diff --git a/fastembed/image/transform/functional.py b/fastembed/image/transform/functional.py
index e3b977db..bfe353bd 100644
--- a/fastembed/image/transform/functional.py
+++ b/fastembed/image/transform/functional.py
@@ -186,7 +186,8 @@ def resize_longest_edge(
     if new_width % 2 != 0:
         new_width += 1
 
-    return image.resize((new_width, new_height), resample)
+    # A very narrow image can round down to zero along its shorter edge.
+    return image.resize((max(1, new_width), max(1, new_height)), resample)
 
 
 def crop_ndarray(
diff --git a/fastembed/image/transform/operators.py b/fastembed/image/transform/operators.py
index 5c747b85..669cfcdc 100644
--- a/fastembed/image/transform/operators.py
+++ b/fastembed/image/transform/operators.py
@@ -191,7 +191,15 @@ def __init__(
         self.resample = resample
 
     def __call__(self, images: list[NumpyArray]) -> list[list[NumpyArray]]:  # type: ignore[override]
+        patches, _ = self.split_with_grid(images)
+        return patches
+
+    def split_with_grid(
+        self, images: list[NumpyArray]
+    ) -> tuple[list[list[NumpyArray]], list[tuple[int, int]]]:
+        """Return patches and their (rows, cols), or (0, 0) for unsplit images."""
         result = []
+        image_grid = []
 
         for image in images:
             # Assume (C, H, W) format
@@ -204,6 +212,7 @@ def __call__(self, images: list[NumpyArray]) -> list[list[NumpyArray]]:  # type:
                 # Calculate the number of splits needed
                 num_splits_h = math.ceil(height / max_height)
                 num_splits_w = math.ceil(width / max_width)
+                image_grid.append((num_splits_h, num_splits_w))
 
                 # Calculate optimal patch dimensions
                 optimal_height = math.ceil(height / num_splits_h)
@@ -234,12 +243,13 @@ def __call__(self, images: list[NumpyArray]) -> list[list[NumpyArray]]:  # type:
                 frames.append(global_view)
             else:
                 # Image is small enough, no splitting needed
+                image_grid.append((0, 0))
                 frames.append(image)
 
             # Append (not extend) to preserve per-image grouping
             result.append(frames)
 
-        return result
+        return result, image_grid
 
 
 class SquareResize(Transform):
@@ -272,10 +282,23 @@ def __init__(self, transforms: list[Transform]):
         self.transforms = transforms
 
     def __call__(
-        self, images: list[Image.Image] | list[NumpyArray]
+        self,
+        images: list[Image.Image] | list[NumpyArray],
+        *,
+        metadata: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
     ) -> list[NumpyArray] | list[Image.Image]:
+        """Apply transforms without changing their usual return type.
+
+        If supplied, metadata["image_grid"] records (rows, cols) for each image,
+        or (0, 0) for images that are not split.
+        """
+        if metadata is not None:
+            metadata["image_grid"] = [(0, 0) for _ in images]
         for transform in self.transforms:
-            images = transform(images)
+            if metadata is not None and isinstance(transform, ImageSplitter):
+                images, metadata["image_grid"] = transform.split_with_grid(images)  # type: ignore[assignment,arg-type]
+            else:
+                images = transform(images)
         return images
 
     @classmethod
diff --git a/fastembed/late_interaction_multimodal/colmodernvbert.py b/fastembed/late_interaction_multimodal/colmodernvbert.py
index f8fe0154..f64b14fa 100644
--- a/fastembed/late_interaction_multimodal/colmodernvbert.py
+++ b/fastembed/late_interaction_multimodal/colmodernvbert.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import json
 
 import numpy as np
+import onnxruntime as ort
 from tokenizers import Encoding
 from PIL import Image
 
@@ -27,9 +28,10 @@
         description="The late-interaction version of ModernVBERT, CPU friendly, English, 2025.",
         license="mit",
         size_in_GB=1.0,
+        # TEMPORARY: test copy of the re-exported model, switch back to Qdrant/colmodernvbert before merging
         sources=ModelSource(hf="Qdrant/colmodernvbert"),
         additional_files=["processor_config.json"],
-        model_file="model.onnx",
+        model_file="model_v2.onnx",
     ),
 ]
 
