diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/Backend/User/DashboardController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/Backend/User/DashboardController.php
index adc7b863e..cfcca456e 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/Backend/User/DashboardController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/Backend/User/DashboardController.php
@@ -6,89 +6,103 @@
 use App\Http\Controllers\Controller;
 use App\Models\Status;
 use App\Models\User;
-use Carbon\Carbon;
 use Illuminate\Contracts\Pagination\Paginator;
 use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Builder;
 
 abstract class DashboardController extends Controller
 {
 
+    private static function getGenericQuery(User $user): Builder {
+        $query = Status::with([
+                                  'event',
+                                  'likes',
+                                  'user.blockedByUsers',
+                                  'user.blockedUsers',
+                                  'checkin',
+                                  'tags',
+                                  'mentions.mentioned',
+                                  'checkin.originStopover.station',
+                                  'checkin.destinationStopover.station',
+                                  'checkin.trip.stopovers.station'
+                              ])
+                       ->join('train_checkins', 'train_checkins.status_id', '=', 'statuses.id')
+                       ->join('train_stopovers AS origin_stopover', 'train_checkins.origin_stopover_id', '=', 'origin_stopover.id')
+                       ->join('users', 'statuses.user_id', '=', 'users.id')
+                       ->where('origin_stopover.departure_real', '<', now()->addMinutes(20))
+                       ->where('origin_stopover.departure_real', '>', now()->subDays(2)) //TODO: discuss - dashboard should show statuses from the last 2 days. This is a performance dealbreaker
+                       ->select('statuses.*')
+                       ->orderByDesc('origin_stopover.departure_real'); // TODO: manual_departure
+
+        // left join follows to check if user follows the status author (checked in caller function)
+        $query->leftJoin('follows', function($join) use ($user) {
+            $join->on('follows.follow_id', '=', 'users.id')
+                 ->where('follows.user_id', '=', $user->id);
+        });
+
+        return $query;
+    }
+
     public static function getPrivateDashboard(User $user): Paginator {
-        $followingIDs   = $user->follows->pluck('id');
-        $followingIDs[] = $user->id;
-        return Status::with([
-                                'event',
-                                'likes',
-                                'user.blockedByUsers',
-                                'user.blockedUsers',
-                                'checkin',
-                                'tags',
-                                'mentions.mentioned',
-                                'checkin.originStopover.station',
-                                'checkin.destinationStopover.station',
-                                'checkin.trip.stopovers.station'
-                            ])
-                     ->join('train_checkins', 'train_checkins.status_id', '=', 'statuses.id')
-                     ->select('statuses.*')
-                     ->where('train_checkins.departure', '<', Carbon::now()->addMinutes(20))
-                     ->orderBy('train_checkins.departure', 'desc')
-                     ->whereIn('statuses.user_id', $followingIDs)
-                     ->whereNotIn('statuses.user_id', $user->mutedUsers->pluck('id'))
+        $query = self::getGenericQuery($user);
+
+        return $query->whereNotNull('follows.id')
                      ->whereIn('statuses.visibility', [
                          StatusVisibility::PUBLIC->value,
                          StatusVisibility::FOLLOWERS->value,
                          StatusVisibility::AUTHENTICATED->value
                      ])
                      ->orWhere('statuses.user_id', $user->id)
-                     ->latest()
                      ->simplePaginate(15);
     }
 
