diff --git a/crates/bevy_asset/src/loader.rs b/crates/bevy_asset/src/loader.rs
index cbc5aac3c1..452e8027db 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_asset/src/loader.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_asset/src/loader.rs
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ pub trait ErasedAssetLoader: Send + Sync + 'static {
     fn load<'a>(
         &'a self,
         reader: &'a mut dyn Reader,
-        meta: Box<dyn AssetMetaDyn>,
+        meta: &'a dyn AssetMetaDyn,
         load_context: LoadContext<'a>,
     ) -> BoxedFuture<
         'a,
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ where
     fn load<'a>(
         &'a self,
         reader: &'a mut dyn Reader,
-        meta: Box<dyn AssetMetaDyn>,
+        meta: &'a dyn AssetMetaDyn,
         mut load_context: LoadContext<'a>,
     ) -> BoxedFuture<
         'a,
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ where
             let asset = <L as AssetLoader>::load(self, reader, settings, &mut load_context)
                 .await
                 .map_err(Into::into)?;
-            Ok(load_context.finish(asset, Some(meta)).into())
+            Ok(load_context.finish(asset).into())
         })
     }
 
@@ -147,12 +147,11 @@ pub struct LoadedAsset<A: Asset> {
     pub(crate) dependencies: HashSet<UntypedAssetId>,
     pub(crate) loader_dependencies: HashMap<AssetPath<'static>, AssetHash>,
     pub(crate) labeled_assets: HashMap<CowArc<'static, str>, LabeledAsset>,
-    pub(crate) meta: Option<Box<dyn AssetMetaDyn>>,
 }
 
 impl<A: Asset> LoadedAsset<A> {
     /// Create a new loaded asset. This will use [`VisitAssetDependencies`](crate::VisitAssetDependencies) to populate `dependencies`.
-    pub fn new_with_dependencies(value: A, meta: Option<Box<dyn AssetMetaDyn>>) -> Self {
+    pub fn new_with_dependencies(value: A) -> Self {
         let mut dependencies = <HashSet<_>>::default();
         value.visit_dependencies(&mut |id| {
             dependencies.insert(id);
@@ -162,7 +161,6 @@ impl<A: Asset> LoadedAsset<A> {
             dependencies,
             loader_dependencies: HashMap::default(),
             labeled_assets: HashMap::default(),
-            meta,
         }
     }
 
@@ -192,7 +190,7 @@ impl<A: Asset> LoadedAsset<A> {
 
 impl<A: Asset> From<A> for LoadedAsset<A> {
     fn from(asset: A) -> Self {
-        LoadedAsset::new_with_dependencies(asset, None)
+        LoadedAsset::new_with_dependencies(asset)
     }
 }
 
@@ -202,7 +200,6 @@ pub struct ErasedLoadedAsset {
     pub(crate) dependencies: HashSet<UntypedAssetId>,
     pub(crate) loader_dependencies: HashMap<AssetPath<'static>, AssetHash>,
     pub(crate) labeled_assets: HashMap<CowArc<'static, str>, LabeledAsset>,
-    pub(crate) meta: Option<Box<dyn AssetMetaDyn>>,
 }
 
 impl<A: Asset> From<LoadedAsset<A>> for ErasedLoadedAsset {
@@ -212,7 +209,6 @@ impl<A: Asset> From<LoadedAsset<A>> for ErasedLoadedAsset {
             dependencies: asset.dependencies,
             loader_dependencies: asset.loader_dependencies,
             labeled_assets: asset.labeled_assets,
-            meta: asset.meta,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -254,7 +250,6 @@ impl ErasedLoadedAsset {
 
