diff --git a/core/artwork/artwork.go b/core/artwork/artwork.go
index 4b417cfb3..96dee8c62 100644
--- a/core/artwork/artwork.go
+++ b/core/artwork/artwork.go
@@ -52,10 +52,13 @@ func (a *artwork) Get(ctx context.Context, id string, size int) (reader io.ReadC
 	}
 
 	r, err := a.cache.Get(ctx, artReader)
-	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
-		log.Error(ctx, "Error accessing image cache", "id", id, "size", size, err)
+	if err != nil {
+		if !errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
+			log.Error(ctx, "Error accessing image cache", "id", id, "size", size, err)
+		}
+		return nil, time.Time{}, err
 	}
-	return r, artReader.LastUpdated(), err
+	return r, artReader.LastUpdated(), nil
 }
 
 func (a *artwork) getArtworkReader(ctx context.Context, artID model.ArtworkID, size int) (artworkReader, error) {
@@ -72,7 +75,7 @@ func (a *artwork) getArtworkReader(ctx context.Context, artID model.ArtworkID, s
 		case model.KindPlaylistArtwork:
 			artReader, err = newPlaylistArtworkReader(ctx, a, artID)
 		default:
-			artReader, err = newPlaceholderReader(ctx, artID)
+			artReader, err = newEmptyIDReader(ctx, artID)
 		}
 	}
 	return artReader, err
diff --git a/core/artwork/reader_album.go b/core/artwork/reader_album.go
index dbe804b60..ec4438da0 100644
--- a/core/artwork/reader_album.go
+++ b/core/artwork/reader_album.go
@@ -38,8 +38,7 @@ func (a *albumArtworkReader) LastUpdated() time.Time {
 func (a *albumArtworkReader) Reader(ctx context.Context) (io.ReadCloser, string, error) {
 	var ff = fromCoverArtPriority(ctx, a.a.ffmpeg, conf.Server.CoverArtPriority, a.album)
 	ff = append(ff, fromPlaceholder())
-	r, source := extractImage(ctx, a.artID, ff...)
-	return r, source, nil
+	return selectImageReader(ctx, a.artID, ff...)
 }
 
 func fromCoverArtPriority(ctx context.Context, ffmpeg ffmpeg.FFmpeg, priority string, al model.Album) []sourceFunc {
diff --git a/core/artwork/reader_emptyid.go b/core/artwork/reader_emptyid.go
index 244082beb..6ec6e6cf7 100644
--- a/core/artwork/reader_emptyid.go
+++ b/core/artwork/reader_emptyid.go
@@ -7,29 +7,29 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/conf"
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/consts"
 	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/model"
 )
 
-type placeholderReader struct {
+type emptyIDReader struct {
 	artID model.ArtworkID
 }
 
-func newPlaceholderReader(_ context.Context, artID model.ArtworkID) (*placeholderReader, error) {
-	a := &placeholderReader{
+func newEmptyIDReader(_ context.Context, artID model.ArtworkID) (*emptyIDReader, error) {
+	a := &emptyIDReader{
 		artID: artID,
 	}
 	return a, nil
 }
 
-func (a *placeholderReader) LastUpdated() time.Time {
-	return time.Now() // Basically make it non-cacheable
+func (a *emptyIDReader) LastUpdated() time.Time {
+	return consts.ServerStart // Invalidate cached placeholder every server start
 }
 
-func (a *placeholderReader) Key() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("0.%d.0.%d", a.LastUpdated().UnixMilli(), conf.Server.CoverJpegQuality)
+func (a *emptyIDReader) Key() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("placeholder.%d.0.%d", a.LastUpdated().UnixMilli(), conf.Server.CoverJpegQuality)
 }
 
-func (a *placeholderReader) Reader(ctx context.Context) (io.ReadCloser, string, error) {
-	r, source := extractImage(ctx, a.artID, fromPlaceholder())
-	return r, source, nil
+func (a *emptyIDReader) Reader(ctx context.Context) (io.ReadCloser, string, error) {
+	return selectImageReader(ctx, a.artID, fromPlaceholder())
 }
diff --git a/core/artwork/reader_mediafile.go b/core/artwork/reader_mediafile.go
index a7c134fc5..7209548f2 100644
--- a/core/artwork/reader_mediafile.go
+++ b/core/artwork/reader_mediafile.go
@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ func (a *mediafileArtworkReader) Reader(ctx context.Context) (io.ReadCloser, str
 		}
 	}
 	ff = append(ff, fromAlbum(ctx, a.a, a.mediafile.AlbumCoverArtID()))
-	r, source := extractImage(ctx, a.artID, ff...)
-	return r, source, nil
+	return selectImageReader(ctx, a.artID, ff...)
 }
 