     public static function getGlobalDashboard(User $user): Paginator {
-        return Status::with([
-                                'event',
-                                'likes',
-                                'user.blockedByUsers',
-                                'user.blockedUsers',
-                                'checkin',
-                                'mentions.mentioned',
-                                'tags',
-                                'checkin.originStopover.station',
-                                'checkin.destinationStopover.station',
-                                'checkin.trip.stopovers.station'
-                            ])
-                     ->join('train_checkins', 'train_checkins.status_id', '=', 'statuses.id')
-                     ->join('users', 'statuses.user_id', '=', 'users.id')
-                     ->where(function(Builder $query) use ($user) {
-                         //Visibility checks: One of the following options must be true
-
-                         //Option 1: User is public AND status is public
-                         $query->where(function(Builder $query) {
-                             $query->where('users.private_profile', 0)
-                                   ->whereIn('visibility', [
-                                       StatusVisibility::PUBLIC->value,
-                                       StatusVisibility::AUTHENTICATED->value
-                                   ]);
-                         });
-
-                         //Option 2: Status is from oneself
-                         $query->orWhere('users.id', $user->id);
-
-                         //Option 3: Status is from a followed BUT not unlisted or private
-                         $query->orWhere(function(Builder $query) use ($user) {
-                             $query->whereIn('users.id', $user->follows()->select('follow_id'))
-                                   ->whereNotIn('statuses.visibility', [
-                                       StatusVisibility::UNLISTED->value,
-                                       StatusVisibility::PRIVATE->value,
-                                   ]);
-                         });
-                     })
-                     ->where('train_checkins.departure', '<', Carbon::now()->addMinutes(20))
-                     ->whereNotIn('statuses.user_id', $user->mutedUsers()->select('muted_id'))
-                     ->whereNotIn('statuses.user_id', $user->blockedUsers()->select('blocked_id'))
-                     ->whereNotIn('statuses.user_id', $user->blockedByUsers()->select('user_id'))
-                     ->select('statuses.*')
-                     ->orderByDesc('train_checkins.departure')
-                     ->simplePaginate(15);
+        $query = self::getGenericQuery($user);
+
+        // exclude muted users
+        $query->leftJoin('user_mutes', function($join) use ($user) {
+            $join->on('user_mutes.muted_id', '=', 'users.id')
+                 ->where('user_mutes.user_id', '=', $user->id);
+        })->whereNull('user_mutes.id');
+
+        // exclude blocked users
+        $query->leftJoin('user_blocks AS blocked_users', function($join) use ($user) {
+            $join->on('blocked_users.blocked_id', '=', 'users.id')
+                 ->where('blocked_users.user_id', '=', $user->id);
+        })->whereNull('blocked_users.id');
+
+        // exclude blocked by users
+        $query->leftJoin('user_blocks AS blocked_by_users', function($join) use ($user) {
+            $join->on('blocked_by_users.user_id', '=', 'users.id')
+                 ->where('blocked_by_users.blocked_id', '=', $user->id);
+        })->whereNull('blocked_by_users.id');
+
+        // only show statuses user is allowed to see
+        $query->where(function(Builder $query) use ($user) {
+            //Visibility checks: One of the following options must be true
+
+            //Option 1: User is public AND status is public
+            $query->where(function(Builder $query) {
+                $query->where('users.private_profile', 0)
+                      ->whereIn('visibility', [
+                          StatusVisibility::PUBLIC->value,
+                          StatusVisibility::AUTHENTICATED->value
+                      ]);
+            });
+
+            //Option 2: Status is from oneself
+            $query->orWhere('users.id', $user->id);
+
+            //Option 3: Status is from a followed BUT not unlisted or private
+            $query->orWhere(function(Builder $query) {
+                // see join above
+                $query->whereNotNull('follows.id')
+                      ->whereNotIn('statuses.visibility', [
+                          StatusVisibility::UNLISTED->value,
+                          StatusVisibility::PRIVATE->value,
+                      ]);
+            });
+        });
+
+        return $query->simplePaginate(15);
     }
 }
diff --git a/database/migrations/2024_06_24_000000_add_status_id_departure_index_to_checkins.php b/database/migrations/2024_06_24_000000_add_status_id_departure_index_to_checkins.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..471e0eff7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/migrations/2024_06_24_000000_add_status_id_departure_index_to_checkins.php
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+<?php
+
+use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
+use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
+
+return new class extends Migration
+{
+    public function up(): void {
+        Schema::table('train_checkins', static function(Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->index(['status_id', 'departure']);
+        });
+    }
+
+    public function down(): void {
+        Schema::table('train_checkins', static function(Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->dropIndex(['status_id', 'departure']);
+        });
+    }
+};
diff --git a/database/migrations/2024_06_24_000001_add_id_departure_real_departure_planned_index_to_train_stopovers.php b/database/migrations/2024_06_24_000001_add_id_departure_real_departure_planned_index_to_train_stopovers.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..393271718
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/migrations/2024_06_24_000001_add_id_departure_real_departure_planned_index_to_train_stopovers.php
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+<?php
+
+use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
+use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
+
+return new class extends Migration
+{
+    public function up(): void {
+        Schema::table('train_stopovers', static function(Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->index(['id', 'departure_real', 'departure_planned']);
+        });
+    }
+
+    public function down(): void {
+        Schema::table('train_stopovers', static function(Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->dropIndex(['id', 'departure_real', 'departure_planned']);
+        });
+    }
+};
diff --git a/database/migrations/2024_06_24_000002_add_id_private_profile_index_to_users.php b/database/migrations/2024_06_24_000002_add_id_private_profile_index_to_users.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c3fed5a35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/migrations/2024_06_24_000002_add_id_private_profile_index_to_users.php
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+<?php
+
+use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
+use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
+
+return new class extends Migration
+{
+
+    public function up(): void {
+        Schema::table('users', static function(Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->index(['id', 'private_profile']);
+        });
+    }
+
+    public function down(): void {
+        Schema::table('users', static function(Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->dropIndex(['id', 'private_profile']);
+        });
+    }
+};
diff --git a/database/migrations/2024_06_24_000003_add_follow_id_user_id_index_to_follows.php b/database/migrations/2024_06_24_000003_add_follow_id_user_id_index_to_follows.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..08dd02986
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/migrations/2024_06_24_000003_add_follow_id_user_id_index_to_follows.php
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+<?php
+
+use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
+use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
+
+return new class extends Migration
+{
+    public function up(): void {
+        Schema::table('follows', static function(Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->index(['follow_id', 'user_id']);
+        });
+    }
+
+    public function down(): void {
+        Schema::table('follows', static function(Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->dropIndex(['follow_id', 'user_id']);
+        });
+    }
+};
diff --git a/database/seeders/UsersTableSeeder.php b/database/seeders/UsersTableSeeder.php
index 38ecc31dd..ded374d6c 100644
--- a/database/seeders/UsersTableSeeder.php
+++ b/database/seeders/UsersTableSeeder.php
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 use App\Models\IcsToken;
 use App\Models\User;
 use Illuminate\Database\Seeder;
-use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Hash;
 
