diff --git a/backend/migrations/20260225100000_asset_covering_index.down.sql b/backend/migrations/20260225100000_asset_covering_index.down.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..12f1b56303
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/migrations/20260225100000_asset_covering_index.down.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+DROP INDEX IF EXISTS idx_asset_ws_path_kind_recent;
+
+-- Restore the dropped indexes
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_asset_workspace_created_id ON asset (workspace_id, created_at DESC, id DESC);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_asset_kind_path ON asset (workspace_id, kind, path);
diff --git a/backend/migrations/20260225100000_asset_covering_index.up.sql b/backend/migrations/20260225100000_asset_covering_index.up.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cfa388de87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/migrations/20260225100000_asset_covering_index.up.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+-- Covering index for the list_assets CTE: GROUP BY (path, kind) + MAX(created_at, id) + ORDER BY
+-- Includes usage_kind and usage_path to allow full index-only scan (avoiding heap lookups for filter conditions)
+CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY IF NOT EXISTS idx_asset_ws_path_kind_recent
+    ON asset (workspace_id, path, kind, created_at DESC, id DESC)
+    INCLUDE (usage_kind, usage_path);
+
+-- Drop indexes now subsumed by idx_asset_ws_path_kind_recent:
+-- idx_asset_workspace_created_id (workspace_id, created_at DESC, id DESC) - only used by list_assets CTE
+-- idx_asset_kind_path (workspace_id, kind, path) - only used by list_assets CTE/outer join, covered by new index + PK
+DROP INDEX CONCURRENTLY IF EXISTS idx_asset_workspace_created_id;
+DROP INDEX CONCURRENTLY IF EXISTS idx_asset_kind_path;
diff --git a/backend/windmill-api-assets/src/lib.rs b/backend/windmill-api-assets/src/lib.rs
index 48817cfdd1..d1dfde41e0 100644
--- a/backend/windmill-api-assets/src/lib.rs
+++ b/backend/windmill-api-assets/src/lib.rs
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ async fn list_assets(
         format!(
             r#"FROM asset
             LEFT JOIN v2_job job_cte ON asset.usage_kind = 'job'
-              AND asset.usage_path = job_cte.id::text
+              AND job_cte.id = CASE WHEN asset.usage_kind = 'job' THEN asset.usage_path::uuid END
               AND job_cte.workspace_id = $1"#
         )
     } else {
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ async fn list_assets(
           ) = resource.path
           AND resource.workspace_id = $1
         LEFT JOIN v2_job job ON asset.usage_kind = 'job'
-          AND asset.usage_path = job.id::text
+          AND job.id = CASE WHEN asset.usage_kind = 'job' THEN asset.usage_path::uuid END
           AND job.workspace_id = $1
         WHERE asset.workspace_id = $1
           AND (asset.kind <> 'resource' OR resource.path IS NOT NULL)