diff --git a/backend/routes/booking.py b/backend/routes/booking.py
index a17df64..c4a7528 100644
--- a/backend/routes/booking.py
+++ b/backend/routes/booking.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException, Query
 from sqlalchemy import select, and_, func
 from sqlalchemy.exc import IntegrityError
 from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import AsyncSession
+from sqlalchemy.orm import joinedload
 
 from auth import require_permission
 from database import get_db
@@ -254,9 +255,11 @@ async def cancel_my_appointment(
     current_user: User = Depends(require_permission(Permission.CANCEL_OWN_APPOINTMENT)),
 ) -> AppointmentResponse:
     """Cancel one of the current user's appointments."""
-    # Get the appointment
+    # Get the appointment with explicit eager loading of user relationship
     result = await db.execute(
-        select(Appointment).where(Appointment.id == appointment_id)
+        select(Appointment)
+        .options(joinedload(Appointment.user))
+        .where(Appointment.id == appointment_id)
     )
     appointment = result.scalar_one_or_none()
     
@@ -311,10 +314,11 @@ async def get_all_appointments(
     total = count_result.scalar() or 0
     total_pages = (total + per_page - 1) // per_page if total > 0 else 1
     
-    # Get paginated appointments (user relationship is eager-loaded via lazy="joined")
+    # Get paginated appointments with explicit eager loading of user relationship
     offset = (page - 1) * per_page
     result = await db.execute(
         select(Appointment)
+        .options(joinedload(Appointment.user))
         .order_by(Appointment.slot_start.desc())
         .offset(offset)
         .limit(per_page)
@@ -343,9 +347,11 @@ async def admin_cancel_appointment(
     _current_user: User = Depends(require_permission(Permission.CANCEL_ANY_APPOINTMENT)),
 ) -> AppointmentResponse:
     """Cancel any appointment (admin only)."""
-    # Get the appointment
+    # Get the appointment with explicit eager loading of user relationship
     result = await db.execute(
-        select(Appointment).where(Appointment.id == appointment_id)
+        select(Appointment)
+        .options(joinedload(Appointment.user))
+        .where(Appointment.id == appointment_id)
     )
     appointment = result.scalar_one_or_none()