diff --git a/src/layers/streetLevel/providers/kartaview/index.js b/src/layers/streetLevel/providers/kartaview/index.js
index a056771dc..b7eb0f567 100644
--- a/src/layers/streetLevel/providers/kartaview/index.js
+++ b/src/layers/streetLevel/providers/kartaview/index.js
@@ -440,8 +440,14 @@ export function createKartaViewProvider({
             if (metres <= NEAREST_RADIUS_M) near.push({ photo, metres });
           }
           near.sort((a, b) => a.metres - b.metres);
-          for (const { photo } of near.slice(0, NEAREST_PROBES))
-            if (await showable(photo, { signal })) return photo.id;
+          // Probed side by side (photo storage is not the API host): the
+          // nearest one that answers wins.
+          const candidates = near.slice(0, NEAREST_PROBES);
+          const answers = await Promise.all(
+            candidates.map(({ photo }) => showable(photo, { signal })),
+          );
+          const hit = candidates.find((_, i) => answers[i]);
+          if (hit) return hit.photo.id;
           if (near.length) throw new Error(ARCHIVED_MESSAGE);
           return null;
         },
diff --git a/src/layers/streetLevel/providers/kartaview/policy.js b/src/layers/streetLevel/providers/kartaview/policy.js
index d2d75b5e2..699f7d519 100644
--- a/src/layers/streetLevel/providers/kartaview/policy.js
+++ b/src/layers/streetLevel/providers/kartaview/policy.js
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ export const PAGE_TIMEOUT_MS = 30_000;
 export const IMAGE_TIMEOUT_MS = 15_000;
 /** Whether a photo file is there (not archived): headers only. */
 export const IMAGE_PROBE_TIMEOUT_MS = 8_000;
-/** Nearest photos tried before giving up on archived ones. */
-export const NEAREST_PROBES = 4;
+/** Nearest photos probed (at once) before giving up on archived ones; ‹ › skip this many. */
+export const NEAREST_PROBES = 6;
 export const ARCHIVED_MESSAGE =
   'KartaView’s photos here are archived and cannot be shown';