diff --git a/mobile/lib/providers/asset.provider.dart b/mobile/lib/providers/asset.provider.dart
index a0a3879db5..13b4ad4084 100644
--- a/mobile/lib/providers/asset.provider.dart
+++ b/mobile/lib/providers/asset.provider.dart
@@ -50,8 +50,19 @@ class AssetNotifier extends StateNotifier<bool> {
         await clearAssetsAndAlbums(_db);
         log.info("Manual refresh requested, cleared assets and albums from db");
       }
+
       final bool changedUsers = await _userService.refreshUsers();
+
+      final assetCount = await _db.assets.count();
+
+      if (assetCount == 0) {
+        debugPrint("First sync, refreshing all assets");
+        await _assetService.refreshRemoteAssets(firstSync: true);
+        debugPrint("First sync, DONE refreshing all assets");
+      }
+      debugPrint("First sync, CONTINUE refreshing all assets");
       final bool newRemote = await _assetService.refreshRemoteAssets();
+
       final bool newLocal = await _albumService.refreshDeviceAlbums();
       debugPrint(
         "changedUsers: $changedUsers, newRemote: $newRemote, newLocal: $newLocal",
diff --git a/mobile/lib/services/asset.service.dart b/mobile/lib/services/asset.service.dart
index 5751c00b47..de38ac200e 100644
--- a/mobile/lib/services/asset.service.dart
+++ b/mobile/lib/services/asset.service.dart
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class AssetService {
 
   /// Checks the server for updated assets and updates the local database if
   /// required. Returns `true` if there were any changes.
-  Future<bool> refreshRemoteAssets() async {
+  Future<bool> refreshRemoteAssets({bool firstSync = false}) async {
     final syncedUserIds = await _db.eTags.where().idProperty().findAll();
     final List<User> syncedUsers = syncedUserIds.isEmpty
         ? []
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ class AssetService {
       getChangedAssets: _getRemoteAssetChanges,
       loadAssets: _getRemoteAssets,
       refreshUsers: _userService.getUsersFromServer,
+      firstSync: firstSync,
     );
     debugPrint("refreshRemoteAssets full took ${sw.elapsedMilliseconds}ms");
     return changes;
@@ -97,8 +98,12 @@ class AssetService {
   }
 
   /// Returns `null` if the server state did not change, else list of assets
-  Future<List<Asset>?> _getRemoteAssets(User user, DateTime until) async {
-    const int chunkSize = 10000;
+  Future<List<Asset>?> _getRemoteAssets(
+    User user,
+    DateTime until,
+    bool firstSync,
+  ) async {
+    int chunkSize = firstSync ? 1000 : 10000;
     try {
       final List<Asset> allAssets = [];
       String? lastId;
@@ -120,6 +125,11 @@ class AssetService {
         allAssets.addAll(assets.map(Asset.remote));
         if (assets.length != chunkSize) break;
         lastId = assets.last.id;
+
+        if (firstSync) {
+          // first sync only loads the first chunk
+          break;
+        }
       }
       return allAssets;
     } catch (error, stack) {
diff --git a/mobile/lib/services/sync.service.dart b/mobile/lib/services/sync.service.dart
index 8ec56e925f..326d626ad8 100644
--- a/mobile/lib/services/sync.service.dart
+++ b/mobile/lib/services/sync.service.dart
@@ -46,14 +46,18 @@ class SyncService {
       List<User> users,
       DateTime since,
     ) getChangedAssets,
-    required FutureOr<List<Asset>?> Function(User user, DateTime until)
-        loadAssets,
+    required FutureOr<List<Asset>?> Function(
+      User user,
+      DateTime until,
+      bool firstSync,
+    ) loadAssets,
     required FutureOr<List<User>?> Function() refreshUsers,
+    required bool firstSync,
   }) =>
       _lock.run(
         () async =>
             await _syncRemoteAssetChanges(users, getChangedAssets) ??
-            await _syncRemoteAssetsFull(refreshUsers, loadAssets),
+            await _syncRemoteAssetsFull(refreshUsers, loadAssets, firstSync),
       );
 
