diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index c32d7efee0..ee9752d2e6 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2023.09-dev
+2023.09-rc
diff --git a/src/App.php b/src/App.php
index a708abe649..3482d11158 100644
--- a/src/App.php
+++ b/src/App.php
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class App
 {
 	const PLATFORM = 'Friendica';
 	const CODENAME = 'Giant Rhubarb';
-	const VERSION  = '2023.09-dev';
+	const VERSION  = '2023.09-rc';
 
 	// Allow themes to control internal parameters
 	// by changing App values in theme.php
diff --git a/view/templates/notifications/nav/notify.tpl b/view/templates/notifications/nav/notify.tpl
index dfcf9d3346..37da980ab9 100644
--- a/view/templates/notifications/nav/notify.tpl
+++ b/view/templates/notifications/nav/notify.tpl
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 <li class="notification-{{if !$notify.seen}}un{{/if}}seen">
-	<a href="{{$notify.href}}" title="{{$notify.localdate}}"><img data-src="{{$notify.contact.photo}}" height="24" width="24" alt="" />{{$notify.richtext nofilter}} <span class="notif-when">{{$notify.ago}}</span></a>
+	<a href="{{$notify.href}}" title="{{$notify.localdate}}"><img data-src="{{$notify.contact.photo}}" height="24" width="24" alt="" loading="lazy"/>{{$notify.richtext nofilter}} <span class="notif-when">{{$notify.ago}}</span></a>
 </li>
diff --git a/view/theme/frio/templates/contact/entry.tpl b/view/theme/frio/templates/contact/entry.tpl
index 75f0d6d9e5..442a3b6ea5 100644
--- a/view/theme/frio/templates/contact/entry.tpl
+++ b/view/theme/frio/templates/contact/entry.tpl
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 				<div class="contact-photo-image-wrapper hidden-xs">
 					<a href="{{if !empty($contact.photo_menu.edit)}}{{$contact.photo_menu.edit.1}}{{else}}{{$contact.url}}{{/if}}">
-						<img class="contact-photo media-object xl" src="{{$contact.thumb}}" {{$contact.sparkle}} alt="{{$contact.name}}" />
+						<img class="contact-photo media-object xl" src="{{$contact.thumb}}" {{$contact.sparkle}} alt="{{$contact.name}}" loading="lazy"/>
 					</a>
 				</div>
 
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 				<button type="button" class="btn btn-default dropdown-toggle visible-xs" id="contact-photo-menu-button-{{$contact.id}}" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
 					{{* use a smaller picture on very small displays (e.g. mobiles) *}}
 					<div class="contact-photo-image-wrapper visible-xs">
-						<img class="contact-photo-xs media-object" src="{{$contact.thumb}}" {{$contact.sparkle}} alt="{{$contact.name}}" />
+						<img class="contact-photo-xs media-object" src="{{$contact.thumb}}" {{$contact.sparkle}} alt="{{$contact.name}}"  loading="lazy"/>
 