@@ -125,6 +127,13 @@ def _list_supported_models(cls) -> list[DenseModelDescription]:
         return supported_colmodernvbert_models
 
     def load_onnx_model(self) -> None:
+        # onnxruntime 1.18 crashes the whole process while optimizing this graph (an access violation
+        # on Windows, a failed bounds check on Linux), and 1.17 can't read its IR version
+        if tuple(int(part) for part in ort.__version__.split(".")[:2]) < (1, 19):
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                f"Could not load {self.model_name}: it requires onnxruntime>=1.19, but "
+                f"onnxruntime {ort.__version__} is installed. Please upgrade onnxruntime."
+            )
         self._load_onnx_model(
             model_dir=self._model_dir,
             model_file=self.model_description.model_file,
@@ -168,12 +177,13 @@ def _preprocess_onnx_text_input(
         Returns:
             Iterable[NumpyArray]: Post-processed output as NumPy arrays.
         """
-        batch_size, seq_length = onnx_input["input_ids"].shape
-        empty_image_placeholder: NumpyArray = np.zeros(
-            (batch_size, seq_length, 3, self.image_size, self.image_size),
+        # one blank tile for the whole batch: the model drops blank tiles and skips the vision
+        # encoder; zero tiles would also skip it, but CUDA can't reduce the resulting empty tensor
+        blank_image_placeholder: NumpyArray = np.zeros(
+            (1, 1, 3, self.image_size, self.image_size),
             dtype=np.float32,  # type: ignore[type-var,arg-type,assignment]
         )
-        onnx_input["pixel_values"] = empty_image_placeholder
+        onnx_input["pixel_values"] = blank_image_placeholder
         return onnx_input
 
     def _post_process_onnx_text_output(
@@ -189,7 +199,10 @@ def _post_process_onnx_text_output(
         Returns:
             Iterable[NumpyArray]: Post-processed output as NumPy arrays.
         """
-        return output.model_output
+        assert output.attention_mask is not None
+        # drop the padding rows, so a query gets the same vectors whatever else is in its batch
+        for embedding, attention_mask in zip(output.model_output, output.attention_mask):
+            yield embedding[attention_mask == 1]
 
     def tokenize(self, documents: list[str], **kwargs: Any) -> list[Encoding]:
         # Add query augmentation tokens (matching process_queries logic from colpali-engine)
@@ -222,16 +235,21 @@ def onnx_embed_image(self, images: list[ImageInput], **kwargs: Any) -> OnnxOutpu
                 for image in images
             ]
             assert self.processor is not None, "Processor is not initialized"
-            processed = self.processor(image_files)
+            processor_metadata: dict[str, Any] = {}
+            processed = self.processor(image_files, metadata=processor_metadata)
             encoded, attention_mask, metadata = self._process_nested_patches(processed)  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+            metadata.update(processor_metadata)
 
         onnx_input = {"pixel_values": encoded, "attention_mask": attention_mask}
-        onnx_input = self._preprocess_onnx_image_input(onnx_input, **kwargs)
+        onnx_input = self._preprocess_onnx_image_input(
+            onnx_input, image_grid=metadata["image_grid"], **kwargs
+        )
         model_output = self.model.run(None, onnx_input)  # type: ignore[union-attr]
 
         return OnnxOutputContext(
             model_output=model_output[0],
-            attention_mask=attention_mask,  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+            # the token mask, not the tile mask: post-processing drops the padding rows with it
+            attention_mask=onnx_input["attention_mask"],  # type: ignore[arg-type]
             metadata=metadata,
         )
 
@@ -276,17 +294,22 @@ def _process_nested_patches(
         return encoded, attention_mask, metadata  # type: ignore[return-value]
 
     def _preprocess_onnx_image_input(
-        self, onnx_input: dict[str, np.ndarray], **kwargs: Any
+        self,
+        onnx_input: dict[str, np.ndarray],
+        *,
+        image_grid: list[tuple[int, int]] | None = None,
+        **kwargs: Any,
     ) -> dict[str, NumpyArray]:
         """
         Add text input placeholders for image data, following Idefics3 processing logic.
 
