diff --git a/services/nginx/app/cron/Cron.php b/services/nginx/app/cron/Cron.php
index 8ac8497a..bc39b532 100644
--- a/services/nginx/app/cron/Cron.php
+++ b/services/nginx/app/cron/Cron.php
@@ -971,15 +971,7 @@ function renderDynamicImageVariant(int $dynamicImageId, ?array $buttons, int $cu
             $image->resizeToMaxWidth(DYNAMIC_IMAGE_RELEVANT_MAX_WIDTH);
         }
 
-        $dataUri = $image->exportAsBase64('png');
-        if (!preg_match('/^data:image\/png;base64,(.*)$/', $dataUri, $matches)) {
-            return null;
-        }
-        $imageData = base64_decode($matches[1], true);
-        if ($imageData === false) {
-            return null;
-        }
-        return $imageData;
+        return $image->exportBinary('png');
     } catch (Throwable $e) {
         warn('PreRenderDynamicImagesCron: render failed for dynamic_image_id=' . $dynamicImageId . ': ' . $e->getMessage());
         return null;
diff --git a/services/nginx/app/modules/dynamicimages/interfaces/dynamicimages_image_i.php b/services/nginx/app/modules/dynamicimages/interfaces/dynamicimages_image_i.php
index 1cd2816b..7dd8562e 100644
--- a/services/nginx/app/modules/dynamicimages/interfaces/dynamicimages_image_i.php
+++ b/services/nginx/app/modules/dynamicimages/interfaces/dynamicimages_image_i.php
@@ -86,6 +86,14 @@ interface dynamicimages_image_i
      */
     public function exportAsBase64(?string $format = null, int $quality = 90): string;
 
+    /**
+     * Export the composed image as binary image data.
+     * @param string|null $format Optional target format (e.g. 'png', 'jpeg')
+     * @param int $quality Quality for lossy formats (0-100)
+     * @return string binary image data
+     */
+    public function exportBinary(?string $format = null, int $quality = 90): string;
+
     /**
      * Directly serve the composed image to the client with proper headers.
      * Convenience wrapper for outputting binary image data.
@@ -94,4 +102,4 @@ interface dynamicimages_image_i
      * @param int $quality Quality for lossy formats (0-100)
      */
     public function servePicture(?string $format = null, int $quality = 90): void;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/services/nginx/app/modules/dynamicimages/traits/dynamicimages_image_t.php b/services/nginx/app/modules/dynamicimages/traits/dynamicimages_image_t.php
index 725b1b7a..c30a9662 100644
--- a/services/nginx/app/modules/dynamicimages/traits/dynamicimages_image_t.php
+++ b/services/nginx/app/modules/dynamicimages/traits/dynamicimages_image_t.php
@@ -321,20 +321,8 @@ trait dynamicimages_image_t
      */
     public function exportAsBase64(?string $format = null, int $quality = 90): string
     {
-        // If a canvas is initialized, export that as PNG by default
         if ($this->image instanceof \Imagick) {
-            $img = clone $this->image;
-            $img->setImageFormat('png');
-            // Quality influences compression for PNG differently; keep as hint
-            if ($format !== null && strtolower($format) !== 'png') {
-                // For now we only support PNG for composed images as requested
-            }
-            // Strip metadata to reduce size
-            $img->stripImage();
-            $blob = $img->getImageBlob();
-            $img->clear();
-            $img->destroy();
-            return 'data:image/png;base64,' . base64_encode($blob);
+            return 'data:image/png;base64,' . base64_encode($this->exportBinary($format, $quality));
         }
 
         // Fallback: export first asset as-is
@@ -355,6 +343,40 @@ trait dynamicimages_image_t
         return 'data:' . $mime . ';base64,' . base64_encode($data);
     }
 