 						{{* Overlay background on hover the avatar picture *}}
 						<div class="contact-photo-overlay">
diff --git a/view/theme/frio/templates/notifications/nav/notify.tpl b/view/theme/frio/templates/notifications/nav/notify.tpl
index ab1743d1b9..113cb33573 100644
--- a/view/theme/frio/templates/notifications/nav/notify.tpl
+++ b/view/theme/frio/templates/notifications/nav/notify.tpl
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <li class="notification-{{if !$notify.seen}}un{{/if}}seen notif-entry">
 	<div class="notif-entry-wrapper media">
 		<div class="notif-photo-wrapper media-object pull-left" aria-hidden="true">
-			<a href="{{$notify.contact.url}}" class="userinfo click-card" tabIndex="-1"><img data-src="{{$notify.contact.photo}}" alt=""></a>
+			<a href="{{$notify.contact.url}}" class="userinfo click-card" tabIndex="-1"><img data-src="{{$notify.contact.photo}}" alt="" loading="lazy"></a>
 		</div>
 		<a href="{{$notify.href}}" class="notif-desc-wrapper media-body">
             {{$notify.richtext nofilter}}
diff --git a/view/theme/frio/templates/search_item.tpl b/view/theme/frio/templates/search_item.tpl
index bdc2ca3840..ba396fbfd9 100644
--- a/view/theme/frio/templates/search_item.tpl
+++ b/view/theme/frio/templates/search_item.tpl
@@ -12,14 +12,14 @@
 				<div class="hidden-sm hidden-xs contact-photo-wrapper mframe{{if $item.owner_url}} wwfrom{{/if}}">
 					<a href="{{$item.profile_url}}" class="userinfo click-card u-url" id="wall-item-photo-menu-{{$item.id}}">
 						<div class="contact-photo-image-wrapper">
-							<img src="{{$item.thumb}}" class="contact-photo media-object {{$item.sparkle}}" id="wall-item-photo-{{$item.id}}" alt="{{$item.name}}" />
+							<img src="{{$item.thumb}}" class="contact-photo media-object {{$item.sparkle}}" id="wall-item-photo-{{$item.id}}" alt="{{$item.name}}" loading="lazy"/>
 						</div>
 					</a>
 				</div>
 				<div class="hidden-lg hidden-md contact-photo-wrapper mframe{{if $item.owner_url}} wwfrom{{/if}}">
 					<a href="{{$item.profile_url}}" class="userinfo click-card u-url" id="wall-item-photo-menu-xs-{{$item.id}}">
 						<div class="contact-photo-image-wrapper">
-							<img src="{{$item.thumb}}" class="contact-photo-xs media-object {{$item.sparkle}}" id="wall-item-photo-xs-{{$item.id}}" alt="{{$item.name}}" />
+							<img src="{{$item.thumb}}" class="contact-photo-xs media-object {{$item.sparkle}}" id="wall-item-photo-xs-{{$item.id}}" alt="{{$item.name}}" loading="lazy"/>
 						</div>
 					</a>
 				</div>
diff --git a/view/theme/frio/templates/wall_thread.tpl b/view/theme/frio/templates/wall_thread.tpl
index 8c227eb13f..b3ade5fe04 100644
--- a/view/theme/frio/templates/wall_thread.tpl
+++ b/view/theme/frio/templates/wall_thread.tpl
@@ -68,14 +68,14 @@ as the value of $top_child_total (this is done at the end of this file)
 			<div class="hidden-sm hidden-xs contact-photo-wrapper mframe{{if $item.owner_url}} wwfrom{{/if}} p-author h-card">
 				<a class="userinfo click-card u-url" id="wall-item-photo-menu-{{$item.id}}" href="{{$item.profile_url}}">
 					<div class="contact-photo-image-wrapper">
-						<img src="{{$item.thumb}}" class="contact-photo media-object {{$item.sparkle}} p-name u-photo" id="wall-item-photo-{{$item.id}}" alt="{{$item.name}}" />
+						<img src="{{$item.thumb}}" class="contact-photo media-object {{$item.sparkle}} p-name u-photo" id="wall-item-photo-{{$item.id}}" alt="{{$item.name}}"  loading="lazy"/>
 					</div>
 				</a>
 			</div>
 			<div class="hidden-lg hidden-md contact-photo-wrapper mframe{{if $item.owner_url}} wwfrom{{/if}}">
 				<a class="userinfo click-card u-url" id="wall-item-photo-menu-xs-{{$item.id}}" href="{{$item.profile_url}}">
 					<div class="contact-photo-image-wrapper">
-						<img src="{{$item.thumb}}" class="contact-photo-xs media-object {{$item.sparkle}}" id="wall-item-photo-xs-{{$item.id}}" alt="{{$item.name}}" />
+						<img src="{{$item.thumb}}" class="contact-photo-xs media-object {{$item.sparkle}}" id="wall-item-photo-xs-{{$item.id}}" alt="{{$item.name}}"  loading="lazy"/>
 					</div>
 				</a>
 			</div>
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ as the value of $top_child_total (this is done at the end of this file)
 			<div class="contact-photo-wrapper mframe{{if $item.owner_url}} wwfrom{{/if}} p-author h-card">
 				<a class="userinfo click-card u-url" id="wall-item-photo-menu-{{$item.id}}" href="{{$item.profile_url}}">
 					<div class="contact-photo-image-wrapper">
-						<img src="{{$item.thumb}}" class="contact-photo-xs media-object {{$item.sparkle}} p-name u-photo" id="wall-item-photo-comment-{{$item.id}}" alt="{{$item.name}}" />
+						<img src="{{$item.thumb}}" class="contact-photo-xs media-object {{$item.sparkle}} p-name u-photo" id="wall-item-photo-comment-{{$item.id}}" alt="{{$item.name}}"  loading="lazy"/>
 					</div>
 				</a>
 			</div>
diff --git a/view/theme/vier/templates/contact/entry.tpl b/view/theme/vier/templates/contact/entry.tpl
index e99aab93d2..96f7643f68 100644
--- a/view/theme/vier/templates/contact/entry.tpl
+++ b/view/theme/vier/templates/contact/entry.tpl
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 		onmouseout="t{{$contact.id}}=setTimeout('closeMenu(\'contact-photo-menu-button-{{$contact.id}}\'); closeMenu(\'contact-photo-menu-{{$contact.id}}\');',200)"> -->
 
