diff --git a/server/api/v1/object/[id]/index.get.ts b/server/api/v1/object/[id]/index.get.ts
index b060d5e..7bb63ab 100644
--- a/server/api/v1/object/[id]/index.get.ts
+++ b/server/api/v1/object/[id]/index.get.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,16 @@ export default defineEventHandler(async (h3) => {
   if (!object)
     throw createError({ statusCode: 404, statusMessage: "Object not found" });
 
+  // https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Reference/Headers/ETag
+  const etagValue = h3.headers.get("If-None-Match");
+  if (etagValue !== null) {
+    // would compare if etag is valid, but objects should never change
+    setResponseStatus(h3, 304);
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  // just return object id has etag since object should never change
+  setHeader(h3, "ETag", id);
   setHeader(h3, "Content-Type", object.mime);
   setHeader(
     h3,
diff --git a/server/api/v1/object/[id]/index.head.ts b/server/api/v1/object/[id]/index.head.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a981568
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/api/v1/object/[id]/index.head.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import aclManager from "~/server/internal/acls";
+import objectHandler from "~/server/internal/objects";
+
+// this request method is purely used by the browser to check if etag values are still valid
+export default defineEventHandler(async (h3) => {
+  const id = getRouterParam(h3, "id");
+  if (!id) throw createError({ statusCode: 400, statusMessage: "Invalid ID" });
+
+  const userId = await aclManager.getUserIdACL(h3, ["object:read"]);
+
+  const object = await objectHandler.fetchWithPermissions(id, userId);
+  if (!object)
+    throw createError({ statusCode: 404, statusMessage: "Object not found" });
+
+  // https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Reference/Headers/ETag
+  const etagValue = h3.headers.get("If-None-Match");
+  if (etagValue !== null) {
+    // would compare if etag is valid, but objects should never change
+    setResponseStatus(h3, 304);
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  return null;
+});