diff --git a/docs/api/openapi.yaml b/docs/api/openapi.yaml
index 747976e0e..002089ea5 100644
--- a/docs/api/openapi.yaml
+++ b/docs/api/openapi.yaml
@@ -8851,8 +8851,8 @@ paths:
       summary: Storage usage + effective limits
       description: "The caller's vault usage and effective limits: `usedBytes` (every non-purged row — tombstones inside the
         30-day undo grace still count), `quotaBytes` (per-user override ?? instance default), `maxFileBytes`
-        (admin-tunable per-file cap), and `acceptedExtensions` for picker `accept` lists. Read this before offering an
-        upload."
+        (admin-tunable per-file cap), `acceptedExtensions` for picker `accept` lists, and `linkedEpisodes` (episodes
+        carrying at least one live document link — the condition-filter chips). Read this before offering an upload."
       responses:
         "200":
           description: Usage + limits.
@@ -26021,11 +26021,25 @@ components:
           type: array
           items:
             type: string
+        linkedEpisodes:
+          type: array
+          items:
+            type: object
+            properties:
+              episodeId:
+                type: string
+              name:
+                type: string
+            required:
+              - episodeId
+              - name
+            additionalProperties: false
       required:
         - usedBytes
         - quotaBytes
         - maxFileBytes
         - acceptedExtensions
+        - linkedEpisodes
       additionalProperties: false
     DocumentBulkEnvelope:
       type: object
diff --git a/src/app/api/documents/inbound/usage/route.ts b/src/app/api/documents/inbound/usage/route.ts
index bdaf44be9..bd8171388 100644
--- a/src/app/api/documents/inbound/usage/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/documents/inbound/usage/route.ts
@@ -25,13 +25,23 @@ export const GET = apiHandler(async () => {
   const gate = await requireModuleEnabled(user.id, "inboundDocuments");
   if (!gate.enabled) return gate.response;
 
-  const [limits, rows] = await Promise.all([
+  const [limits, rows, linkRows] = await Promise.all([
     resolveDocumentLimits(user.id),
     prisma.$queryRaw<Array<{ used: bigint }>>`
       SELECT COALESCE(SUM(byte_size), 0)::bigint AS used
       FROM inbound_documents
       WHERE user_id = ${user.id}
     `,
+    // Episodes that carry at least one LIVE document link — the filter
+    // bar's condition chips. Sourced here (not from the loaded corpus) so
+    // a chip exists even when its documents sit pages deep in the
+    // timeline; one indexed grouped query, no blobs.
+    prisma.documentConditionLink.findMany({
+      where: { userId: user.id, document: { deletedAt: null } },
+      select: { episodeId: true, episode: { select: { label: true } } },
+      distinct: ["episodeId"],
+      orderBy: { episodeId: "asc" },
+    }),
   ]);
   const usedBytes = Number(rows[0]?.used ?? 0);
 
@@ -45,6 +55,10 @@ export const GET = apiHandler(async () => {
     quotaBytes: limits.quotaBytes,
     maxFileBytes: limits.maxFileBytes,
     acceptedExtensions: [...DOCUMENT_ACCEPTED_EXTENSIONS],
+    linkedEpisodes: linkRows.map((row) => ({
+      episodeId: row.episodeId,
+      name: row.episode.label,
+    })),
   };
   return apiSuccess(payload);
 });
diff --git a/src/components/documents/documents-view.tsx b/src/components/documents/documents-view.tsx
index 2075025d7..ea817d8b9 100644
--- a/src/components/documents/documents-view.tsx
+++ b/src/components/documents/documents-view.tsx
@@ -244,15 +244,15 @@ export function DocumentsView() {
 
   const episodes = useIllnessEpisodes(true);
 
-  // Condition chips: the user's episodes that actually carry links in the
-  // loaded corpus — plus the actively filtered episode (a deep link must
-  // always show its own chip, even before its documents load).
+  // Condition chips: every episode carrying at least one live document
+  // link, served by the usage endpoint (NOT derived from the loaded corpus
+  // — an old linked document pages deep must still surface its chip), plus
+  // the actively filtered episode (a deep link must always show its own
+  // chip, even when its last link was just removed).
   const conditionChips = useMemo<ConditionChip[]>(() => {
     const byId = new Map<string, string>();
-    for (const doc of documents) {
-      for (const link of doc.conditionLinks) {
-        if (!byId.has(link.episodeId)) byId.set(link.episodeId, link.name);
-      }
+    for (const link of usage.data?.linkedEpisodes ?? []) {
+      byId.set(link.episodeId, link.name);
     }
     if (filters.episodeId && !byId.has(filters.episodeId)) {
       const episode = episodes.data?.find((e) => e.id === filters.episodeId);
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ export function DocumentsView() {
     return [...byId.entries()]
       .map(([episodeId, name]) => ({ episodeId, name }))
       .sort((a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name));
-  }, [documents, filters.episodeId, episodes.data]);
+  }, [usage.data?.linkedEpisodes, filters.episodeId, episodes.data]);
 
