diff --git a/inc/Engine/Media/AboveTheFold/AJAX/Controller.php b/inc/Engine/Media/AboveTheFold/AJAX/Controller.php
index 4571a09b3a..59c1f3ea80 100644
--- a/inc/Engine/Media/AboveTheFold/AJAX/Controller.php
+++ b/inc/Engine/Media/AboveTheFold/AJAX/Controller.php
@@ -153,22 +153,6 @@ private function create_object( $image, $keys ) {
 		$object       = new \stdClass();
 		$object->type = $image->type ?? 'img';
 
-		if ( is_array( $image->src ) ) {
-			$sanitized_object_array = array_map(
-				function ( $item ) {
-					if ( ! empty( $item->src ) ) {
-						$item->src = $this->sanitize_image_url( $item->src );
-					}
-					return $item;
-				},
-				$image->src
-			);
-
-			$object->src = $sanitized_object_array;
-		} elseif ( ! empty( $image->src ) ) {
-			$object->src = $this->sanitize_image_url( $image->src );
-		}
-
 		switch ( $object->type ) {
 			case 'img-srcset':
 				// If the type is 'img-srcset', add all the required parameters to the object.
@@ -209,6 +193,13 @@ function ( $item ) {
 			return null;
 		}
 
+		// Returned objects must always have a src for front-end optimization.
+		// Except bg-img and bg-img-set for which we use bg_set only.
+		// To keep it simple and safe for now, we enforce src for all, pending a refactor.
+		if ( ! isset( $object->src ) ) {
+			$object->src = '';
+		}
+
 		return $object;
 	}
 
diff --git a/tests/Fixtures/inc/Engine/Media/AboveTheFold/AJAX/Controller/addLcpData.php b/tests/Fixtures/inc/Engine/Media/AboveTheFold/AJAX/Controller/addLcpData.php
index 4e403d227a..2266c2c9c2 100644
--- a/tests/Fixtures/inc/Engine/Media/AboveTheFold/AJAX/Controller/addLcpData.php
+++ b/tests/Fixtures/inc/Engine/Media/AboveTheFold/AJAX/Controller/addLcpData.php
@@ -324,7 +324,6 @@
 				'lcp'           => json_encode(
 					(object) [
 						'type' => 'bg-img',
-						'src'  => 'http://example.org/lcp.jpg',
 						'bg_set' => [
 							[
 								'src'  => 'http://example.org/anotherlcp.jpg'
@@ -332,7 +331,8 @@
 							[
 								'src'  => 'http://example.org/anotherlcp2.jpg'
 							],
-						]
+						],
+						'src'  => ''
 					],
 				),
 				'viewport'      => json_encode( [
@@ -352,15 +352,15 @@
 				'lcp'           => json_encode(
 					(object) [
 						'type' => 'bg-img',
-						'src'  => 'http://example.org/lcp.jpg',
 						'bg_set' => [
 							[
-							'src'  => 'http://example.org/anotherlcp.jpg'
+								'src'  => 'http://example.org/anotherlcp.jpg'
 							],
 							[
 								'src'  => 'http://example.org/anotherlcp2.jpg'
 							],
-						]
+						],
+						'src'  => ''
 					],
 				),
 				'viewport'      => json_encode( [
@@ -418,14 +418,6 @@
 				'lcp'           => json_encode(
 					(object) [
 						'type' => 'bg-img-set',
-						'src'   => [
-							[
-								'src' => 'http://example.org/lcp.jpg'
-							],
-							[
-								'src' => 'http://example.org/random.jpg'
-							]
-						],
 						'bg_set' => [
 							[
 								'src'  => 'http://example.org/anotherlcp.jpg'
@@ -433,7 +425,8 @@
 							[
 								'src'  => 'http://example.org/anotherlcp2.jpg'
 							],
-						]
+						],
+						'src'   => ''
 					],
 				),
 				'viewport'      => json_encode( [
@@ -453,14 +446,6 @@
 				'lcp'           => json_encode(
 					(object) [
 						'type' => 'bg-img-set',
-						'src'   => [
-							[
-								'src' => 'http://example.org/lcp.jpg'
-							],
-							[
-								'src' => 'http://example.org/random.jpg'
-							]
-						],
 						'bg_set' => [
 							[
 								'src'  => 'http://example.org/anotherlcp.jpg'
@@ -468,7 +453,8 @@
 							[
 								'src'  => 'http://example.org/anotherlcp2.jpg'
 							],
-						]
+						],
+						'src'   => ''
 					],
 				),
 				'viewport'      => json_encode( [