 func fromAlbum(ctx context.Context, a *artwork, id model.ArtworkID) sourceFunc {
diff --git a/core/artwork/reader_playlist.go b/core/artwork/reader_playlist.go
index 844bcf9b4..440cab383 100644
--- a/core/artwork/reader_playlist.go
+++ b/core/artwork/reader_playlist.go
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ func (a *playlistArtworkReader) Reader(ctx context.Context) (io.ReadCloser, stri
 		ff = append(ff, a.fromGeneratedTile(ctx, pl.Tracks))
 	}
 	ff = append(ff, fromPlaceholder())
-	r, source := extractImage(ctx, a.artID, ff...)
-	return r, source, nil
+	return selectImageReader(ctx, a.artID, ff...)
 }
 
 func (a *playlistArtworkReader) fromGeneratedTile(ctx context.Context, tracks model.PlaylistTracks) sourceFunc {
@@ -129,7 +128,10 @@ func (a *playlistArtworkReader) createTiledImage(_ context.Context, tiles []imag
 	} else {
 		err = png.Encode(buf, tiles[0])
 	}
-	return io.NopCloser(buf), err
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return io.NopCloser(buf), nil
 }
 
 func rect(pos int) image.Rectangle {
diff --git a/core/artwork/reader_resized.go b/core/artwork/reader_resized.go
index 09e263018..d7594b12c 100644
--- a/core/artwork/reader_resized.go
+++ b/core/artwork/reader_resized.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func (a *resizedArtworkReader) Reader(ctx context.Context) (io.ReadCloser, strin
 	r := io.TeeReader(orig, buf)
 	defer orig.Close()
 
-	resized, origSize, err := resizeImageIntoReader(r, a.size)
+	resized, origSize, err := resizeImage(r, a.size)
 	log.Trace(ctx, "Resizing artwork", "artID", a.artID, "original", origSize, "resized", a.size)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Warn(ctx, "Could not resize image. Will return image as is", "artID", a.artID, "size", a.size, err)
@@ -74,7 +74,12 @@ func asImageReader(r io.Reader) (io.Reader, string, error) {
 	return br, http.DetectContentType(buf), nil
 }
 
-func resizeImage(r io.Reader, size int) (image.Image, int, error) {
+func resizeImage(reader io.Reader, size int) (io.Reader, int, error) {
+	r, format, err := asImageReader(reader)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, 0, err
+	}
+
 	img, _, err := image.Decode(r)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, 0, err
@@ -89,20 +94,6 @@ func resizeImage(r io.Reader, size int) (image.Image, int, error) {
 		m = imaging.Resize(img, 0, size, imaging.Lanczos)
 	}
 
-	return m, number.Max(bounds.Max.X, bounds.Max.Y), err
-}
-
-func resizeImageIntoReader(reader io.Reader, size int) (io.Reader, int, error) {
-	r, format, err := asImageReader(reader)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, 0, err
-	}
-
-	m, origSize, err := resizeImage(r, size)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, 0, err
-	}
-
 	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
 	buf.Reset()
 	if format == "image/png" {
@@ -110,5 +101,5 @@ func resizeImageIntoReader(reader io.Reader, size int) (io.Reader, int, error) {
 	} else {
 		err = jpeg.Encode(buf, m, &jpeg.Options{Quality: conf.Server.CoverJpegQuality})
 	}
-	return buf, origSize, err
+	return buf, number.Max(bounds.Max.X, bounds.Max.Y), err
 }
diff --git a/core/artwork/sources.go b/core/artwork/sources.go
index 0afa6b373..cba549f9d 100644
--- a/core/artwork/sources.go
+++ b/core/artwork/sources.go
@@ -19,20 +19,19 @@ import (
 	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/resources"
 )
 
-func extractImage(ctx context.Context, artID model.ArtworkID, extractFuncs ...sourceFunc) (io.ReadCloser, string) {
+func selectImageReader(ctx context.Context, artID model.ArtworkID, extractFuncs ...sourceFunc) (io.ReadCloser, string, error) {
 	for _, f := range extractFuncs {
 		if ctx.Err() != nil {
-			return nil, ""
+			return nil, "", ctx.Err()
 		}
 		r, path, err := f()
 		if r != nil {
 			log.Trace(ctx, "Found artwork", "artID", artID, "path", path, "source", f)
-			return r, path
+			return r, path, nil
 		}
 		log.Trace(ctx, "Tried to extract artwork", "artID", artID, "source", f, err)
 	}
-	log.Error(ctx, "extractImage should never reach this point!", "artID", artID, "path")
-	return nil, ""
+	return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("could not get a cover art for %s", artID)
 }
 
 type sourceFunc func() (r io.ReadCloser, path string, err error)
diff --git a/ui/src/subsonic/index.js b/ui/src/subsonic/index.js
index 90fdf5042..3d3775b14 100644
--- a/ui/src/subsonic/index.js
+++ b/ui/src/subsonic/index.js
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ const getScanStatus = () => httpClient(url('getScanStatus'))
 
 const getCoverArtUrl = (record, size) => {
   const options = {
+    ...(record.updatedAt && { _: record.updatedAt }),
     ...(size && { size }),
   }