diff --git a/app/controllers/alchemy/admin/elements_controller.rb b/app/controllers/alchemy/admin/elements_controller.rb
index 826eae9737..c9eeac749d 100644
--- a/app/controllers/alchemy/admin/elements_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/alchemy/admin/elements_controller.rb
@@ -106,18 +106,14 @@ def fold
       def element_includes
         [
           {
-            contents: {
-              essence: :ingredient_association,
-            },
+            contents: :essence,
             ingredients: :related_object,
           },
           :tags,
           {
             all_nested_elements: [
               {
-                contents: {
-                  essence: :ingredient_association,
-                },
+                contents: :essence,
                 ingredients: :related_object,
               },
               :tags,
diff --git a/app/controllers/alchemy/api/contents_controller.rb b/app/controllers/alchemy/api/contents_controller.rb
index c864de5fe2..ee4a1dc227 100644
--- a/app/controllers/alchemy/api/contents_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/alchemy/api/contents_controller.rb
@@ -46,11 +46,7 @@ def show
     private
 
     def content_includes
-      [
-        {
-          essence: :ingredient_association,
-        },
-      ]
+      %i[essence]
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/controllers/alchemy/api/elements_controller.rb b/app/controllers/alchemy/api/elements_controller.rb
index 9fb6fe129f..168c242e0a 100644
--- a/app/controllers/alchemy/api/elements_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/alchemy/api/elements_controller.rb
@@ -47,18 +47,14 @@ def element_includes
         {
           nested_elements: [
             {
-              contents: {
-                essence: :ingredient_association,
-              },
+              contents: :essence,
               ingredients: :related_object,
             },
             :tags,
           ],
         },
         {
-          contents: {
-            essence: :ingredient_association,
-          },
+          contents: :essence,
           ingredients: :related_object,
         },
         :tags,
diff --git a/app/controllers/alchemy/api/pages_controller.rb b/app/controllers/alchemy/api/pages_controller.rb
index 7a914fc41c..aa483648cf 100644
--- a/app/controllers/alchemy/api/pages_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/alchemy/api/pages_controller.rb
@@ -112,17 +112,13 @@ def page_includes
             {
               nested_elements: [
                 {
-                  contents: {
-                    essence: :ingredient_association,
-                  },
+                  contents: :essence,
                 },
                 :tags,
               ],
             },
             {
-              contents: {
-                essence: :ingredient_association,
-              },
+              contents: :essence,
             },
             :tags,
           ],
diff --git a/lib/alchemy/essence.rb b/lib/alchemy/essence.rb
index 0feb2fc97d..54f8e2ade4 100644
--- a/lib/alchemy/essence.rb
+++ b/lib/alchemy/essence.rb
@@ -3,18 +3,6 @@
 require "active_record"
 
 module Alchemy #:nodoc:
-  # A bogus association that skips eager loading for essences not having an ingredient association
-  class IngredientAssociation < ActiveRecord::Associations::BelongsToAssociation
-    # Skip eager loading if called by Rails' preloader
-    def klass
-      if caller.any? { |line| line =~ /preloader\.rb/ }
-        nil
-      else
-        super
-      end
-    end
-  end
-
   module Essence #:nodoc:
     def self.included(base)
       base.extend(ClassMethods)
@@ -43,8 +31,6 @@ def acts_as_essence(options = {})
           ingredient_column: "body",
         }.update(options)
 
-        @_classes_with_ingredient_association ||= []
-
         class_eval <<-RUBY, __FILE__, __LINE__ + 1
           attr_writer :validation_errors
           include Alchemy::Essence::InstanceMethods
@@ -87,18 +73,6 @@ def preview_text_column
             alias_method :#{configuration[:ingredient_column]}, :ingredient_association
             alias_method :#{configuration[:ingredient_column]}=, :ingredient_association=
           RUBY
-
-          @_classes_with_ingredient_association << self
-        end
-      end
-
-      # Overwrite ActiveRecords method to return a bogus association class that skips eager loading
-      # for essence classes that do not have an ingredient association
-      def _reflect_on_association(name)
-        if name == :ingredient_association && !in?(@_classes_with_ingredient_association)
-          OpenStruct.new(association_class: Alchemy::IngredientAssociation)
-        else
-          super
         end
       end
 
diff --git a/lib/alchemy/test_support/essence_shared_examples.rb b/lib/alchemy/test_support/essence_shared_examples.rb
index bd630f8f98..a89907151e 100644
--- a/lib/alchemy/test_support/essence_shared_examples.rb
+++ b/lib/alchemy/test_support/essence_shared_examples.rb
@@ -7,18 +7,6 @@
   let(:content) { Alchemy::Content.new(name: "foo") }
   let(:content_definition) { { "name" => "foo" } }
 
-  describe "eager loading" do
-    before do
-      2.times { described_class.create! }
-    end
-
-    it "does not throw error if eager loaded" do
-      expect {
-        described_class.all.includes(:ingredient_association).to_a
-      }.to_not raise_error
-    end
-  end
-
   it "touches the element after save" do
     element = FactoryBot.create(:alchemy_element)
     content = FactoryBot.create(:alchemy_content, element: element, essence: essence, essence_type: essence.class.name)
diff --git a/lib/alchemy/upgrader/tasks/ingredients_migrator.rb b/lib/alchemy/upgrader/tasks/ingredients_migrator.rb
index ab977ff569..6ee992c540 100644
--- a/lib/alchemy/upgrader/tasks/ingredients_migrator.rb
+++ b/lib/alchemy/upgrader/tasks/ingredients_migrator.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ def create_ingredients
           # eager load all elements that have ingredients defined but no ingredient records yet.
           all_elements = Alchemy::Element
             .named(elements_with_ingredients.map { |d| d[:name] })
-            .includes(contents: { essence: :ingredient_association })
+            .includes(contents: :essence)
             .left_outer_joins(:ingredients).where(alchemy_ingredients: { id: nil })
             .to_a
           elements_with_ingredients.map do |element_definition|