diff --git a/includes/functions/_helpers-query.php b/includes/functions/_helpers-query.php
index ac8a5812..fbfb8dc4 100644
--- a/includes/functions/_helpers-query.php
+++ b/includes/functions/_helpers-query.php
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ if ( ! function_exists( 'fictioneer_sql_filter_valid_chapter_ids' ) ) {
    * @param int   $story_id     Story ID.
    * @param int[] $chapter_ids  Array of chapter IDs.
    *
-   * @return int[] Filtered array of chapter IDs.
+   * @return int[] Filtered and validated array of IDs.
    */
 
   function fictioneer_sql_filter_valid_chapter_ids( $story_id, $chapter_ids ) {
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ if ( ! function_exists( 'fictioneer_sql_filter_valid_page_ids' ) ) {
    * @param int   $author_id  Author ID for the pages.
    * @param int[] $page_ids   Array of page IDs.
    *
-   * @return int[] Filtered array of page IDs.
+   * @return int[] Filtered and validated array of IDs.
    */
 
   function fictioneer_sql_filter_valid_page_ids( $author_id, $page_ids ) {
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ if ( ! function_exists( 'fictioneer_sql_filter_valid_collection_ids' ) ) {
    *
    * @param int[] $item_ids  Array of collection item IDs.
    *
-   * @return int[] Filtered and validated array of item IDs.
+   * @return int[] Filtered and validated array of IDs.
    */
   function fictioneer_sql_filter_valid_collection_ids( $item_ids ) {
     global $wpdb;
@@ -559,6 +559,53 @@ if ( ! function_exists( 'fictioneer_sql_filter_valid_collection_ids' ) ) {
   }
 }
 
+if ( ! function_exists( 'fictioneer_sql_filter_valid_featured_ids' ) ) {
+  /**
+   * Filters out non-valid featured array IDs
+   *
+   * Note: This is a lot faster than using WP_Query().
+   *
+   * @since 5.26.0
+   *
+   * @global wpdb $wpdb  WordPress database object.
+   *
+   * @param int[] $post_ids  Array of featured post IDs.
+   *
+   * @return int[] Filtered and validated array of IDs.
+   */
+  function fictioneer_sql_filter_valid_featured_ids( $post_ids ) {
+    global $wpdb;
+
+    // Prepare
+    $post_ids = is_array( $post_ids ) ? $post_ids : [ $post_ids ];
+    $post_ids = array_map( 'intval', $post_ids );
+    $post_ids = array_filter( $post_ids, function( $value ) { return $value > 0; } );
+
+    if ( empty( $post_ids ) ) {
+      return [];
+    }
+
+    $post_ids = array_unique( $post_ids );
+
+    // Prepare placeholders
+    $placeholders = implode( ',', array_fill( 0, count( $post_ids ), '%d' ) );
+
+    // Prepare SQL query
+    $sql =
+      "SELECT p.ID
+      FROM {$wpdb->posts} p
+      WHERE p.ID IN ($placeholders)
+        AND p.post_type IN ('post', 'fcn_story', 'fcn_chapter', 'fcn_collection', 'fcn_recommendation')
+        AND p.post_status = 'publish'";
+
+    // Execute
+    $filtered_ids = $wpdb->get_col( $wpdb->prepare( $sql, ...$post_ids ) );
+
+    // Restore order and return
+    return array_values( array_intersect( $post_ids, $filtered_ids ) );
+  }
+}
+
 if ( ! function_exists( 'fictioneer_sql_filter_valid_blog_story_ids' ) ) {
   /**
    * Filters out non-valid blog story array IDs
@@ -572,7 +619,7 @@ if ( ! function_exists( 'fictioneer_sql_filter_valid_blog_story_ids' ) ) {
    * @param int   $story_author_id  Author ID of the story.
    * @param int[] $story_blogs      Array of story blog IDs.
    *
-   * @return int[] Filtered and validated array of item IDs.
+   * @return int[] Filtered and validated array of IDs.
    */
 
   function fictioneer_sql_filter_valid_blog_story_ids( $story_author_id, $story_blogs ) {
diff --git a/includes/functions/_setup-meta-fields.php b/includes/functions/_setup-meta-fields.php
index f2e1a33f..fde4d794 100644
--- a/includes/functions/_setup-meta-fields.php
+++ b/includes/functions/_setup-meta-fields.php
@@ -3728,31 +3728,12 @@ function fictioneer_save_post_metaboxes( $post_id ) {
 
   // Featured posts
   if ( isset( $_POST['fictioneer_post_featured'] ) ) {
-    $item_ids = $_POST['fictioneer_post_featured'];
-    $item_ids = is_array( $item_ids ) ? $item_ids : [ $item_ids ];
-    $item_ids = array_map( 'intval', $item_ids );
-    $item_ids = array_filter( $item_ids, function( $value ) { return $value > 0; } );
-    $item_ids = array_unique( $item_ids );
+    $item_ids = fictioneer_sql_filter_valid_featured_ids( $_POST['fictioneer_post_featured'] );
 
     if ( empty( $item_ids ) ) {
       $fields['fictioneer_post_featured'] = []; // Ensure empty meta is removed
     } else {
-      // Make sure only allowed posts are in
-      $items_query = new WP_Query(
-        array(
-          'post_type' => ['post', 'fcn_story', 'fcn_chapter', 'fcn_collection', 'fcn_recommendation'],
-          'post_status' => 'publish',
-          'post__in' => $item_ids ?: [0], // Must not be empty!
-          'orderby' => 'post__in',
-          'fields' => 'ids',
-          'posts_per_page' => -1,
-          'update_post_meta_cache' => false, // Improve performance
-          'update_post_term_cache' => false, // Improve performance
-          'no_found_rows' => true // Improve performance
-        )
-      );
-
-      $fields['fictioneer_post_featured'] = array_map( 'strval', $items_query->posts );
+      $fields['fictioneer_post_featured'] = array_map( 'strval', $item_ids );
     }
   }