diff --git a/admin-lehrer/components/ocr-pipeline/ImageCompareView.tsx b/admin-lehrer/components/ocr-pipeline/ImageCompareView.tsx
index 2d448a7..9df3afa 100644
--- a/admin-lehrer/components/ocr-pipeline/ImageCompareView.tsx
+++ b/admin-lehrer/components/ocr-pipeline/ImageCompareView.tsx
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ export function ImageCompareView({
             <>
               <img
                 src={rightUrl}
-                alt="Begradigtes Bild"
+                alt={rightLabel || 'Bearbeitetes Bild'}
                 className="w-full h-full object-contain"
                 onError={() => setRightError(true)}
               />
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ export function ImageCompareView({
             </>
           ) : (
             <div className="flex items-center justify-center h-full text-gray-400">
-              {rightError ? 'Fehler beim Laden' : 'Begradigung laeuft...'}
+              {rightError ? 'Fehler beim Laden' : `${rightLabel || 'Verarbeitung'} laeuft...`}
             </div>
           )}
         </div>
diff --git a/klausur-service/backend/ocr_pipeline_api.py b/klausur-service/backend/ocr_pipeline_api.py
index 4fc55be..271bfc5 100644
--- a/klausur-service/backend/ocr_pipeline_api.py
+++ b/klausur-service/backend/ocr_pipeline_api.py
@@ -484,7 +484,8 @@ async def auto_deskew(session_id: str):
     cached = _get_cached(session_id)
 
     # Use cropped image as input (from step 2), fall back to oriented, then original
-    img_bgr = cached.get("cropped_bgr") or cached.get("oriented_bgr") or cached.get("original_bgr")
+    img_bgr = next((v for k in ("cropped_bgr", "oriented_bgr", "original_bgr")
+                     if (v := cached.get(k)) is not None), None)
     if img_bgr is None:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="No image available for deskewing")
 
@@ -589,7 +590,8 @@ async def manual_deskew(session_id: str, req: ManualDeskewRequest):
         await _load_session_to_cache(session_id)
     cached = _get_cached(session_id)
 
-    img_bgr = cached.get("cropped_bgr") or cached.get("oriented_bgr") or cached.get("original_bgr")
+    img_bgr = next((v for k in ("cropped_bgr", "oriented_bgr", "original_bgr")
+                     if (v := cached.get(k)) is not None), None)
     if img_bgr is None:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="No image available for deskewing")
 
diff --git a/klausur-service/backend/orientation_crop_api.py b/klausur-service/backend/orientation_crop_api.py
index 6fee2ce..531c117 100644
--- a/klausur-service/backend/orientation_crop_api.py
+++ b/klausur-service/backend/orientation_crop_api.py
@@ -174,7 +174,8 @@ async def auto_crop(session_id: str):
     cached = await _ensure_cached(session_id)
 
     # Use oriented image if available, else original
-    img_bgr = cached.get("oriented_bgr") or cached.get("original_bgr")
+    oriented = cached.get("oriented_bgr")
+    img_bgr = oriented if oriented is not None else cached.get("original_bgr")
     if img_bgr is None:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="No image available for cropping")
 
@@ -236,7 +237,8 @@ async def manual_crop(session_id: str, req: ManualCropRequest):
     """Manually crop using percentage coordinates."""
     cached = await _ensure_cached(session_id)
 
-    img_bgr = cached.get("oriented_bgr") or cached.get("original_bgr")
+    oriented = cached.get("oriented_bgr")
+    img_bgr = oriented if oriented is not None else cached.get("original_bgr")
     if img_bgr is None:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="No image available for cropping")
 
@@ -294,7 +296,8 @@ async def skip_crop(session_id: str):
     """Skip cropping — use oriented (or original) image as-is."""
     cached = await _ensure_cached(session_id)
 
-    img_bgr = cached.get("oriented_bgr") or cached.get("original_bgr")
+    oriented = cached.get("oriented_bgr")
+    img_bgr = oriented if oriented is not None else cached.get("original_bgr")
     if img_bgr is None:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="No image available")