-        Constructs input_ids dynamically based on the actual number of image patches,
-        using the same token expansion logic as Idefics3Processor.
+        Constructs input_ids from the actual image patch grid, using the same
+        token expansion logic as Idefics3Processor.
 
         Args:
             onnx_input: Dict with 'pixel_values' (batch, num_patches, C, H, W)
                         and 'attention_mask' (batch, num_patches) indicating real patches
+            image_grid: Actual (rows, cols) from image splitting, (0, 0) if unsplit
             **kwargs: Additional arguments
 
         Returns:
@@ -298,15 +321,18 @@ def _preprocess_onnx_image_input(
         pixel_values = onnx_input["pixel_values"]
 
         batch_size = pixel_values.shape[0]
+        if image_grid is None or len(image_grid) != batch_size:
+            raise ValueError("The image patch grid is required for each image in the batch")
         batch_input_ids = []
 
-        # Build input_ids for each image based on its actual patch count
-        for i in range(batch_size):
+        # A patch count cannot distinguish portrait, landscape, and square grids.
+        for i, (rows, cols) in enumerate(image_grid):
             # Count real patches (non-padded) from attention mask
             patch_count = int(np.sum(patch_attention_mask[i]))
 
-            # Compute rows/cols from patch count
-            rows, cols = self._compute_rows_cols_from_patches(patch_count)
+            valid_grid = (rows == 0 and cols == 0) or (rows > 0 and cols > 0)
+            if not valid_grid or rows * cols + 1 != patch_count:
+                raise ValueError("The image patch grid does not match the number of patches")
 
             # Build input_ids for this image
             input_ids = self._build_input_ids_for_image(rows, cols)
@@ -340,31 +366,6 @@ def _preprocess_onnx_image_input(
         onnx_input["attention_mask"] = attention_mask
         return onnx_input
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def _compute_rows_cols_from_patches(patch_count: int) -> tuple[int, int]:
-        if patch_count <= 1:
-            return 0, 0
-
-        # Subtract 1 for the global image
-        grid_patches = patch_count - 1
-
-        # Find rows and cols (assume square or near-square grid)
-        rows = int(grid_patches**0.5)
-        cols = grid_patches // rows
-
-        # Verify the calculation
-        if rows * cols + 1 != patch_count:
-            # Handle non-square grids
-            for r in range(1, grid_patches + 1):
-                if grid_patches % r == 0:
-                    c = grid_patches // r
-                    if r * c + 1 == patch_count:
-                        return r, c
-            # Fallback: treat as unsplit
-            return 0, 0
-
-        return rows, cols
-
     def _create_single_image_prompt_string(self) -> str:
         return (
             "<fake_token_around_image>"
@@ -427,9 +428,13 @@ def _post_process_onnx_image_output(
             Iterable[NumpyArray]: Post-processed output as NumPy arrays.
         """
         assert self.model_description.dim is not None, "Model dim is not defined"
-        return output.model_output.reshape(
+        assert output.attention_mask is not None
+        embeddings: NumpyArray = output.model_output.reshape(
             output.model_output.shape[0], -1, self.model_description.dim
         )
+        # drop the padding rows, so an image gets the same vectors whatever else is in its batch
+        for embedding, attention_mask in zip(embeddings, output.attention_mask):
+            yield embedding[attention_mask == 1]
 
     def embed_text(
         self,
@@ -470,7 +475,7 @@ def embed_text(
     def embed_image(
         self,
         images: ImageInput | Iterable[ImageInput],
-        batch_size: int = 16,
+        batch_size: int = 2,
         parallel: Optional[int] = None,
         **kwargs: Any,
     ) -> Iterable[NumpyArray]:
@@ -479,7 +484,8 @@ def embed_image(
 