     /// Cast this loaded asset as the given type. If the type does not match,
     /// the original type-erased asset is returned.
-    #[expect(clippy::result_large_err, reason = "Function returns `Self` on error.")]
     pub fn downcast<A: Asset>(mut self) -> Result<LoadedAsset<A>, ErasedLoadedAsset> {
         match self.value.downcast::<A>() {
             Ok(value) => Ok(LoadedAsset {
@@ -262,7 +257,6 @@ impl ErasedLoadedAsset {
                 dependencies: self.dependencies,
                 loader_dependencies: self.loader_dependencies,
                 labeled_assets: self.labeled_assets,
-                meta: self.meta,
             }),
             Err(value) => {
                 self.value = value;
@@ -364,7 +358,7 @@ impl<'a> LoadContext<'a> {
     /// for i in 0..2 {
     ///     let mut labeled = load_context.begin_labeled_asset();
     ///     handles.push(std::thread::spawn(move || {
-    ///         (i.to_string(), labeled.finish(Image::default(), None))
+    ///         (i.to_string(), labeled.finish(Image::default()))
     ///     }));
     /// }
     ///
@@ -397,7 +391,7 @@ impl<'a> LoadContext<'a> {
     ) -> Handle<A> {
         let mut context = self.begin_labeled_asset();
         let asset = load(&mut context);
-        let loaded_asset = context.finish(asset, None);
+        let loaded_asset = context.finish(asset);
         self.add_loaded_labeled_asset(label, loaded_asset)
     }
 
@@ -451,13 +445,12 @@ impl<'a> LoadContext<'a> {
 
     /// "Finishes" this context by populating the final [`Asset`] value (and the erased [`AssetMeta`] value, if it exists).
     /// The relevant asset metadata collected in this context will be stored in the returned [`LoadedAsset`].
-    pub fn finish<A: Asset>(self, value: A, meta: Option<Box<dyn AssetMetaDyn>>) -> LoadedAsset<A> {
+    pub fn finish<A: Asset>(self, value: A) -> LoadedAsset<A> {
         LoadedAsset {
             value,
             dependencies: self.dependencies,
             loader_dependencies: self.loader_dependencies,
             labeled_assets: self.labeled_assets,
-            meta,
         }
     }
 
@@ -524,7 +517,7 @@ impl<'a> LoadContext<'a> {
     pub(crate) async fn load_direct_internal(
         &mut self,
         path: AssetPath<'static>,
-        meta: Box<dyn AssetMetaDyn>,
+        meta: &dyn AssetMetaDyn,
         loader: &dyn ErasedAssetLoader,
         reader: &mut dyn Reader,
     ) -> Result<ErasedLoadedAsset, LoadDirectError> {
@@ -543,10 +536,7 @@ impl<'a> LoadContext<'a> {
                 dependency: path.clone(),
                 error,
             })?;
-        let info = loaded_asset
-            .meta
-            .as_ref()
-            .and_then(|m| m.processed_info().as_ref());
+        let info = meta.processed_info().as_ref();
         let hash = info.map(|i| i.full_hash).unwrap_or_default();
         self.loader_dependencies.insert(path, hash);
         Ok(loaded_asset)
diff --git a/crates/bevy_asset/src/loader_builders.rs b/crates/bevy_asset/src/loader_builders.rs
index 681bd16cbc..7ebc6608ad 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_asset/src/loader_builders.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_asset/src/loader_builders.rs
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ impl<'builder, 'reader, T> NestedLoader<'_, '_, T, Immediate<'builder, 'reader>>
 
