rangeKey = getRangeKey('unstarred', Math.floor(unstarredOffset / 50) * 50, 50);
-          const cachedRange = loadedRanges.get(rangeKey);
-
-          if (cachedRange) {
-            const imageIndex = unstarredOffset % 50;
-            if (imageIndex < cachedRange.length) {
-              requestedImages[relativeIndex] = cachedRange[imageIndex] ?? null;
-            }
-          } else {
-            // Need to load this range
-            const rangeOffset = Math.floor(unstarredOffset / 50) * 50;
-            rangesToLoad.push({
-              collection: 'unstarred',
-              offset: rangeOffset,
-              limit: 50,
-              targetStartIndex: i,
-            });
-          }
-        } else {
-          // This position is in the starred collection
-          const starredOffset = i;
-          const rangeKey = getRangeKey('starred', Math.floor(starredOffset / 50) * 50, 50);
-          const cachedRange = loadedRanges.get(rangeKey);
-
-          if (cachedRange) {
-            const imageIndex = starredOffset % 50;
-            if (imageIndex < cachedRange.length) {
-              requestedImages[relativeIndex] = cachedRange[imageIndex] ?? null;
-            }
-          } else {
-            // Need to load this range
-            const rangeOffset = Math.floor(starredOffset / 50) * 50;
-            rangesToLoad.push({
-              collection: 'starred',
-              offset: rangeOffset,
-              limit: 50,
-              targetStartIndex: i,
-            });
-          }
-        }
+      if (positionInfo.starredCount === 0 || index >= positionInfo.starredCount) {
+        // This position is in the unstarred collection
+        const unstarredOffset = index - positionInfo.starredCount;
+        const rangeOffset = Math.floor(unstarredOffset / 50) * 50;
+        return {
+          collection: 'unstarred' as const,
+          offset: rangeOffset,
+          limit: 50,
+          imageIndex: unstarredOffset % 50,
+        };
+      } else {
+        // This position is in the starred collection
+        const rangeOffset = Math.floor(index / 50) * 50;
+        return {
+          collection: 'starred' as const,
+          offset: rangeOffset,
+          limit: 50,
+          imageIndex: index % 50,
+        };
       }
-
-      return { images: requestedImages, rangesToLoad };
     },
-    [positionInfo, loadedRanges, getRangeKey]
+    [positionInfo]
   );
 
   return {
     positionInfo,
     countsLoading,
-    getImagesForRange,
-    setLoadedRanges,
-    loadedRanges,
-    searchParamsChanged,
+    getQueryParamsForPosition,
+    queryArgs,
   };
 };
 
-// Component to handle loading image ranges
-const ImageRangeLoader = memo(
-  ({
-    collection,
-    offset,
-    limit,
-    onDataLoaded,
-  }: {
-    collection: 'starred' | 'unstarred';
-    offset: number;
-    limit: number;
-    onDataLoaded: (key: string, images: ImageDTO[]) => void;
-  }) => {
-    const queryArgs = useAppSelector(selectImageCollectionQueryArgs);
+// Hook to get image data for a specific position using RTK Query cache
+const useImageAtPosition = (index: number) => {
+  const { getQueryParamsForPosition, queryArgs } = useVirtualImageData();
 
-    const { data } = useGetImageCollectionQuery({
-      collection,
-      offset,
-      limit,
-      ...queryArgs,
-    });
+  const queryParams = getQueryParamsForPosition(index);
 
-    // Update cache when data is loaded - use useEffect to avoid state update during render
-    React.useEffect(() => {
-      if (data?.items) {
-        const key = `${collection}-${offset}-${limit}`;
-        onDataLoaded(key, data.items);
-      }
-    }, [data, collection, offset, limit, onDataLoaded]);
+  const { data } = useGetImageCollectionQuery(
+    queryParams
+      ? {
+          collection: queryParams.collection,
+          offset: queryParams.offset,
+          limit: queryParams.limit,
+          ...queryArgs,
+        }
+      : skipToken
+  );
 
+  if (!queryParams || !data?.items) {
     return null;
   }
-);
 
