diff --git a/core/artwork.go b/core/artwork.go
index a103ce20a..b6b1b0b77 100644
--- a/core/artwork.go
+++ b/core/artwork.go
@@ -182,7 +182,9 @@ func (a *artwork) fromCoverArtPriority(ctx context.Context, priority string, al
 			ff = append(ff, fromTag(al.EmbedArtPath), fromFFmpegTag(ctx, a.ffmpeg, al.EmbedArtPath))
 			continue
 		}
-		ff = append(ff, fromExternalFile(ctx, al.ImageFiles, pattern))
+		if al.ImageFiles != "" {
+			ff = append(ff, fromExternalFile(ctx, al.ImageFiles, pattern))
+		}
 	}
 	return ff
 }
@@ -201,6 +203,7 @@ func fromExternalFile(ctx context.Context, files string, pattern string) fromFun
 			}
 			f, err := os.Open(file)
 			if err != nil {
+				log.Warn(ctx, "Could not open cover art file", "file", file, err)
 				continue
 			}
 			return f, file, err
diff --git a/scanner/refresher.go b/scanner/refresher.go
index 2c782c87d..15d1186af 100644
--- a/scanner/refresher.go
+++ b/scanner/refresher.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/Masterminds/squirrel"
 	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/log"
@@ -93,7 +94,11 @@ func (r *refresher) refreshAlbums(ids ...string) error {
 	for _, group := range grouped {
 		songs := model.MediaFiles(group)
 		a := songs.ToAlbum()
-		a.ImageFiles = r.getImageFiles(songs.Dirs())
+		var updatedAt time.Time
+		a.ImageFiles, updatedAt = r.getImageFiles(songs.Dirs())
+		if updatedAt.After(a.UpdatedAt) {
+			a.UpdatedAt = updatedAt
+		}
 		err := repo.Put(&a)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -102,14 +107,19 @@ func (r *refresher) refreshAlbums(ids ...string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (r *refresher) getImageFiles(dirs []string) string {
+func (r *refresher) getImageFiles(dirs []string) (string, time.Time) {
 	var imageFiles []string
+	var updatedAt time.Time
 	for _, dir := range dirs {
-		for _, img := range r.dirMap[dir].Images {
+		stats := r.dirMap[dir]
+		for _, img := range stats.Images {
 			imageFiles = append(imageFiles, filepath.Join(dir, img))
 		}
+		if stats.ImagesUpdatedAt.After(updatedAt) {
+			updatedAt = stats.ImagesUpdatedAt
+		}
 	}
-	return strings.Join(imageFiles, string(filepath.ListSeparator))
+	return strings.Join(imageFiles, string(filepath.ListSeparator)), updatedAt
 }
 
 func (r *refresher) refreshArtists(ids ...string) error {
diff --git a/scanner/walk_dir_tree.go b/scanner/walk_dir_tree.go
index b4a4a658b..b32ba11f3 100644
--- a/scanner/walk_dir_tree.go
+++ b/scanner/walk_dir_tree.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ type (
 		Path            string
 		ModTime         time.Time
 		Images          []string
+		ImagesUpdatedAt time.Time
 		HasPlaylist     bool
 		AudioFilesCount uint32
 	}
@@ -93,12 +94,15 @@ func loadDir(ctx context.Context, dirPath string) ([]string, *dirStats, error) {
 			if fileInfo.ModTime().After(stats.ModTime) {
 				stats.ModTime = fileInfo.ModTime()
 			}
-			if utils.IsAudioFile(entry.Name()) {
+			switch {
+			case utils.IsAudioFile(entry.Name()):
 				stats.AudioFilesCount++
-			} else {
-				stats.HasPlaylist = stats.HasPlaylist || model.IsValidPlaylist(entry.Name())
-				if utils.IsImageFile(entry.Name()) {
-					stats.Images = append(stats.Images, entry.Name())
+			case model.IsValidPlaylist(entry.Name()):
+				stats.HasPlaylist = true
+			case utils.IsImageFile(entry.Name()):
+				stats.Images = append(stats.Images, entry.Name())
+				if fileInfo.ModTime().After(stats.ImagesUpdatedAt) {
+					stats.ImagesUpdatedAt = fileInfo.ModTime()
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/utils/cache/file_caches.go b/utils/cache/file_caches.go
index 6cb3a42cd..00680ebe5 100644
--- a/utils/cache/file_caches.go
+++ b/utils/cache/file_caches.go
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ func (fc *fileCache) Get(ctx context.Context, arg Item) (*CachedStream, error) {
 					log.Warn(ctx, "Error removing key from cache", "cache", fc.name, "key", key, err)
 				}
 			} else {
-				log.Trace(ctx, "File stored in cache", "cache", fc.name, "key", key)
+				log.Trace(ctx, "File successfully stored in cache", "cache", fc.name, "key", key)
 			}
 		}()
 	}