diff --git a/app/models/alchemy/essence_page.rb b/app/models/alchemy/essence_page.rb
index c5b083372a..ad369cd975 100644
--- a/app/models/alchemy/essence_page.rb
+++ b/app/models/alchemy/essence_page.rb
@@ -6,11 +6,15 @@ class EssencePage < BaseRecord
 
     acts_as_essence(
       ingredient_column: :page,
-      preview_text_method: :name
+      preview_text_method: :name,
+      belongs_to: {
+        class_name: 'Alchemy::Page',
+        foreign_key: :page_id,
+        inverse_of: :essence_pages,
+        optional: true
+      }
     )
 
-    belongs_to :page, class_name: 'Alchemy::Page', optional: true
-
     def ingredient=(page)
       case page
       when PAGE_ID
diff --git a/app/models/alchemy/essence_picture.rb b/app/models/alchemy/essence_picture.rb
index 611c4fe6c7..013b088797 100644
--- a/app/models/alchemy/essence_picture.rb
+++ b/app/models/alchemy/essence_picture.rb
@@ -25,9 +25,13 @@
 
 module Alchemy
   class EssencePicture < BaseRecord
-    acts_as_essence ingredient_column: 'picture'
+    acts_as_essence ingredient_column: :picture, belongs_to: {
+      class_name: 'Alchemy::Picture',
+      foreign_key: :picture_id,
+      inverse_of: :essence_pictures,
+      optional: true
+    }
 
-    belongs_to :picture, optional: true
     delegate :image_file_width, :image_file_height, :image_file, to: :picture
     before_save :fix_crop_values
     before_save :replace_newlines
diff --git a/app/models/alchemy/picture.rb b/app/models/alchemy/picture.rb
index 9248d44b1c..c9c51644e9 100644
--- a/app/models/alchemy/picture.rb
+++ b/app/models/alchemy/picture.rb
@@ -30,7 +30,11 @@ class Picture < BaseRecord
     include Alchemy::Picture::Transformations
     include Alchemy::Picture::Url
 
-    has_many :essence_pictures, class_name: 'Alchemy::EssencePicture', foreign_key: 'picture_id'
+    has_many :essence_pictures,
+      class_name: 'Alchemy::EssencePicture',
+      foreign_key: 'picture_id',
+      inverse_of: :ingredient_association
+
     has_many :contents, through: :essence_pictures
     has_many :elements, through: :contents
     has_many :pages, through: :elements
diff --git a/lib/alchemy/essence.rb b/lib/alchemy/essence.rb
index ed472b5926..92e0c6e655 100644
--- a/lib/alchemy/essence.rb
+++ b/lib/alchemy/essence.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,18 @@
 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)
@@ -31,6 +43,8 @@ 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
@@ -66,8 +80,31 @@ def preview_text_column
             '#{configuration[:preview_text_column] || configuration[:ingredient_column]}'
           end
         RUBY
+
+        if configuration[:belongs_to]
+          class_eval <<-RUBY, __FILE__, __LINE__ + 1
+            belongs_to :ingredient_association, #{configuration[:belongs_to]}
+
+            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
+
+      private
+
       # Register the current class as has_many association on +Alchemy::Page+ and +Alchemy::Element+ models
       def register_as_essence_association!
         klass_name = model_name.to_s
@@ -231,4 +268,5 @@ def has_tinymce?
     end
   end
 end
-ActiveRecord::Base.class_eval { include Alchemy::Essence } if defined?(Alchemy::Essence)
+
+ActiveRecord::Base.include(Alchemy::Essence)
diff --git a/lib/alchemy/test_support/essence_shared_examples.rb b/lib/alchemy/test_support/essence_shared_examples.rb
index 8a53a38917..e1a2af7c30 100644
--- a/lib/alchemy/test_support/essence_shared_examples.rb
+++ b/lib/alchemy/test_support/essence_shared_examples.rb
@@ -10,6 +10,18 @@
   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 content after update" do
     element = FactoryBot.create(:alchemy_element)
     content = FactoryBot.create(:alchemy_content, element: element, essence: essence, essence_type: essence.class.name)
diff --git a/spec/models/alchemy/essence_page_spec.rb b/spec/models/alchemy/essence_page_spec.rb
index a320bc0a0b..0606e2a88c 100644
--- a/spec/models/alchemy/essence_page_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/alchemy/essence_page_spec.rb
@@ -10,6 +10,15 @@
     let(:ingredient_value) { page }
   end
 
+  describe 'eager loading' do
+    let!(:essence_pages) { create_list(:alchemy_essence_page, 2) }
+
+    it 'eager loads pages' do
+      essences = described_class.all.includes(:ingredient_association)
+      expect(essences[0].association(:ingredient_association)).to be_loaded
+    end
+  end
+
   describe 'ingredient=' do
     subject(:ingredient) { essence.page }
 
diff --git a/spec/models/alchemy/essence_picture_spec.rb b/spec/models/alchemy/essence_picture_spec.rb
index cec5801fc5..24694cae50 100644
--- a/spec/models/alchemy/essence_picture_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/alchemy/essence_picture_spec.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,15 @@ module Alchemy
       let(:ingredient_value) { Picture.new }
     end
 
+    describe 'eager loading' do
+      let!(:essence_pictures) { create_list(:alchemy_essence_picture, 2) }
+
+      it 'eager loads pictures' do
+        essences = described_class.all.includes(:ingredient_association)
+        expect(essences[0].association(:ingredient_association)).to be_loaded
+      end
+    end
+
     it_behaves_like "has image transformations" do
       let(:picture) { build_stubbed(:alchemy_essence_picture) }
     end