-ImageRangeLoader.displayName = 'ImageRangeLoader';
+  return data.items[queryParams.imageIndex] || null;
+};
+
+// Component to render a single image at a position
+const ImageAtPosition = memo(({ index }: { index: number }) => {
+  const image = useImageAtPosition(index);
+
+  if (image) {
+    return <ImagePlaceholder image={image} />;
+  }
+
+  return <ImageSkeleton />;
+});
+
+ImageAtPosition.displayName = 'ImageAtPosition';
 
 export const NewGallery = memo(() => {
-  const { positionInfo, countsLoading, getImagesForRange, setLoadedRanges, searchParamsChanged } =
-    useVirtualImageData();
-  const [activeRangeLoaders, setActiveRangeLoaders] = useState<Set<string>>(new Set());
-
-  // Force initial range loading when position info becomes available
-  const [hasInitiallyLoaded, setHasInitiallyLoaded] = useState(false);
-
-  // Reset hasInitiallyLoaded when search parameters change
-  React.useEffect(() => {
-    setHasInitiallyLoaded(false);
-    setActiveRangeLoaders(new Set());
-  }, [searchParamsChanged]);
-
-  // Use useEffect for initial load to avoid state updates during render
-  React.useEffect(() => {
-    if (positionInfo && !hasInitiallyLoaded) {
-      // Force initial load of first 100 positions to ensure we see both starred and unstarred
-      const initialResult = getImagesForRange(0, Math.min(99, positionInfo.totalCount - 1));
-      if (!Array.isArray(initialResult)) {
-        const { rangesToLoad } = initialResult;
-        rangesToLoad.forEach((rangeInfo) => {
-          const key = `${rangeInfo.collection}-${rangeInfo.offset}-${rangeInfo.limit}`;
-          if (!activeRangeLoaders.has(key)) {
-            setActiveRangeLoaders((prev) => new Set(prev).add(key));
-          }
-        });
-      }
-      setHasInitiallyLoaded(true);
-    }
-  }, [positionInfo, hasInitiallyLoaded, getImagesForRange, activeRangeLoaders]);
-
-  // Handle range changes from virtuoso
-  const handleRangeChanged = useCallback(
-    (range: { startIndex: number; endIndex: number }) => {
-      if (!positionInfo) {
-        return;
-      }
-
-      const result = getImagesForRange(range.startIndex, range.endIndex);
-      if (!Array.isArray(result)) {
-        const { rangesToLoad } = result;
-
-        // Start loading any missing ranges
-        rangesToLoad.forEach((rangeInfo) => {
-          const key = `${rangeInfo.collection}-${rangeInfo.offset}-${rangeInfo.limit}`;
-          if (!activeRangeLoaders.has(key)) {
-            setActiveRangeLoaders((prev) => new Set(prev).add(key));
-          }
-        });
-      }
-    },
-    [positionInfo, getImagesForRange, activeRangeLoaders]
-  );
-
-  // Handle when range data is loaded
-  const handleDataLoaded = useCallback(
-    (key: string, images: ImageDTO[]) => {
-      setLoadedRanges((prev) => new Map(prev).set(key, images));
-      setActiveRangeLoaders((prev) => {
-        const next = new Set(prev);
-        next.delete(key);
-        return next;
-      });
-    },
-    [setLoadedRanges]
-  );
-
-  const computeItemKey = useCallback(
-    (index: number) => {
-      const result = getImagesForRange(index, index);
-      if (Array.isArray(result)) {
-        return `loading-${index}`;
-      }
-      const { images } = result;
-      const image = images[0];
-      return image ? `image-${index}-${image.image_name}` : `skeleton-${index}`;
-    },
-    [getImagesForRange]
-  );
+  const { positionInfo, countsLoading } = useVirtualImageData();
 
   // Render item at specific index
-  const itemContent = useCallback(
-    (index: number) => {
-      if (!positionInfo) {
-        return <ImageSkeleton />;
-      }
+  const itemContent = useCallback((index: number) => {
+    return <ImageAtPosition index={index} />;
+  }, []);
 
-      const result = getImagesForRange(index, index);
-      if (Array.isArray(result)) {
-        return <ImageSkeleton />;
-      }
-
-      const { images } = result;
-      const image = images[0];
-
-      if (image) {
-        return <ImagePlaceholder image={image} />;
-      }
-
-      return <ImageSkeleton />;
-    },
-    [positionInfo, getImagesForRange]
-  );
+  // Compute item key using position index - let RTK Query handle the caching
+  const computeItemKey = useCallback((index: number) => `position-${index}`, []);
 
   if (countsLoading) {
     return (
@@ -296,25 +146,10 @@ export const NewGallery = memo(() => {
 
   return (
     <Box height="100%" width="100%">
-      {/* Render active range loaders */}
-      {Array.from(activeRangeLoaders).map((key) => {
-        const [collection, offset, limit] = key.split('-');
-        return (
-          <ImageRangeLoader
-            key={key}
-            collection={collection as 'starred' | 'unstarred'}
-            offset={parseInt(offset ?? '0', 10)}
-            limit={parseInt(limit ?? '50', 10)}
-            onDataLoaded={handleDataLoaded}
-          />
-        );
-      })}
-
       {/* Virtualized grid */}
       <VirtuosoGrid
         totalCount={positionInfo.totalCount}
         overscan={200}
-        rangeChanged={handleRangeChanged}
         itemContent={itemContent}
         style={style}
         computeItemKey={computeItemKey}