 			<!-- <a href="{{$contact.url}}" title="{{$contact.img_hover}}" /></a> -->
-			<img src="{{$contact.thumb}}" {{$contact.sparkle}} alt="{{$contact.name}}" />
+			<img src="{{$contact.thumb}}" {{$contact.sparkle}} alt="{{$contact.name}}" loading="lazy"/>
 
 			{{if $multiselect}}
 			<input type="checkbox" class="contact-select" name="contact_batch[]" value="{{$contact.id}}">
diff --git a/view/theme/vier/templates/notifications/nav/notify.tpl b/view/theme/vier/templates/notifications/nav/notify.tpl
index 3067d5b0c8..2c716bd229 100644
--- a/view/theme/vier/templates/notifications/nav/notify.tpl
+++ b/view/theme/vier/templates/notifications/nav/notify.tpl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <li class="notification-{{if !$notify.seen}}un{{/if}}seen" onclick="location.href='{{$notify.href}}';">
 	<div class="notif-entry-wrapper">
-		<div class="notif-photo-wrapper"><a href="{{$notify.contact.url}}"><img data-src="{{$notify.contact.photo}}"></a></div>
+		<div class="notif-photo-wrapper"><a href="{{$notify.contact.url}}"><img data-src="{{$notify.contact.photo}}" loading="lazy"></a></div>
 		<div class="notif-desc-wrapper">
             {{$notify.richtext nofilter}}
 			<div><time class="notif-when" title="{{$notify.localdate}}">{{$notify.ago}}</time></div>
diff --git a/view/theme/vier/templates/search_item.tpl b/view/theme/vier/templates/search_item.tpl
index 51de297d3a..1c3b188949 100644
--- a/view/theme/vier/templates/search_item.tpl
+++ b/view/theme/vier/templates/search_item.tpl
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 				<!-- onmouseover="if (typeof t{{$item.id}} != 'undefined') clearTimeout(t{{$item.id}}); openMenu('wall-item-photo-menu-button-{{$item.id}}')"
 				onmouseout="t{{$item.id}}=setTimeout('closeMenu(\'wall-item-photo-menu-button-{{$item.id}}\'); closeMenu(\'wall-item-photo-menu-{{$item.id}}\');',200)"> -->
 				<!-- <a href="{{$item.profile_url}}" target="redir" title="{{$item.linktitle}}" class="wall-item-photo-link" id="wall-item-photo-link-{{$item.id}}"></a> -->
-					<img src="{{$item.thumb}}" class="contact-photo{{$item.sparkle}}" id="wall-item-photo-{{$item.id}}" alt="{{$item.name}}" />
+					<img src="{{$item.thumb}}" class="contact-photo{{$item.sparkle}}" id="wall-item-photo-{{$item.id}}" alt="{{$item.name}}" loading="lazy"/>
 				<!-- <a rel="#wall-item-photo-menu-{{$item.id}}" class="contact-photo-menu-button icon s16 menu" id="wall-item-photo-menu-button-{{$item.id}}">menu</a> -->
 				<ul role="menu" aria-haspopup="true" class="wall-item-menu menu-popup" id="wall-item-photo-menu-{{$item.id}}">
 				{{$item.item_photo_menu_html nofilter}}