diff --git a/ui/component/app/index.js b/ui/component/app/index.js
index 16b0cd288..940ebb7ef 100644
--- a/ui/component/app/index.js
+++ b/ui/component/app/index.js
@@ -5,7 +5,14 @@ import { selectGetSyncErrorMessage, selectSyncFatalError } from 'redux/selectors
 import { doFetchAccessToken, doUserSetReferrer } from 'redux/actions/user';
 import { selectUser, selectAccessToken, selectUserVerifiedEmail } from 'redux/selectors/user';
 import { selectUnclaimedRewards } from 'redux/selectors/rewards';
-import { doFetchChannelListMine, doFetchCollectionListMine, SETTINGS, selectMyChannelUrls } from 'lbry-redux';
+import {
+  doFetchChannelListMine,
+  doFetchCollectionListMine,
+  SETTINGS,
+  selectMyChannelUrls,
+  doResolveUris,
+} from 'lbry-redux';
+import { selectSubscriptions } from 'redux/selectors/subscriptions';
 import {
   makeSelectClientSetting,
   selectLanguage,
@@ -47,6 +54,7 @@ const select = (state) => ({
   syncFatalError: selectSyncFatalError(state),
   activeChannelClaim: selectActiveChannelClaim(state),
   myChannelUrls: selectMyChannelUrls(state),
+  subscriptions: selectSubscriptions(state),
 });
 
 const perform = (dispatch) => ({
@@ -63,6 +71,7 @@ const perform = (dispatch) => ({
   setActiveChannelIfNotSet: () => dispatch(doSetActiveChannel()),
   setIncognito: () => dispatch(doSetIncognito()),
   fetchModBlockedList: () => dispatch(doFetchModBlockedList()),
+  resolveUris: (uris) => dispatch(doResolveUris(uris)),
 });
 
 export default hot(connect(select, perform)(App));
diff --git a/ui/component/app/view.jsx b/ui/component/app/view.jsx
index e4ff246cf..9b2c64304 100644
--- a/ui/component/app/view.jsx
+++ b/ui/component/app/view.jsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // @flow
 import * as PAGES from 'constants/pages';
-import React, { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
+import React, { useEffect, useRef, useState, useLayoutEffect } from 'react';
 import classnames from 'classnames';
 import analytics from 'analytics';
 import { buildURI, parseURI } from 'lbry-redux';
@@ -84,9 +84,11 @@ type Props = {
   syncFatalError: boolean,
   activeChannelClaim: ?ChannelClaim,
   myChannelUrls: ?Array<string>,
+  subscriptions: Array<Subscription>,
   setActiveChannelIfNotSet: () => void,
   setIncognito: (boolean) => void,
   fetchModBlockedList: () => void,
+  resolveUris: (Array<string>) => void,
 };
 
 function App(props: Props) {
@@ -119,6 +121,8 @@ function App(props: Props) {
     setActiveChannelIfNotSet,
     setIncognito,
     fetchModBlockedList,
+    resolveUris,
+    subscriptions,
   } = props;
 
   const appRef = useRef();
@@ -136,6 +140,8 @@ function App(props: Props) {
   // @endif
   const { pathname, hash, search } = props.location;
   const [upgradeNagClosed, setUpgradeNagClosed] = useState(false);
+  const [resolvedSubscriptions, setResolvedSubscriptions] = useState(false);
+  const [sidebarOpen] = usePersistedState('sidebar', true);
   const showUpgradeButton =
     (autoUpdateDownloaded || (process.platform === 'linux' && isUpgradeAvailable)) && !upgradeNagClosed;
   // referral claiming
@@ -150,6 +156,7 @@ function App(props: Props) {
   const hasNoChannels = myChannelUrls && myChannelUrls.length === 0;
   const shouldMigrateLanguage = LANGUAGE_MIGRATIONS[language];
   const hasActiveChannelClaim = activeChannelClaim !== undefined;
+  const isPersonalized = !IS_WEB || hasVerifiedEmail;
 
   let uri;
   try {
@@ -338,6 +345,16 @@ function App(props: Props) {
     }
   }, [hasVerifiedEmail, signIn, hasSignedIn]);
 