   /// Syncs remote albums to the database
@@ -212,7 +216,9 @@ class SyncService {
   /// Syncs assets by loading and comparing all assets from the server.
   Future<bool> _syncRemoteAssetsFull(
     FutureOr<List<User>?> Function() refreshUsers,
-    FutureOr<List<Asset>?> Function(User user, DateTime until) loadAssets,
+    FutureOr<List<Asset>?> Function(User user, DateTime until, bool firstSync)
+        loadAssets,
+    bool firstSync,
   ) async {
     final serverUsers = await refreshUsers();
     if (serverUsers == null) {
@@ -228,17 +234,19 @@ class SyncService {
         .findAll();
     bool changes = false;
     for (User u in users) {
-      changes |= await _syncRemoteAssetsForUser(u, loadAssets);
+      changes |= await _syncRemoteAssetsForUser(u, loadAssets, firstSync);
     }
     return changes;
   }
 
   Future<bool> _syncRemoteAssetsForUser(
     User user,
-    FutureOr<List<Asset>?> Function(User user, DateTime until) loadAssets,
+    FutureOr<List<Asset>?> Function(User user, DateTime until, bool firstSync)
+        loadAssets,
+    bool firstSync,
   ) async {
     final DateTime now = DateTime.now().toUtc();
-    final List<Asset>? remote = await loadAssets(user, now);
+    final List<Asset>? remote = await loadAssets(user, now, firstSync);
     if (remote == null) {
       return false;
     }
diff --git a/mobile/test/modules/shared/sync_service_test.dart b/mobile/test/modules/shared/sync_service_test.dart
index 24f0c443ba..a910e17e82 100644
--- a/mobile/test/modules/shared/sync_service_test.dart
+++ b/mobile/test/modules/shared/sync_service_test.dart
@@ -78,8 +78,9 @@ void main() {
       final bool c1 = await s.syncRemoteAssetsToDb(
         users: [owner],
         getChangedAssets: _failDiff,
-        loadAssets: (u, d) => remoteAssets,
+        loadAssets: (u, d, firstSync) => remoteAssets,
         refreshUsers: () => [owner],
+        firstSync: false,
       );
       expect(c1, isFalse);
       expect(db.assets.countSync(), 5);
@@ -99,8 +100,9 @@ void main() {
       final bool c1 = await s.syncRemoteAssetsToDb(
         users: [owner],
         getChangedAssets: _failDiff,
-        loadAssets: (u, d) => remoteAssets,
+        loadAssets: (u, d, firstSync) => remoteAssets,
         refreshUsers: () => [owner],
+        firstSync: false,
       );
       expect(c1, isTrue);
       expect(db.assets.countSync(), 7);
@@ -120,16 +122,18 @@ void main() {
       final bool c1 = await s.syncRemoteAssetsToDb(
         users: [owner],
         getChangedAssets: _failDiff,
-        loadAssets: (u, d) => remoteAssets,
+        loadAssets: (u, d, firstSync) => remoteAssets,
         refreshUsers: () => [owner],
+        firstSync: false,
       );
       expect(c1, isTrue);
       expect(db.assets.countSync(), 8);
       final bool c2 = await s.syncRemoteAssetsToDb(
         users: [owner],
         getChangedAssets: _failDiff,
-        loadAssets: (u, d) => remoteAssets,
+        loadAssets: (u, d, firstSync) => remoteAssets,
         refreshUsers: () => [owner],
+        firstSync: false,
       );
       expect(c2, isFalse);
       expect(db.assets.countSync(), 8);
@@ -137,8 +141,9 @@ void main() {
       final bool c3 = await s.syncRemoteAssetsToDb(
         users: [owner],
         getChangedAssets: _failDiff,
-        loadAssets: (u, d) => remoteAssets,
+        loadAssets: (u, d, firstSync) => remoteAssets,
         refreshUsers: () => [owner],
+        firstSync: false,
       );
       expect(c3, isTrue);
       expect(db.assets.countSync(), 7);
@@ -147,8 +152,9 @@ void main() {
       final bool c4 = await s.syncRemoteAssetsToDb(
         users: [owner],
         getChangedAssets: _failDiff,
-        loadAssets: (u, d) => remoteAssets,
+        loadAssets: (u, d, firstSync) => remoteAssets,
         refreshUsers: () => [owner],
+        firstSync: false,
       );
       expect(c4, isTrue);
       expect(db.assets.countSync(), 9);
@@ -166,8 +172,9 @@ void main() {
       final bool c = await s.syncRemoteAssetsToDb(
         users: [owner],
         getChangedAssets: (user, since) async => (toUpsert, toDelete),
-        loadAssets: (user, date) => throw Exception(),
+        loadAssets: (user, date, firstSync) => throw Exception(),
         refreshUsers: () => throw Exception(),
+        firstSync: false,
       );
       expect(c, isTrue);
       expect(db.assets.countSync(), 6);