         Args:
             images: Iterator of image paths or single image path to embed
-            batch_size: Batch size for encoding -- higher values will use more memory, but be faster
+            batch_size: Batch size for encoding -- every image is split into up to 17 tiles, so
+                memory grows quickly with it, while on CPU larger batches are not faster
             parallel:
                 If > 1, data-parallel encoding will be used, recommended for offline encoding of large datasets.
                 If 0, use all available cores.
diff --git a/fastembed/late_interaction_multimodal/late_interaction_multimodal_embedding.py b/fastembed/late_interaction_multimodal/late_interaction_multimodal_embedding.py
index 4318409b..689b646f 100644
--- a/fastembed/late_interaction_multimodal/late_interaction_multimodal_embedding.py
+++ b/fastembed/late_interaction_multimodal/late_interaction_multimodal_embedding.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import warnings
 from typing import Any, Iterable, Sequence, Type
 from dataclasses import asdict
 
@@ -67,6 +68,14 @@ def __init__(
         **kwargs: Any,
     ):
         super().__init__(model_name, cache_dir, threads, **kwargs)
+        # keep for a couple of releases after the 2026-10 re-export of the model
+        if model_name.lower() == "qdrant/colmodernvbert":
+            warnings.warn(
+                "The model 'Qdrant/colmodernvbert' has been updated: re-embed images that were "
+                "embedded in batches with images of other aspect ratios.",
+                UserWarning,
+                stacklevel=2,
+            )
         for EMBEDDING_MODEL_TYPE in self.EMBEDDINGS_REGISTRY:
             supported_models = EMBEDDING_MODEL_TYPE._list_supported_models()
             if any(model_name.lower() == model.model.lower() for model in supported_models):
@@ -147,7 +156,7 @@ def embed_text(
     def embed_image(
         self,
         images: ImageInput | Iterable[ImageInput],
-        batch_size: int = 16,
+        batch_size: int = 2,
         parallel: int | None = None,
         **kwargs: Any,
     ) -> Iterable[NumpyArray]:
diff --git a/tests/test_late_interaction_multimodal.py b/tests/test_late_interaction_multimodal.py
index 5237475a..78e7f874 100644
--- a/tests/test_late_interaction_multimodal.py
+++ b/tests/test_late_interaction_multimodal.py
@@ -130,11 +130,27 @@ def test_single_embedding(model_cache):
             assert np.allclose(result[:token_num, :abridged_dim], expected_result, atol=2e-3)
 
 
-def test_single_embedding_query(model_cache):
-    # text inputs get a zero image placeholder per token, so this is as slow as the image tests
+def test_batch_embedding_mixed_tile_counts(model_cache):
+    # image splitting makes colmodernvbert slow on CI runners, so only linux runs it
     if platform.system() != "Linux" and os.getenv("CI"):
         pytest.skip("too slow on macOS and Windows CI runners")
 
+    model_name = "Qdrant/colmodernvbert"
+    image = Image.open(TEST_MISC_DIR / "image.jpeg")
+    # the 4:1 strip is split into 5 tiles and the full image into 13, so the strip gets padded
+    # with empty tiles, which must not leak into the image after it
+    strip = image.crop((0, 0, image.width, image.width // 4))
+    mixed_images = [strip, image]
+    with model_cache(model_name) as model:
+        batch_result = list(model.embed_image(mixed_images, batch_size=len(mixed_images)))
+        single_result = list(model.embed_image(mixed_images, batch_size=1))
+
+    for batch_value, single_value in zip(batch_result, single_result):
+        assert batch_value.shape == single_value.shape
+        assert np.allclose(batch_value, single_value, atol=1e-3)
+
+
+def test_single_embedding_query(model_cache):
     for model_name, expected_result in CANONICAL_QUERY_VALUES.items():
         if model_name.lower() == "Qdrant/colpali-v1.3-fp16".lower() and os.getenv("CI"):
             continue  # colpali is too large for ci