         let asset = self
             .load_context
-            .load_direct_internal(path.clone(), meta, &*loader, reader.as_mut())
+            .load_direct_internal(path.clone(), meta.as_ref(), &*loader, reader.as_mut())
             .await?;
         Ok((loader, asset))
     }
diff --git a/crates/bevy_asset/src/processor/process.rs b/crates/bevy_asset/src/processor/process.rs
index 5b084de849..64370824dc 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_asset/src/processor/process.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_asset/src/processor/process.rs
@@ -326,14 +326,7 @@ impl<'a> ProcessContext<'a> {
         let loader = server.get_asset_loader_with_type_name(loader_name).await?;
         let mut reader = SliceReader::new(self.asset_bytes);
         let loaded_asset = server
-            .load_with_meta_loader_and_reader(
-                self.path,
-                Box::new(meta),
-                &*loader,
-                &mut reader,
-                false,
-                true,
-            )
+            .load_with_meta_loader_and_reader(self.path, &meta, &*loader, &mut reader, false, true)
             .await?;
         for (path, full_hash) in &loaded_asset.loader_dependencies {
             self.new_processed_info
diff --git a/crates/bevy_asset/src/server/mod.rs b/crates/bevy_asset/src/server/mod.rs
index 6a2e475219..bfeb7a40f9 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_asset/src/server/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_asset/src/server/mod.rs
@@ -488,11 +488,8 @@ impl AssetServer {
             match server.load_untyped_async(path).await {
                 Ok(handle) => server.send_asset_event(InternalAssetEvent::Loaded {
                     id,
-                    loaded_asset: LoadedAsset::new_with_dependencies(
-                        LoadedUntypedAsset { handle },
-                        None,
-                    )
-                    .into(),
+                    loaded_asset: LoadedAsset::new_with_dependencies(LoadedUntypedAsset { handle })
+                        .into(),
                 }),
                 Err(err) => {
                     error!("{err}");
@@ -647,7 +644,14 @@ impl AssetServer {
         };
 
         match self
-            .load_with_meta_loader_and_reader(&base_path, meta, &*loader, &mut *reader, true, false)
+            .load_with_meta_loader_and_reader(
+                &base_path,
+                meta.as_ref(),
+                &*loader,
+                &mut *reader,
+                true,
+                false,
+            )
             .await
         {
             Ok(loaded_asset) => {
@@ -735,7 +739,7 @@ impl AssetServer {
     /// After the asset has been fully loaded by the [`AssetServer`], it will show up in the relevant [`Assets`] storage.
     #[must_use = "not using the returned strong handle may result in the unexpected release of the asset"]
     pub fn add<A: Asset>(&self, asset: A) -> Handle<A> {
-        self.load_asset(LoadedAsset::new_with_dependencies(asset, None))
+        self.load_asset(LoadedAsset::new_with_dependencies(asset))
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn load_asset<A: Asset>(&self, asset: impl Into<LoadedAsset<A>>) -> Handle<A> {
@@ -798,7 +802,7 @@ impl AssetServer {
         let task = IoTaskPool::get().spawn(async move {
             match future.await {
                 Ok(asset) => {
-                    let loaded_asset = LoadedAsset::new_with_dependencies(asset, None).into();
+                    let loaded_asset = LoadedAsset::new_with_dependencies(asset).into();
                     event_sender
                         .send(InternalAssetEvent::Loaded { id, loaded_asset })
                         .unwrap();
@@ -928,7 +932,6 @@ impl AssetServer {
                         id,
                         loaded_asset: LoadedAsset::new_with_dependencies(
                             LoadedFolder { handles },
-                            None,
                         )
                         .into(),
                     }),
@@ -1314,7 +1317,7 @@ impl AssetServer {
     pub(crate) async fn load_with_meta_loader_and_reader(
         &self,
         asset_path: &AssetPath<'_>,
-        meta: Box<dyn AssetMetaDyn>,
+        meta: &dyn AssetMetaDyn,
         loader: &dyn ErasedAssetLoader,
         reader: &mut dyn Reader,
         load_dependencies: bool,
diff --git a/crates/bevy_gltf/src/loader.rs b/crates/bevy_gltf/src/loader.rs
index 319bfa7590..0e754a83b7 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_gltf/src/loader.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_gltf/src/loader.rs
@@ -923,7 +923,7 @@ async fn load_gltf<'a, 'b, 'c>(
                 joints: joint_entities,
             });
         }
-        let loaded_scene = scene_load_context.finish(Scene::new(world), None);
+        let loaded_scene = scene_load_context.finish(Scene::new(world));
         let scene_handle = load_context.add_loaded_labeled_asset(scene_label(&scene), loaded_scene);
 
         if let Some(name) = scene.name() {