diff --git a/etiquette/constants.py b/etiquette/constants.py
index a8733cf..ffaf62a 100644
--- a/etiquette/constants.py
+++ b/etiquette/constants.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ ffmpeg = _load_ffmpeg()
 
 # Database #########################################################################################
 
-DATABASE_VERSION = 17
+DATABASE_VERSION = 18
 DB_VERSION_PRAGMA = f'''
 PRAGMA user_version = {DATABASE_VERSION};
 '''
@@ -62,8 +62,10 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS albums(
     title TEXT,
     description TEXT,
     created INT,
+    thumbnail_photo TEXT,
     author_id TEXT,
-    FOREIGN KEY(author_id) REFERENCES users(id)
+    FOREIGN KEY(author_id) REFERENCES users(id),
+    FOREIGN KEY(thumbnail_photo) REFERENCES photos(id)
 );
 CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS index_albums_id on albums(id);
 CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS index_albums_author_id on albums(author_id);
diff --git a/etiquette/objects.py b/etiquette/objects.py
index 28710de..57b5307 100644
--- a/etiquette/objects.py
+++ b/etiquette/objects.py
@@ -284,6 +284,7 @@ class Album(ObjectBase, GroupableMixin):
         self.title = self.normalize_title(db_row['title'])
         self.description = self.normalize_description(db_row['description'])
         self.created = db_row['created']
+        self._thumbnail_photo = db_row['thumbnail_photo']
         self.author_id = self.normalize_author_id(db_row['author_id'])
 
         self.group_getter_many = self.photodb.get_albums_by_id
@@ -532,6 +533,7 @@ class Album(ObjectBase, GroupableMixin):
             'description': self.description,
             'title': self.title,
             'created': self.created,
+            'thumbnail_photo': self.thumbnail_photo.id if self._thumbnail_photo else None,
             'author': self.get_author().jsonify() if self.author_id else None,
         }
         if not minimal:
@@ -629,6 +631,16 @@ class Album(ObjectBase, GroupableMixin):
         total = self.photodb.sql_select_one(query)[0]
         return total
 
+    @property
+    def thumbnail_photo(self):
+        if self._thumbnail_photo is None:
+            return None
+        if isinstance(self._thumbnail_photo, Photo):
+            return self._thumbnail_photo
+        photo = self.photodb.get_photo(self._thumbnail_photo)
+        self._thumbnail_photo = photo
+        return photo
+
     def walk_photos(self):
         yield from self.get_photos()
         children = self.walk_children()
diff --git a/frontends/etiquette_flask/static/css/cards.css b/frontends/etiquette_flask/static/css/cards.css
index 4c338e6..68f0f1a 100644
--- a/frontends/etiquette_flask/static/css/cards.css
+++ b/frontends/etiquette_flask/static/css/cards.css
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@
 .album_card_thumbnail
 {
     grid-area: thumbnail;
-    background-color: var(--color_transparency);
     display: flex;
     width:  100%;
     height: 150px;
diff --git a/frontends/etiquette_flask/templates/album_card.html b/frontends/etiquette_flask/templates/album_card.html
index d68900d..694015a 100644
--- a/frontends/etiquette_flask/templates/album_card.html
+++ b/frontends/etiquette_flask/templates/album_card.html
@@ -19,7 +19,12 @@ draggable=true
     {% else %}
     <a class="album_card_thumbnail" href="/album/{{album.id}}{{viewparam}}">
     {% endif %}
-    <img src="/static/basic_thumbnails/album.png"/>
+    {% if album.thumbnail_photo %}
+    {% set thumbnail_src = "/thumbnail/" + album.thumbnail_photo.id + ".jpg" %}
+    {% else %}
+    {% set thumbnail_src = "/static/basic_thumbnails/album.png" %}
+    {% endif %}
+    <img src="{{thumbnail_src}}"/>
     </a>
 
     <div class="album_card_tools">
diff --git a/utilities/database_upgrader.py b/utilities/database_upgrader.py
index 6584238..838bb3b 100644
--- a/utilities/database_upgrader.py
+++ b/utilities/database_upgrader.py
@@ -572,6 +572,36 @@ def upgrade_16_to_17(photodb):
 
     m.go()
 
+def upgrade_17_to_18(photodb):
+    '''
+    Added the thumbnail_photo column to albums.
+    '''
+    m = Migrator(photodb)
+    m.tables['albums']['create'] = '''
+    CREATE TABLE albums(
+        id TEXT PRIMARY KEY NOT NULL,
+        title TEXT,
+        description TEXT,
+        created INT,
+        thumbnail_photo TEXT,
+        author_id TEXT,
+        FOREIGN KEY(author_id) REFERENCES users(id),
+        FOREIGN KEY(thumbnail_photo) REFERENCES photos(id)
+    );
+    '''
+    m.tables['albums']['transfer'] = '''
+    INSERT INTO albums SELECT
+        id,
+        title,
+        description,
+        created,
+        NULL,
+        author_id
+    FROM albums_old;
+    '''
+
+    m.go()
+
 def upgrade_all(data_directory):
     '''
     Given the directory containing a phototagger database, apply all of the