diff --git a/react/src/components/Products.jsx b/react/src/components/Products.jsx
index 565dae03..4802e510 100644
--- a/react/src/components/Products.jsx
+++ b/react/src/components/Products.jsx
@@ -134,13 +134,11 @@ function Products({ frontendSlowdown, backend, productsExtremelySlow, productsBe
     <div>
       <ul className="products-list">
         {products.map((product, i) => {
-          // Ensure reviews is an array and handle edge cases
-          const reviews = Array.isArray(product.reviews) ? product.reviews : [];
           const averageRating = (
-            reviews.length > 0
-              ? reviews.reduce((a, b) => a + (b['rating'] || 0), 0) / reviews.length
-              : 0
+            product.reviews.reduce((a, b) => a + (b['rating'] || 0), 0) /
+            product.reviews.length
           ).toFixed(1);
+
           let stars = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].map((index) => {
             if (index <= averageRating) {
               return (
diff --git a/ruby-on-rails/app/controllers/api/v1/products_controller.rb b/ruby-on-rails/app/controllers/api/v1/products_controller.rb
index ace44196..69ef7197 100644
--- a/ruby-on-rails/app/controllers/api/v1/products_controller.rb
+++ b/ruby-on-rails/app/controllers/api/v1/products_controller.rb
@@ -3,18 +3,32 @@ def index
     # get Sentry tags in application_controller.rb
     set_Sentry_tags
 
-
     transaction = Sentry.get_current_scope.get_transaction || Sentry.start_transaction(name: "custom transaction")
 
     span_products_db = transaction.start_child(op: "custom.products_db_call")
-    # Eager load reviews to prevent n+1 queries and ensure proper serialization
-    products = Products.includes(:reviews)
-      .select("id, title, description, descriptionfull, price, img, imgcropped")
+    sleep 0.25
+    products = Products.select("id, title, description, descriptionfull, price, img, imgcropped, Null as pg_sleep, Null as reviews")
+    sleep 0.25
     span_products_db.finish
     
-    # Use the serializer to properly format the response
-    render json: products, each_serializer: ProductSerializer, status: 200
-  end
+    # n+1 to db if done this way
+    products.each do |prod_slow|
+      span_products_slow_db = transaction.start_child(op: "custom.reviews_slow_db_call")
+      prod_slow["pg_sleep"] = ""
+      prod_slow["reviews"] = []
+      prod_slow["reviews"] = Reviews.select("id, productid, rating, customerid, description, created, Null as pg_sleep").where("productid="+prod_slow.id.to_s)
+      span_products_slow_db.finish
+    end
+
+    # fewer db calls this way -- done in products-join
+    # span_reviews_db = transaction.start_child(op: "custom.reviews_db_call")
+    # sleep 0.25
+    # reviews = Reviews.select("id, productid, rating, customerid, description, created, Null as pg_sleep")
+    # sleep 0.25
+    # span_reviews_db.finish
+
+    # span_response = transaction.start_child(op: "custom.construct_response_object")
+    # products.each do |prod|  
     #   prod["pg_sleep"] = ""
     #   reviews_arr = []
     #   reviews.each do |review|
@@ -26,7 +40,7 @@ def index
     # end
     # span_response.finish
 
-    render json: products.to_a, status: 200
+    render json: products, each_serializer: ProductSerializer, status: 200
   end
 
   # sent here if unexpected route was enterered