diff --git a/ietf/api/serializers_rpc.py b/ietf/api/serializers_rpc.py
index d5f5363990..e51b917be4 100644
--- a/ietf/api/serializers_rpc.py
+++ b/ietf/api/serializers_rpc.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
     update_rfcauthors,
 )
 from ietf.group.models import Group
+from ietf.group.serializers import AreaSerializer
 from ietf.name.models import StreamName, StdLevelName
 from ietf.person.models import Person
 from ietf.utils import log
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@ class FullDraftSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
     name = serializers.CharField(max_length=255)
     title = serializers.CharField(max_length=255)
     group = serializers.SlugRelatedField(slug_field="acronym", read_only=True)
+    area = AreaSerializer(read_only=True)
 
     # Other fields we need to add / adjust
     source_format = serializers.SerializerMethodField()
@@ -133,6 +135,7 @@ class Meta:
             "stream",
             "title",
             "group",
+            "area",
             "abstract",
             "pages",
             "source_format",
diff --git a/ietf/doc/models.py b/ietf/doc/models.py
index cc28951be0..f1b319367e 100644
--- a/ietf/doc/models.py
+++ b/ietf/doc/models.py
@@ -1147,6 +1147,22 @@ def request_closed_time(self, review_req):
         e = self.latest_event(ReviewRequestDocEvent, type="closed_review_request", review_request=review_req)
         return e.time if e and e.time else None
 
+    @property
+    def area(self) -> Group | None:
+        """Get area for document, if one exists
+        
+        None for non-IETF-stream documents. N.b., this is stricter than Group.area() and
+        uses different logic from Document.area_acronym().
+        """
+        if self.stream_id != "ietf":
+            return None
+        if self.group is None:
+            return None
+        parent = self.group.parent
+        if parent.type_id == "area":
+            return parent
+        return None
+
     def area_acronym(self):
         g = self.group
         if g:
diff --git a/ietf/doc/serializers.py b/ietf/doc/serializers.py
index a7ea640be8..139ae9aa7e 100644
--- a/ietf/doc/serializers.py
+++ b/ietf/doc/serializers.py
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ class RfcMetadataSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
     status = RfcStatusSerializer(source="*")
     authors = serializers.SerializerMethodField()
     group = GroupSerializer()
-    area = serializers.SerializerMethodField()
+    area = AreaSerializer(read_only=True)
     stream = StreamNameSerializer()
     ad = AreaDirectorSerializer(read_only=True, allow_null=True)
     group_list_email = serializers.EmailField(source="group.list_email", read_only=True)
@@ -288,23 +288,6 @@ def get_authors(self, doc: Document):
             many=True,
         ).data
 
-    @extend_schema_field(AreaSerializer(required=False))
-    def get_area(self, doc: Document):
-        """Get area for the RFC
-        
-        This logic might be better moved to Document or a combination of Document
-        and Group. The current (2026-02-24) Group.area() method is not strict enough:
-        it does not limit to WG groups or IETF-stream documents.
-        """
-        if doc.stream_id != "ietf":
-            return None
-        if doc.group is None:
-            return None
-        parent = doc.group.parent
-        if parent.type_id == "area":
-            return AreaSerializer(parent).data
-        return None
-
     @extend_schema_field(DocIdentifierSerializer(many=True))
     def get_identifiers(self, doc: Document):
         identifiers = []