diff --git a/web/packages/media/collection.ts b/web/packages/media/collection.ts
index f325eb6434..554f2256cf 100644
--- a/web/packages/media/collection.ts
+++ b/web/packages/media/collection.ts
@@ -481,9 +481,9 @@ export const decryptRemoteCollection = async (
     } = collection;
 
     // We've already used them to derive the `collectionKey`.
-    drop([encryptedKey, keyDecryptionNonce]);
+    ignore([encryptedKey, keyDecryptionNonce]);
     // Mobile specific attribute not currently used by us.
-    drop(attributes);
+    ignore(attributes);
 
     const name =
         // `||` is used because remote sets name to blank to indicate absence.
@@ -568,10 +568,12 @@ export const decryptRemoteCollection = async (
     };
 };
 
-// A no-op function to pretend that we're using some values. This is handy when
-// we want to destructure some fields so that they don't get forwarded, but
-// otherwise don't need to use them.
-const drop = (xs: unknown) => typeof xs;
+/**
+ * A no-op function to pretend that we're using some values. This is handy when
+ * we want to destructure some fields so that they don't get forwarded, but
+ * otherwise don't need to use them.
+ */
+export const ignore = (xs: unknown) => typeof xs;
 
 /**
  * A convenience function to discard the unused name field from the collection
@@ -581,7 +583,7 @@ const parseRemoteCollectionUser = ({
     name,
     ...rest
 }: RemoteCollectionUser): CollectionUser => {
-    drop(name);
+    ignore(name);
     return rest;
 };
 
@@ -673,7 +675,7 @@ export interface CollectionPrivateMagicMetadataData {
  *
  * See: [Note: Use looseObject for metadata Zod schemas]
  */
-const CollectionPrivateMagicMetadataData = z.looseObject({
+export const CollectionPrivateMagicMetadataData = z.looseObject({
     subType: z.number().nullish().transform(nullToUndefined),
     visibility: z.number().nullish().transform(nullToUndefined),
     order: z.number().nullish().transform(nullToUndefined),
@@ -710,7 +712,7 @@ export interface CollectionPublicMagicMetadataData {
 /**
  * Zod schema for {@link CollectionPublicMagicMetadataData}.
  */
-const CollectionPublicMagicMetadataData = z.looseObject({
+export const CollectionPublicMagicMetadataData = z.looseObject({
     asc: z.boolean().nullish().transform(nullToUndefined),
     coverID: z.number().nullish().transform(nullToUndefined),
 });
@@ -743,6 +745,6 @@ export interface CollectionShareeMagicMetadataData {
 /**
  * Zod schema for {@link CollectionShareeMagicMetadataData}.
  */
-const CollectionShareeMagicMetadataData = z.looseObject({
+export const CollectionShareeMagicMetadataData = z.looseObject({
     visibility: z.number().nullish().transform(nullToUndefined),
 });
diff --git a/web/packages/new/photos/services/files-db.ts b/web/packages/new/photos/services/files-db.ts
index d20f4f9981..0910c5abcd 100644
--- a/web/packages/new/photos/services/files-db.ts
+++ b/web/packages/new/photos/services/files-db.ts
@@ -19,3 +19,57 @@
  * reason to migrate this data to another IndexedDB table (it works fine as it
  * is, really). However we do want to avoid adding more items here.
  */
+
+import {
+    CollectionPrivateMagicMetadataData,
+    CollectionPublicMagicMetadataData,
+    CollectionShareeMagicMetadataData,
+    ignore,
+    RemoteCollectionUser,
+    RemotePublicURL,
+} from "ente-media/collection";
+import { RemoteMagicMetadata } from "ente-media/magic-metadata";
+import { nullishToEmpty } from "ente-utils/transform";
+import { z } from "zod/v4";
+
+/**
+ * Zod schema for a {@link Collection} saved in our local persistence.
+ *
+ * This is similar to {@link RemoteCollection}, but has significant differences
+ * too in that it contains the decrypted fields, and some minor refinements.
+ */
+// TODO(C2): Use me
+export const LocalCollection = z.looseObject({
+    id: z.number(),
+    owner: RemoteCollectionUser,
+    key: z.string(),
+    name: z.string(),
+    type: z.string(),
+    sharees: z.array(RemoteCollectionUser).nullish().transform(nullishToEmpty),
+    publicURLs: z.array(RemotePublicURL).nullish().transform(nullishToEmpty),
+    updationTime: z.number(),
+    magicMetadata: RemoteMagicMetadata.nullish().transform((mm) => {
+        if (!mm) return undefined;
+        // Old code used to save the header, however it's unnecessary so we drop
+        // it on the next read. New code will not save it, so eventually this
+        // special case can be removed. Note added Jun 2025 (tag: Migration).
+        const { header, ...rest } = mm;
+        ignore(header);
+        const data = CollectionPrivateMagicMetadataData.parse(rest.data);
+        return { ...rest, data };
+    }),
+    pubMagicMetadata: RemoteMagicMetadata.nullish().transform((mm) => {
+        if (!mm) return undefined;
+        const { header, ...rest } = mm;
+        ignore(header);
+        const data = CollectionPublicMagicMetadataData.parse(rest.data);
+        return { ...rest, data };
+    }),
+    sharedMagicMetadata: RemoteMagicMetadata.nullish().transform((mm) => {
+        if (!mm) return undefined;
+        const { header, ...rest } = mm;
+        ignore(header);
+        const data = CollectionShareeMagicMetadataData.parse(rest.data);
+        return { ...rest, data };
+    }),
+});