+    public function exportBinary(?string $format = null, int $quality = 90): string
+    {
+        // If a canvas is initialized, export that as PNG by default
+        if ($this->image instanceof \Imagick) {
+            $img = clone $this->image;
+            $img->setImageFormat('png');
+            // Quality influences compression for PNG differently; keep as hint
+            if ($format !== null && strtolower($format) !== 'png') {
+                // For now we only support PNG for composed images as requested
+            }
+            // Strip metadata to reduce size
+            $img->stripImage();
+            $blob = $img->getImageBlob();
+            $img->clear();
+            $img->destroy();
+            return $blob;
+        }
+
+        // Fallback: export first asset as-is
+        if (empty($this->assets)) {
+            throw new \RuntimeException('No assets available to export.');
+        }
+        $asset = $this->assets[0];
+        $path = $asset->getPath();
+        if (!is_readable($path)) {
+            throw new \RuntimeException('Asset is not readable: ' . $path);
+        }
+        $data = file_get_contents($path);
+        if ($data === false) {
+            throw new \RuntimeException('Failed to read asset: ' . $path);
+        }
+        return $data;
+    }
+
     public function getAsset(string $asset_name): ?dynamicimages_asset
     {
         foreach ($this->assets as $asset) {
@@ -371,22 +393,18 @@ trait dynamicimages_image_t
      */
     public function outputImage(?string $format = null, int $quality = 90): void
     {
-        $dataUri = $this->exportAsBase64($format, $quality);
-        // Extract mime type and base64 data
-        if (preg_match('/^data:(image\/[a-zA-Z0-9+.-]+);base64,(.*)$/', $dataUri, $matches)) {
-            $mimeType = $matches[1];
-            $base64Data = $matches[2];
-            // Decode base64 data
-            $imageData = base64_decode($base64Data);
-            if ($imageData !== false) {
-                // Send appropriate headers
-                header('Content-Type: ' . $mimeType);
-                header('Content-Length: ' . strlen($imageData));
-                // Output the image data
-                echo $imageData;
-                exit;
-            }
+        $mimeType = 'image/png';
+        if (!$this->image instanceof \Imagick && !empty($this->assets)) {
+            $asset = $this->assets[0];
+            $path = $asset->getPath();
+            $imgInfo = is_readable($path) ? @getimagesize($path) : false;
+            $mimeType = is_array($imgInfo) && isset($imgInfo['mime']) ? $imgInfo['mime'] : 'application/octet-stream';
         }
+        $imageData = $this->exportBinary($format, $quality);
+        header('Content-Type: ' . $mimeType);
+        header('Content-Length: ' . strlen($imageData));
+        echo $imageData;
+        exit;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/services/nginx/app/routes/departmentLanesRoute.php b/services/nginx/app/routes/departmentLanesRoute.php
index e5368c9a..eb49ef67 100644
--- a/services/nginx/app/routes/departmentLanesRoute.php
+++ b/services/nginx/app/routes/departmentLanesRoute.php
@@ -271,28 +271,21 @@ class departmentLanesRoute
             // Cache check
             $cacheKey = null;
             if (defined('redis')) {
-                // Cache only the default image variant to avoid unbounded cache key growth
-                // from request-controlled parameters (buttons/current_step/etc.).
-                $isDefaultVariant = $buttons === null
-                    && $current_step === 0
-                    && !(bool)$only_current_step
-                    && $vehicle_type === null;
-
-                if ($isDefaultVariant) {
-                    $cacheParams = [
-                        'department' => $department_id,
-                        'lane' => $lane_id,
-                        'dynamic_image_id' => $dynamic_image_id,
-                        'dynamic_image_size' => $dynamic_image_size,
-                    ];
-                    $cacheKey = 'dynamic_image:' . md5(json_encode($cacheParams));
-                    $cachedImage = redis->get($cacheKey);
-                    if ($cachedImage) {
-                        header('Content-Type: image/png');
-                        header('Content-Length: ' . strlen($cachedImage));
-                        echo $cachedImage;
-                        exit;
-                    }
+                $cacheKey = self::buildDynamicImageCacheKey([
+                    'dynamic_image_id' => $dynamic_image_id,
+                    'buttons' => $buttons,
+                    'current_step' => $current_step,
+                    'only_current_step' => $only_current_step,
+                    'vehicle_type' => $vehicle_type,
+                    'dynamic_image_size' => $dynamic_image_size,
+                    'thumb_position' => $thumb_position,
+                ]);
+                $cachedImage = $cacheKey === null ? false : redis->get($cacheKey);
+                if ($cachedImage) {
+                    header('Content-Type: image/png');
+                    header('Content-Length: ' . strlen($cachedImage));
+                    echo $cachedImage;
+                    exit;
                 }
             }
 
@@ -323,19 +316,13 @@ class departmentLanesRoute
                     $image->resizeToMaxWidth(self::RELEVANT_DYNAMIC_IMAGE_MAX_WIDTH);
                 }
 
