diff --git a/lib/src/database/daos/messages.dao.dart b/lib/src/database/daos/messages.dao.dart
index 123d76ed..532ddd92 100644
--- a/lib/src/database/daos/messages.dao.dart
+++ b/lib/src/database/daos/messages.dao.dart
@@ -66,6 +66,25 @@ class MessagesDao extends DatabaseAccessor<TwonlyDB> with _$MessagesDaoMixin {
     return query.map((row) => row.readTable(messages)).watch();
   }
 
+  Stream<List<MediaFile>> watchUnopenedMediaFiles() {
+    final query =
+        select(messages).join([
+          leftOuterJoin(
+            mediaFiles,
+            mediaFiles.mediaId.equalsExp(messages.mediaId),
+          ),
+        ])
+        ..where(
+          messages.openedAt.isNull() &
+              messages.mediaId.isNotNull() &
+              messages.type.equals(MessageType.media.name) &
+              mediaFiles.downloadState.equals(DownloadState.ready.name) &
+              (mediaFiles.type.equals(MediaType.image.name) |
+                  mediaFiles.type.equals(MediaType.gif.name)),
+        );
+    return query.map((row) => row.readTable(mediaFiles)).watch();
+  }
+
   Future<Stream<Message?>> watchLastMessage(String groupId) async {
     final group = await twonlyDB.groupsDao.getGroup(groupId);
     final deletionTime = clock.now().subtract(
diff --git a/lib/src/visual/views/chats/chat_list.view.dart b/lib/src/visual/views/chats/chat_list.view.dart
index 421d2a2e..e119d60d 100644
--- a/lib/src/visual/views/chats/chat_list.view.dart
+++ b/lib/src/visual/views/chats/chat_list.view.dart
@@ -11,8 +11,10 @@ import 'package:twonly/locator.dart';
 import 'package:twonly/src/constants/routes.keys.dart';
 import 'package:twonly/src/database/twonly.db.dart';
 import 'package:twonly/src/providers/purchases.provider.dart';
+import 'package:twonly/src/services/mediafiles/mediafile.service.dart';
 import 'package:twonly/src/services/subscription.service.dart';
 import 'package:twonly/src/services/user.service.dart';
+import 'package:twonly/src/utils/log.dart';
 import 'package:twonly/src/utils/misc.dart';
 import 'package:twonly/src/visual/components/avatar_icon.comp.dart';
 import 'package:twonly/src/visual/components/connection_status.comp.dart';
@@ -34,6 +36,8 @@ class _ChatListViewState extends State<ChatListView> {
   StreamSubscription<void>? _userSub;
   StreamSubscription<List<Group>>? _contactsSub;
   StreamSubscription<List<Contact>>? _contactsCountSub;
+  StreamSubscription<List<MediaFile>>? _precacheSub;
+  final Set<String> _precachedMediaIds = {};
   List<Group> _groupsNotPinned = [];
   List<Group> _groupsPinned = [];
   List<Group> _groupsArchived = [];
@@ -105,6 +109,24 @@ class _ChatListViewState extends State<ChatListView> {
           });
         });
 
+    _precacheSub = twonlyDB.messagesDao.watchUnopenedMediaFiles().listen((mediaFiles) {
+      if (!mounted) return;
+      for (final media in mediaFiles) {
+        if (!_precachedMediaIds.contains(media.mediaId)) {
+          _precachedMediaIds.add(media.mediaId);
+          final fileService = MediaFileService(media);
+          if (fileService.tempPath.existsSync()) {
+            precacheImage(
+              FileImage(fileService.tempPath),
+              context,
+            ).catchError((Object e, StackTrace st) {
+              Log.error('Failed to precache image in ChatListView: $e\n$st');
+            });
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    });
+
     WidgetsBinding.instance.addPostFrameCallback((_) async {
       final changeLog = await rootBundle.loadString('CHANGELOG.md');
       final changeLogHash = (await compute(
@@ -137,6 +159,7 @@ class _ChatListViewState extends State<ChatListView> {
     _countContactRequestStream.cancel();
     _countAnnouncedStream.cancel();
     _userSub?.cancel();
+    _precacheSub?.cancel();
     super.dispose();
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/src/visual/views/chats/media_viewer.view.dart b/lib/src/visual/views/chats/media_viewer.view.dart
index f8b1d150..6b6d4559 100644
--- a/lib/src/visual/views/chats/media_viewer.view.dart
+++ b/lib/src/visual/views/chats/media_viewer.view.dart
@@ -721,6 +721,7 @@ class _MediaViewerViewState extends State<MediaViewerView> {
                             imageProvider: FileImage(
                               currentMedia!.tempPath,
                             ),
+                            loadingBuilder: (context, event) => _loader(),
                             initialScale: PhotoViewComputedScale.contained,
                             minScale: PhotoViewComputedScale.contained,
                             errorBuilder: (context, error, stackTrace) {