diff --git a/ui/component/channelThumbnail/transparent_1x1.png b/ui/component/channelThumbnail/transparent_1x1.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fdf950d0d
Binary files /dev/null and b/ui/component/channelThumbnail/transparent_1x1.png differ
diff --git a/ui/component/channelThumbnail/view.jsx b/ui/component/channelThumbnail/view.jsx
index bc0d56441..fa89e839f 100644
--- a/ui/component/channelThumbnail/view.jsx
+++ b/ui/component/channelThumbnail/view.jsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import React from 'react';
 import { parseURI } from 'lbry-redux';
 import classnames from 'classnames';
 import Gerbil from './gerbil.png';
+import Transparent from './transparent_1x1.png';
 import FreezeframeWrapper from 'component/fileThumbnail/FreezeframeWrapper';
 import ChannelStakedIndicator from 'component/channelStakedIndicator';
 import { getThumbnailCdnUrl } from 'util/thumbnail';
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ function ChannelThumbnail(props: Props) {
           alt={__('Channel profile picture')}
           className="channel-thumbnail__default"
           data-src={!thumbError && url ? url : Gerbil}
+          src={Transparent}
           onError={() => setThumbError(true)} // if thumb fails (including due to https replace, show gerbil.
         />
       )}
@@ -113,6 +115,7 @@ function ChannelThumbnail(props: Props) {
               alt={__('Channel profile picture')}
               className="channel-thumbnail__custom"
               data-src={!thumbError && url ? url : Gerbil}
+              src={Transparent}
               onError={() => setThumbError(true)} // if thumb fails (including due to https replace, show gerbil.
             />
           )}