diff --git a/src/tab.rs b/src/tab.rs
index 805ed0f..ec56ec7 100644
--- a/src/tab.rs
+++ b/src/tab.rs
@@ -1724,7 +1724,9 @@ impl ItemThumbnail {
                     );
                 }
                 CachedThumbnail::Failed => {
-                    return ItemThumbnail::NotImage;
+                    if mime.type_() != mime::IMAGE {
+                        return ItemThumbnail::NotImage;
+                    }
                 }
                 CachedThumbnail::RequiresUpdate(size) => {
                     thumbnail_size = size.pixel_size();
diff --git a/src/thumbnail_cacher.rs b/src/thumbnail_cacher.rs
index 6042ddf..3aeca0b 100644
--- a/src/thumbnail_cacher.rs
+++ b/src/thumbnail_cacher.rs
@@ -33,6 +33,13 @@ impl ThumbnailCacher {
             .ok_or("failed to get thumbnail cache directory".to_string())?;
         let thumbnail_filename = thumbnail_cache_filename(&file_uri);
         let thumbnail_dir = cache_base_dir.join(thumbnail_size.subdirectory_name());
+        if !thumbnail_dir.is_dir() {
+            log::warn!("{:?} is not a directory, creating one now", &thumbnail_dir);
+            fs::create_dir_all(&thumbnail_dir).unwrap_or(log::error!(
+                "{:?} failed to create directory, this error can be expected on first run",
+                &thumbnail_dir
+            ));
+        }
         let thumbnail_path = thumbnail_dir.join(&thumbnail_filename);
         let thumbnail_fail_marker_path = cache_base_dir
             .join("fail")