diff --git a/lib/private/Files/Cache/Cache.php b/lib/private/Files/Cache/Cache.php
index 67d01bb699907..49e4c25c450f0 100644
--- a/lib/private/Files/Cache/Cache.php
+++ b/lib/private/Files/Cache/Cache.php
@@ -169,6 +169,9 @@ public function get($file) {
 		$data = $result->fetch();
 		$result->closeCursor();
 
+		// @Louis: use asArray()
+//		$data['metadata'] = $metadataQuery?->extractMetadata($data)?->asArray() ?? [];
+
 		//merge partial data
 		if (!$data && is_string($file) && isset($this->partial[$file])) {
 			return $this->partial[$file];
diff --git a/lib/private/Files/Cache/CacheQueryBuilder.php b/lib/private/Files/Cache/CacheQueryBuilder.php
index 34d2177b84e9e..be3b64425f34a 100644
--- a/lib/private/Files/Cache/CacheQueryBuilder.php
+++ b/lib/private/Files/Cache/CacheQueryBuilder.php
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
  * Query builder with commonly used helpers for filecache queries
  */
 class CacheQueryBuilder extends QueryBuilder {
-	private $alias = null;
+	private ?string $alias = null;
 
 	public function __construct(IDBConnection $connection, SystemConfig $systemConfig, LoggerInterface $logger) {
 		parent::__construct($connection, $systemConfig, $logger);
diff --git a/lib/private/Files/Cache/QuerySearchHelper.php b/lib/private/Files/Cache/QuerySearchHelper.php
index f02b7f00beb99..b8a3aa0257c3d 100644
--- a/lib/private/Files/Cache/QuerySearchHelper.php
+++ b/lib/private/Files/Cache/QuerySearchHelper.php
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ public function searchInCaches(ISearchQuery $searchQuery, array $caches): array
 		$rawEntries = array_map(function (array $data) use ($metadataQuery) {
 			// extract metadata from the result and convert it to array.
 			// TODO: using jsonSerialize() or another method that present each metadata as key => value ?
-			$data['metadata'] = $metadataQuery?->extractMetadata($data)?->jsonSerialize() ?? [];
+			$data['metadata'] = $metadataQuery?->extractMetadata($data)?->asArray() ?? [];
 			return Cache::cacheEntryFromData($data, $this->mimetypeLoader);
 		}, $files);
 
diff --git a/lib/private/FilesMetadata/FilesMetadataManager.php b/lib/private/FilesMetadata/FilesMetadataManager.php
index da700c138b429..1a35f56999e22 100644
--- a/lib/private/FilesMetadata/FilesMetadataManager.php
+++ b/lib/private/FilesMetadata/FilesMetadataManager.php
@@ -39,14 +39,22 @@ public function __construct(
 
 	/**
 	 * @param int $fileId
+	 * @param bool $generate - returns an empty FilesMetadata if FilesMetadataNotFoundException
 	 *
 	 * @return IFilesMetadata
 	 * @throws FilesMetadataNotFoundException
 	 */
-	public function getMetadata(int $fileId): IFilesMetadata {
-		return $this->metadataRequestService->getMetadataFromFileId($fileId);
-	}
+	public function getMetadata(int $fileId, bool $generate = false): IFilesMetadata {
+		try {
+			return $this->metadataRequestService->getMetadataFromFileId($fileId);
+		} catch (FilesMetadataNotFoundException $e) {
+			if ($generate) {
+				return new FilesMetadata($fileId, true);
+			}
 
+			throw $e;
+		}
+	}
 
 	public function refreshMetadata(
 		Node $node,
diff --git a/lib/private/FilesMetadata/Model/FilesMetadata.php b/lib/private/FilesMetadata/Model/FilesMetadata.php
index 4460ac1e4d5c3..1d63c5fde3b77 100644
--- a/lib/private/FilesMetadata/Model/FilesMetadata.php
+++ b/lib/private/FilesMetadata/Model/FilesMetadata.php
@@ -61,9 +61,9 @@ public function importFromDatabase(array $data, string $prefix = ''): IFilesMeta
 		try {
 			return $this->import(
 				json_decode($data[$prefix . 'json'] ?? '[]',
-							true,
-							512,
-							JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR)
+					true,
+					512,
+					JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR)
 			);
 		} catch (JsonException $e) {
 			throw new FilesMetadataNotFoundException();
@@ -348,6 +348,27 @@ public function getValueWrapper(string $key): MetadataValueWrapper {
 
 
 	public function jsonSerialize(): array {
-		return $this->metadata;
+		$data = [];
+		foreach ($this->metadata as $metaKey => $metaValueWrapper) {
+			$data[$metaKey] = $metaValueWrapper->jsonSerialize();
+		}
+
+		return $data;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return array<string, string|int|bool|float|string[]|int[]>
+	 */
+	public function asArray(): array {
+		$data = [];
+		foreach ($this->metadata as $metaKey => $metaValueWrapper) {
+			try {
+				$data[$metaKey] = $metaValueWrapper->getValueAny();
+			} catch (FilesMetadataNotFoundException $e) {
+				// ignore exception
+			}
+		}
+
+		return $data;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/lib/private/FilesMetadata/Model/MetadataValueWrapper.php b/lib/private/FilesMetadata/Model/MetadataValueWrapper.php
index 132a5a8328d4a..e4d6f1040e05d 100644
--- a/lib/private/FilesMetadata/Model/MetadataValueWrapper.php
+++ b/lib/private/FilesMetadata/Model/MetadataValueWrapper.php
@@ -266,6 +266,18 @@ public function getValueIntList(): array {
 		return (array) $this->value;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @return string|int|float|bool|array|string[]|int[]
+	 * @throws FilesMetadataNotFoundException
+	 */
+	public function getValueAny(): mixed {
+		if (null === $this->value) {
+			throw new FilesMetadataNotFoundException('value is not set');
+		}
+
+		return $this->value;
+	}
+
 
 	public function setIndexed(bool $indexed): self {
 		$this->indexed = $indexed;
diff --git a/lib/public/FilesMetadata/Model/IFilesMetadata.php b/lib/public/FilesMetadata/Model/IFilesMetadata.php
index 4ddeb6e92ed8d..b5f0a34c50f2d 100644
--- a/lib/public/FilesMetadata/Model/IFilesMetadata.php
+++ b/lib/public/FilesMetadata/Model/IFilesMetadata.php
@@ -76,5 +76,5 @@ public function setBool(string $key, bool $value): self;
 	public function setArray(string $key, array $value): self;
 	public function setStringList(string $key, array $value): self;
 	public function setIntList(string $key, array $value): self;
-
+	public function asArray(): array;
 }