diff --git a/pkg/modules/avatar/upload/upload.go b/pkg/modules/avatar/upload/upload.go
index 97f53d5bd..79996a346 100644
--- a/pkg/modules/avatar/upload/upload.go
+++ b/pkg/modules/avatar/upload/upload.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package upload
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/base64"
+	"encoding/gob"
 	"fmt"
 	"image"
 	"image/png"
@@ -34,6 +35,10 @@ import (
 	"xorm.io/xorm"
 )
 
+func init() {
+	gob.Register(CachedAvatar{})
+}
+
 // Provider represents the upload avatar provider
 type Provider struct {
 }
@@ -53,76 +58,48 @@ type CachedAvatar struct {
 
 // GetAvatar returns an uploaded user avatar
 func (p *Provider) GetAvatar(u *user.User, size int64) (avatar []byte, mimeType string, err error) {
-	return p.getAvatarWithDepth(u, size, 0)
-}
-
-func (p *Provider) getAvatarWithDepth(u *user.User, size int64, recursionDepth int) (avatar []byte, mimeType string, err error) {
-	// Prevent infinite recursion - max 3 attempts
-	if recursionDepth >= 3 {
-		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("maximum recursion depth reached while generating avatar for user %d, size %d", u.ID, size)
-	}
-
 	cacheKey := CacheKeyPrefix + strconv.Itoa(int(u.ID)) + "_" + strconv.FormatInt(size, 10)
 
-	result, err := keyvalue.Remember(cacheKey, func() (any, error) {
+	cachedAvatar, err := keyvalue.RememberValue(cacheKey, func() (CachedAvatar, error) {
 		log.Debugf("Uploaded avatar for user %d and size %d not cached, resizing and caching.", u.ID, size)
 
-		// Check if user has an avatar file ID
 		if u.AvatarFileID == 0 {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("user %d has no avatar file", u.ID)
+			return CachedAvatar{}, fmt.Errorf("user %d has no avatar file", u.ID)
 		}
 
-		// If we get this far, the avatar is either not cached at all or not in this size
 		f := &files.File{ID: u.AvatarFileID}
 		if err := f.LoadFileByID(); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+			return CachedAvatar{}, err
 		}
 
 		if err := f.LoadFileMetaByID(); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+			return CachedAvatar{}, err
 		}
 
 		img, _, err := image.Decode(f.File)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+			return CachedAvatar{}, err
 		}
 		resizedImg := imaging.Resize(img, 0, int(size), imaging.Lanczos)
 		buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
 		if err := png.Encode(buf, resizedImg); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+			return CachedAvatar{}, err
 		}
 
-		avatar, err = io.ReadAll(buf)
+		avatarBytes, err := io.ReadAll(buf)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+			return CachedAvatar{}, err
 		}
 
-		// Always use image/png for resized avatars since we're encoding with png
-		mimeType = "image/png"
 		return CachedAvatar{
-			Content:  avatar,
-			MimeType: mimeType,
+			Content:  avatarBytes,
+			MimeType: "image/png",
 		}, nil
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, "", err
 	}
 
-	// Safe type assertion to handle cases where cached data might be corrupted or in legacy format
-	cachedAvatar, ok := result.(CachedAvatar)
-	if !ok {
-		// Log the type mismatch with the actual stored value for debugging
-		log.Errorf("Invalid cached avatar type for user %d, size %d. Expected CachedAvatar, got %T with value: %+v. Clearing cache and regenerating.", u.ID, size, result, result)
-
-		// Clear the invalid cache entry
-		if err := keyvalue.Del(cacheKey); err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("Failed to clear invalid cache entry for key %s: %v", cacheKey, err)
-		}
-
-		// Regenerate the avatar by calling the function again (without the corrupted cache)
-		return p.getAvatarWithDepth(u, size, recursionDepth+1)
-	}
-
 	return cachedAvatar.Content, cachedAvatar.MimeType, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/modules/background/unsplash/unsplash.go b/pkg/modules/background/unsplash/unsplash.go
index b9b5482c3..afeed3496 100644
--- a/pkg/modules/background/unsplash/unsplash.go
+++ b/pkg/modules/background/unsplash/unsplash.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package unsplash
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
+	"encoding/gob"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -41,6 +42,10 @@ import (
 	"code.vikunja.io/api/pkg/web"
 )
 
+func init() {
+	gob.Register(Photo{})
+}
+
 const (
 	unsplashAPIURL = `https://api.unsplash.com/`
 	cachePrefix    = `unsplash_photo_`
@@ -126,7 +131,7 @@ func getImageID(fullURL string) string {
 
 // Gets an unsplash photo either from cache or directly from the unsplash api
 func getUnsplashPhotoInfoByID(photoID string) (photo *Photo, err error) {
-	result, err := keyvalue.Remember(cachePrefix+photoID, func() (any, error) {
+	p, err := keyvalue.RememberValue(cachePrefix+photoID, func() (Photo, error) {
 		log.Debugf("Image information for unsplash photo %s not cached, requesting from unsplash...", photoID)
 		photo := &Photo{}
 		err := doGet("photos/"+photoID, photo)
@@ -136,8 +141,6 @@ func getUnsplashPhotoInfoByID(photoID string) (photo *Photo, err error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	p := result.(Photo)
-
 	return &p, nil
 }