diff --git a/.env.defaults b/.env.defaults
index 5274f8c68..48c0ebb66 100644
--- a/.env.defaults
+++ b/.env.defaults
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ YRBL_SAD_IMG_URL=https://cdn.lbryplayer.xyz/api/v3/streams/free/yrbl-sad/c2d9649
 #LOGO_TEXT_LIGHT=https://cdn.lbryplayer.xyz/api/v3/streams/free/yrbl-sad/c2d9649633d974e5ffb503925e1f17d951f1bd0f/f262dd
 #LOGO_TEXT_DARK=https://cdn.lbryplayer.xyz/api/v3/streams/free/yrbl-sad/c2d9649633d974e5ffb503925e1f17d951f1bd0f/f262dd
 #AVATAR_DEFAULT=
+#MISSING_THUMB_DEFAULT=
 #FAVICON=
 
 # LOCALE
diff --git a/config.js b/config.js
index 89c916654..49e215c5b 100644
--- a/config.js
+++ b/config.js
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ const config = {
   LOGO_TEXT_LIGHT: process.env.LOGO_TEXT_LIGHT,
   LOGO_TEXT_DARK: process.env.LOGO_TEXT_DARK,
   AVATAR_DEFAULT: process.env.AVATAR_DEFAULT,
+  MISSING_THUMB_DEFAULT: process.env.MISSING_THUMB_DEFAULT,
   // OG
   OG_TITLE_SUFFIX: process.env.OG_TITLE_SUFFIX,
   OG_HOMEPAGE_TITLE: process.env.OG_HOMEPAGE_TITLE,
diff --git a/ui/component/fileThumbnail/thumb.jsx b/ui/component/fileThumbnail/thumb.jsx
index 64f11c138..9f2fb993e 100644
--- a/ui/component/fileThumbnail/thumb.jsx
+++ b/ui/component/fileThumbnail/thumb.jsx
@@ -6,14 +6,16 @@ import useLazyLoading from 'effects/use-lazy-loading';
 
 type Props = {
   thumb: string,
+  fallback: ?string,
   children?: Node,
   className?: string,
 };
 
 const Thumb = (props: Props) => {
-  const { thumb, children, className } = props;
+  const { thumb, fallback, children, className } = props;
   const thumbnailRef = React.useRef(null);
-  useLazyLoading(thumbnailRef);
+
+  useLazyLoading(thumbnailRef, fallback || '');
 
   return (
     <div ref={thumbnailRef} data-background-image={thumb} className={classnames('media__thumb', className)}>
diff --git a/ui/component/fileThumbnail/view.jsx b/ui/component/fileThumbnail/view.jsx
index 6da4e513c..a5ef83ab6 100644
--- a/ui/component/fileThumbnail/view.jsx
+++ b/ui/component/fileThumbnail/view.jsx
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { getThumbnailCdnUrl } from 'util/thumbnail';
 import React from 'react';
 import FreezeframeWrapper from './FreezeframeWrapper';
 import Placeholder from './placeholder.png';
+import { MISSING_THUMB_DEFAULT } from 'config';
 import classnames from 'classnames';
 import Thumb from './thumb';
 
@@ -42,6 +43,8 @@ function FileThumbnail(props: Props) {
     );
   }
 
+  const fallback = MISSING_THUMB_DEFAULT ? getThumbnailCdnUrl({ thumbnail: MISSING_THUMB_DEFAULT }) : undefined;
+
   let url = thumbnail || (hasResolvedClaim ? Placeholder : '');
   // @if TARGET='web'
   // Pass image urls through a compression proxy
@@ -54,7 +57,7 @@ function FileThumbnail(props: Props) {
 
   if (hasResolvedClaim || thumbnailUrl) {
     return (
-      <Thumb thumb={thumbnailUrl} className={className}>
+      <Thumb thumb={thumbnailUrl} fallback={fallback} className={className}>
         {children}
       </Thumb>
     );
diff --git a/ui/effects/use-lazy-loading.js b/ui/effects/use-lazy-loading.js
index 8e9ed8555..18ac92be5 100644
--- a/ui/effects/use-lazy-loading.js
+++ b/ui/effects/use-lazy-loading.js
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@ import React, { useEffect } from 'react';
 /**
  * Helper React hook for lazy loading images
  * @param elementRef - A React useRef instance to the element to lazy load.
+ * @param backgroundFallback
  * @param yOffsetPx - Number of pixels from the viewport to start loading.
  * @param {Array<>} [deps=[]] - The dependencies this lazy-load is reliant on.
  */
 export default function useLazyLoading(
   elementRef: { current: ?ElementRef<any> },
+  backgroundFallback: string = '',
   yOffsetPx: number = 500,
   deps: Array<any> = []
 ) {
@@ -42,11 +44,19 @@ export default function useLazyLoading(
               // $FlowFixMe
               target.src = target.dataset.src;
               setSrcLoaded(true);
+              // No fallback handling here (clients have access to 'onerror' on the image ref).
               return;
             }
 
             // useful for lazy loading background images on divs
             if (target.dataset.backgroundImage) {
+              if (backgroundFallback) {
+                const tmpImage = new Image();
+                tmpImage.onerror = () => {
+                  target.style.backgroundImage = `url(${backgroundFallback})`;
+                };
+                tmpImage.src = target.dataset.backgroundImage;
+              }
               target.style.backgroundImage = `url(${target.dataset.backgroundImage})`;
             }
           }