+  // batch resolve subscriptions to be used by the sideNavigation component.
+  // add it here so that it only resolves the first time, despite route changes.
+  // useLayoutEffect because it has to be executed before the sideNavigation component requests them
+  useLayoutEffect(() => {
+    if (sidebarOpen && isPersonalized && subscriptions && !resolvedSubscriptions) {
+      setResolvedSubscriptions(true);
+      resolveUris(subscriptions.map((sub) => sub.uri));
+    }
+  }, [sidebarOpen, isPersonalized, resolvedSubscriptions, subscriptions, resolveUris, setResolvedSubscriptions]);
+
   // @if TARGET='web'
   useDegradedPerformance(setLbryTvApiStatus, user);
   // @endif
diff --git a/ui/component/sideNavigation/view.jsx b/ui/component/sideNavigation/view.jsx
index 2397a1e25..c32d68fb0 100644
--- a/ui/component/sideNavigation/view.jsx
+++ b/ui/component/sideNavigation/view.jsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import classnames from 'classnames';
 import Icon from 'component/common/icon';
 import NotificationBubble from 'component/notificationBubble';
 import I18nMessage from 'component/i18nMessage';
+import ChannelThumbnail from 'component/channelThumbnail';
 import { PINNED_LABEL_1, PINNED_URI_1, PINNED_URI_2, PINNED_LABEL_2, SIMPLE_SITE, DOMAIN } from 'config';
 // @if TARGET='app'
 import { IS_MAC } from 'component/app/view';
@@ -362,15 +363,8 @@ function SideNavigation(props: Props) {
 
             {sidebarOpen && isPersonalized && subscriptions && subscriptions.length > 0 && (
               <ul className="navigation__secondary navigation-links">
-                {subscriptions.map(({ uri, channelName }, index) => (
-                  <li key={uri} className="navigation-link__wrapper">
-                    <Button
-                      navigate={uri}
-                      label={channelName}
-                      className="navigation-link"
-                      activeClass="navigation-link--active"
-                    />
-                  </li>
+                {subscriptions.map((subscription) => (
+                  <SubscriptionListItem key={subscription.uri} subscription={subscription} />
                 ))}
               </ul>
             )}
@@ -445,15 +439,8 @@ function SideNavigation(props: Props) {
               </ul>
               {sidebarOpen && isPersonalized && subscriptions && subscriptions.length > 0 && (
                 <ul className="navigation__secondary navigation-links">
-                  {subscriptions.map(({ uri, channelName }, index) => (
-                    <li key={uri} className="navigation-link__wrapper">
-                      <Button
-                        navigate={uri}
-                        label={channelName}
-                        className="navigation-link"
-                        activeClass="navigation-link--active"
-                      />
-                    </li>
+                  {subscriptions.map((subscription) => (
+                    <SubscriptionListItem key={subscription.uri} subscription={subscription} />
                   ))}
                 </ul>
               )}
@@ -484,4 +471,22 @@ function SideNavigation(props: Props) {
   );
 }
 
+function SubscriptionListItem({ subscription }: { subscription: Subscription }) {
+  const { uri, channelName } = subscription;
+  return (
+    <li className="navigation-link__wrapper">
+      <Button
+        navigate={uri}
+        className="navigation-link navigation-link--with-thumbnail"
+        activeClass="navigation-link--active"
+      >
+        <ChannelThumbnail uri={uri} />
+        <span dir="auto" className="button__label">
+          {channelName}
+        </span>
+      </Button>
+    </li>
+  );
+}
+
 export default SideNavigation;
diff --git a/ui/scss/component/_navigation.scss b/ui/scss/component/_navigation.scss
index 93d4cc59b..c26eb8940 100644
--- a/ui/scss/component/_navigation.scss
+++ b/ui/scss/component/_navigation.scss
@@ -104,6 +104,16 @@
     flex-direction: column;
   }
 
+  &.navigation-link--with-thumbnail .button__content {
+    flex-direction: row;
+
+    .channel-thumbnail {
+      @include handleChannelGif(1.5rem);
+      flex-shrink: 0;
+      margin-right: var(--spacing-s);
+    }
+  }
+
   &:hover:not(.navigation-link--active),
   &:focus {
     @extend .navigation-link--highlighted;
@@ -114,8 +124,8 @@
     margin-bottom: 0;
 
     .icon {
-      height: 1rem;
-      width: 1rem;
+      height: 1.5rem;
+      width: 1.5rem;
     }
 
     .button__content {
@@ -201,8 +211,8 @@
     margin-bottom: 0;
 
     .icon {
-      height: 1rem;
-      width: 1rem;
+      height: 1.5rem;
+      width: 1.5rem;
     }
 
     .button__content {