 class UsersTableSeeder extends Seeder
 {
@@ -23,7 +22,6 @@ public function run(): void {
                                         'username' => 'Gertrud123',
                                         'name'     => 'Gertrud',
                                         'email'    => 'gertrud@traewelling.de',
-                                        'password' => Hash::make('thisisnotasecurepassword123'),
                                     ]);
             $gertrud->assignRole('admin');
             $gertrud->assignRole('closed-beta');
@@ -37,7 +35,6 @@ public function run(): void {
                              'avatar'          => null, // no avatar
                              'email'           => 'bob@example.com',
                              'private_profile' => true,
-                             'password'        => Hash::make('thisisnotasecurepassword123')
                          ]);
         }
 
diff --git a/docs/contributing/dev-setup.md b/docs/contributing/dev-setup.md
index 5c90c6b0c..52e8b8cfe 100644
--- a/docs/contributing/dev-setup.md
+++ b/docs/contributing/dev-setup.md
@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ php artisan passport:install
 Use your webserver of choice or the in php included dev server (`php artisan serve`) to boot the application.
 You should see the Träwelling homepage at http://localhost:8000.
 
+If you have seeded the database, you can log in using the following credentials:
+
+- Username: `Gertrud123` or `bob`
+- Password: `password`
+
 Additionally, for continuous functionality:
 
 - Create a cron job to run `php artisan schedule:run` every minute.