   // Year segmenter: years present in the loaded corpus (+ the active year).
   const years = useMemo(() => {
diff --git a/src/lib/openapi/routes/documents.ts b/src/lib/openapi/routes/documents.ts
index c0798adcc..4a0b50aa1 100644
--- a/src/lib/openapi/routes/documents.ts
+++ b/src/lib/openapi/routes/documents.ts
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ export const inboundDocumentPaths: NonNullable<ZodOpenApiObject["paths"]> = {
       tags: ["Documents"],
       summary: "Storage usage + effective limits",
       description:
-        "The caller's vault usage and effective limits: `usedBytes` (every non-purged row — tombstones inside the 30-day undo grace still count), `quotaBytes` (per-user override ?? instance default), `maxFileBytes` (admin-tunable per-file cap), and `acceptedExtensions` for picker `accept` lists. Read this before offering an upload.",
+        "The caller's vault usage and effective limits: `usedBytes` (every non-purged row — tombstones inside the 30-day undo grace still count), `quotaBytes` (per-user override ?? instance default), `maxFileBytes` (admin-tunable per-file cap), `acceptedExtensions` for picker `accept` lists, and `linkedEpisodes` (episodes carrying at least one live document link — the condition-filter chips). Read this before offering an upload.",
       responses: {
         "200": {
           description: "Usage + limits.",
@@ -348,6 +348,12 @@ export const inboundDocumentPaths: NonNullable<ZodOpenApiObject["paths"]> = {
                     quotaBytes: z.number(),
                     maxFileBytes: z.number(),
                     acceptedExtensions: z.array(z.string()),
+                    linkedEpisodes: z.array(
+                      z.object({
+                        episodeId: z.string(),
+                        name: z.string(),
+                      }),
+                    ),
                   })
                   .meta({ id: "DocumentUsage" }),
                 "DocumentUsageEnvelope",
diff --git a/src/lib/validations/inbound-documents.ts b/src/lib/validations/inbound-documents.ts
index e7c8307e4..28b2f4841 100644
--- a/src/lib/validations/inbound-documents.ts
+++ b/src/lib/validations/inbound-documents.ts
@@ -517,4 +517,10 @@ export interface DocumentUsageDto {
   quotaBytes: number;
   maxFileBytes: number;
   acceptedExtensions: string[];
+  /**
+   * Episodes carrying at least one LIVE document link — the vault filter
+   * bar's condition chips. Sourced server-side so a chip exists even when
+   * every linked document sits pages deep in the timeline.
+   */
+  linkedEpisodes: DocumentConditionLinkDto[];
 }
diff --git a/tests/integration/documents-vault.test.ts b/tests/integration/documents-vault.test.ts
index a8833b6b0..16a4a92b9 100644
--- a/tests/integration/documents-vault.test.ts
+++ b/tests/integration/documents-vault.test.ts
@@ -682,16 +682,45 @@ describe("document vault — bulk + usage", () => {
       ctx(id),
     );
 
+    // Condition chips source: an episode linked to a LIVE document surfaces
+    // in `linkedEpisodes`; an episode whose only link sits on the tombstoned
+    // row does not.
+    const liveEpisode = await prisma.illnessEpisode.create({
+      data: {
+        userId: user.id,
+        label: "Knie",
+        type: "INJURY",
+        onsetAt: new Date("2026-01-01T00:00:00Z"),
+      },
+    });
+    const deadEpisode = await prisma.illnessEpisode.create({
+      data: {
+        userId: user.id,
+        label: "Erkältung",
+        type: "INFECTION",
+        onsetAt: new Date("2026-02-01T00:00:00Z"),
+      },
+    });
+    await post(
+      uploadRequest(PDF_SMALL, "knie.pdf", { episodeIds: [liveEpisode.id] }),
+    );
+    await prisma.documentConditionLink.create({
+      data: { documentId: id, episodeId: deadEpisode.id, userId: user.id },
+    });
+
     const res = await getUsage(
       new Request("http://localhost/api/documents/inbound/usage"),
     );
     expect(res.status).toBe(200);
     const { data } = await res.json();
     // Tombstoned bytes still count until the purge reclaims them.
-    expect(data.usedBytes).toBe(PNG_1X1.byteLength);
+    expect(data.usedBytes).toBe(PNG_1X1.byteLength + PDF_SMALL.byteLength);
     expect(data.quotaBytes).toBe(123_456_789);
     expect(data.maxFileBytes).toBe(26_214_400);
     expect(data.acceptedExtensions).toContain(".pdf");
     expect(data.acceptedExtensions).not.toContain(".heic");
+    expect(data.linkedEpisodes).toEqual([
+      { episodeId: liveEpisode.id, name: "Knie" },
+    ]);
   });
 });