diff --git a/packages/api/src/controllers/helpers.test.ts b/packages/api/src/controllers/helpers.test.ts
index c5d065b3e..7adc81662 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/controllers/helpers.test.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/controllers/helpers.test.ts
@@ -255,6 +255,11 @@ describe("convert w3 storage to object store URL", () => {
         defaultProjectId: "defaultProject1",
       },
     };
+    const mockAsset3 = {
+      id: "asset3",
+      userId: "test",
+      projectId: undefined,
+    };
 
     const assetList = [mockAsset, mockAsset2];
 
@@ -281,6 +286,9 @@ describe("convert w3 storage to object store URL", () => {
     // nonAdmin + multipleAssets
     result = await addDefaultProjectId(assetList, mockReq, mockRes);
     expect(result[0].projectId).toBe("defaultProject1");
+    // nonAdmin + missing user subitem
+    result = await addDefaultProjectId(mockAsset3, mockReq, mockRes);
+    expect(result.projectId).toBe("defaultProject1");
     mockReq.user.admin = true;
     mockReq.user.defaultProjectId = "adminProjectId";
     // admin + singleAsset
diff --git a/packages/api/src/controllers/helpers.ts b/packages/api/src/controllers/helpers.ts
index ebb509d8b..c0815ef82 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/controllers/helpers.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/controllers/helpers.ts
@@ -771,45 +771,52 @@ export async function addDefaultProjectId(
     }
   };
 
-  const enrichResponseWithUserProjectId = (document) => {
-    if ("id" in document && "userId" in document && "user" in document) {
-      if (
-        (!document.projectId || document.projectId === "") &&
-        document.user?.defaultProjectId
-      ) {
-        document.projectId = document.user.defaultProjectId;
+  const enrichResponseWithUserProjectId = async (document) => {
+    if ("id" in document && "userId" in document) {
+      if (!document.projectId) {
+        if (document.user) {
+          document.projectId = document.user.defaultProjectId;
+        } else {
+          let user =
+            document.userId === req.user.id
+              ? req.user
+              : await db.user.get(document.userId, { useCache: true });
+          if (user.defaultProjectId) {
+            document.projectId = user.defaultProjectId;
+          }
+        }
       }
     }
   };
 
   const clonedBody = deepClone(body);
 
-  const processItem = (item) => {
+  const processItem = async (item) => {
     if (typeof item === "object" && item !== null) {
       if (req.user.admin) {
-        enrichResponseWithUserProjectId(item);
+        await enrichResponseWithUserProjectId(item);
       } else {
         enrichResponse(item);
       }
 
-      Object.values(item).forEach((subItem) => {
-        if (typeof subItem === "object" && subItem !== null) {
-          if (req.user.admin) {
-            enrichResponseWithUserProjectId(subItem);
-          } else {
-            enrichResponse(subItem);
+      await Promise.all(
+        Object.values(item).map(async (subItem) => {
+          if (typeof subItem === "object" && subItem !== null) {
+            if (req.user.admin) {
+              await enrichResponseWithUserProjectId(subItem);
+            } else {
+              enrichResponse(subItem);
+            }
           }
-        }
-      });
+        }),
+      );
     }
   };
 
   if (Array.isArray(clonedBody)) {
-    clonedBody.forEach((item) => {
-      processItem(item);
-    });
+    await Promise.all(clonedBody.map((item) => processItem(item)));
   } else if (typeof clonedBody === "object" && clonedBody !== null) {
-    processItem(clonedBody);
+    await processItem(clonedBody);
   }
 
   return clonedBody;
diff --git a/packages/api/src/controllers/stream.test.ts b/packages/api/src/controllers/stream.test.ts
index 53992e9ae..a2897bb35 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/controllers/stream.test.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/controllers/stream.test.ts
@@ -131,7 +131,8 @@ describe("controllers/stream", () => {
     } = await setupUsers(server, mockAdminUser, mockNonAdminUser));
     client.jwtAuth = adminToken;
 
-    projectId = await createProject(client);
+    let project = await createProject(client);
+    projectId = project.id;
     expect(projectId).toBeDefined();
   });