-                // If caching is enabled, we need to capture the output or use export
                 if ($cacheKey && defined('redis')) {
-                    $dataUri = $image->exportAsBase64('png');
-                    if (preg_match('/^data:image\/png;base64,(.*)$/', $dataUri, $matches)) {
-                        $imageData = base64_decode($matches[1]);
-                        if ($imageData !== false) {
-                            redis->setEx($cacheKey, $imageData, 86400); // Cache for 24 hours
-                            header('Content-Type: image/png');
-                            header('Content-Length: ' . strlen($imageData));
-                            echo $imageData;
-                            exit;
-                        }
-                    }
+                    $imageData = $image->exportBinary('png');
+                    redis->setEx($cacheKey, $imageData, 86400); // Cache for 24 hours
+                    header('Content-Type: image/png');
+                    header('Content-Length: ' . strlen($imageData));
+                    echo $imageData;
+                    exit;
                 }
 
                 $image->servePicture('png');
@@ -549,4 +536,34 @@ class departmentLanesRoute
             ? $mode
             : selfserve_dynamic_image_size_c::SIZE_ORIGINAL;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @param array{
+     *     dynamic_image_id:int,
+     *     buttons:array<int|string>|null,
+     *     current_step:int,
+     *     only_current_step:bool,
+     *     vehicle_type:int|null,
+     *     dynamic_image_size:string,
+     *     thumb_position:int|null
+     * } $variant
+     */
+    private static function buildDynamicImageCacheKey(array $variant): ?string
+    {
+        $cacheParams = [
+            'dynamic_image_id' => (int)$variant['dynamic_image_id'],
+            'buttons' => $variant['buttons'],
+            'current_step' => (int)$variant['current_step'],
+            'only_current_step' => (bool)$variant['only_current_step'],
+            'vehicle_type' => $variant['vehicle_type'],
+            'dynamic_image_size' => (string)$variant['dynamic_image_size'],
+        ];
+
+        if ($variant['thumb_position'] !== null) {
+            $cacheParams['thumb_position'] = (int)$variant['thumb_position'];
+        }
+
+        $json = json_encode($cacheParams);
+        return $json === false ? null : 'dynamic_image:' . md5($json);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/services/nginx/app/tests/Unit/DynamicImages/DepartmentLaneDynamicImageRouteTest.php b/services/nginx/app/tests/Unit/DynamicImages/DepartmentLaneDynamicImageRouteTest.php
index 9b33e6ad..369656ce 100644
--- a/services/nginx/app/tests/Unit/DynamicImages/DepartmentLaneDynamicImageRouteTest.php
+++ b/services/nginx/app/tests/Unit/DynamicImages/DepartmentLaneDynamicImageRouteTest.php
@@ -56,8 +56,16 @@ namespace {
         expect($moduleConfig)->toContain('public selfserve_dynamic_image_size_c $dynamic_image_size;');
         expect($route)->toContain('$dynamic_image_size = self::getSelfServeDynamicImageSizeMode();');
         expect($route)->toContain("'dynamic_image_size' => \$dynamic_image_size");
+        expect($route)->toContain('self::buildDynamicImageCacheKey');
+        expect($route)->toContain("'thumb_position' => \$thumb_position");
+        expect($route)->toContain("'buttons' => \$buttons");
+        expect($route)->toContain("'current_step' => \$current_step");
+        expect($route)->toContain("'only_current_step' => \$only_current_step");
+        expect($route)->toContain("'vehicle_type' => \$vehicle_type");
         expect($route)->toContain("resizeToMaxWidth(self::RELEVANT_DYNAMIC_IMAGE_MAX_WIDTH)");
         expect($imageTrait)->toContain('function resizeToMaxWidth(int $maxWidth)');
+        expect($imageTrait)->toContain('function exportBinary(?string $format = null, int $quality = 90): string');
+        expect($route)->toContain("\$imageData = \$image->exportBinary('png');");
     });
 
     it('accepts ordered dynamic image button tokens including program picker reset start and zero', function (): void {
diff --git a/services/nginx/app/tests/Unit/DynamicImages/DynamicImagePreRenderCronWiringTest.php b/services/nginx/app/tests/Unit/DynamicImages/DynamicImagePreRenderCronWiringTest.php
index 3349537d..f418b889 100644
--- a/services/nginx/app/tests/Unit/DynamicImages/DynamicImagePreRenderCronWiringTest.php
+++ b/services/nginx/app/tests/Unit/DynamicImages/DynamicImagePreRenderCronWiringTest.php
@@ -16,4 +16,5 @@ it('registers dynamic image pre-render cron task and related helpers', function
     expect($content)->toContain('getSelfServeDynamicImageSizeModeForCron');
     expect($content)->toContain("'dynamic_image_size' => getSelfServeDynamicImageSizeModeForCron()");
     expect($content)->toContain('resizeToMaxWidth(DYNAMIC_IMAGE_RELEVANT_MAX_WIDTH)');
+    expect($content)->toContain("\$image->exportBinary('png')");
 });