diff --git a/install/data/defaults.json b/install/data/defaults.json
index 574a8bfe01..67557efabe 100644
--- a/install/data/defaults.json
+++ b/install/data/defaults.json
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
     "maximumTagLength": 15,
     "undoTimeout": 0,
     "allowTopicsThumbnail": 1,
+    "showPostUploadsAsThumbnails": 1,
     "registrationType": "normal",
     "registrationApprovalType": "normal",
     "allowAccountDelete": 1,
diff --git a/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/uploads.json b/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/uploads.json
index 22046915d9..e91a7bee36 100644
--- a/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/uploads.json
+++ b/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/uploads.json
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 	"reject-image-height": "Maximum Image Height (in pixels)",
 	"reject-image-height-help": "Images taller than this value will be rejected.",
 	"allow-topic-thumbnails": "Allow users to upload topic thumbnails",
+	"show-post-uploads-as-thumbnails": "Show post uploads as thumbnails",
 	"topic-thumb-size": "Topic Thumb Size",
 	"allowed-file-extensions": "Allowed File Extensions",
 	"allowed-file-extensions-help": "Enter comma-separated list of file extensions here (e.g. <code>pdf,xls,doc</code>). An empty list means all extensions are allowed.",
diff --git a/src/topics/thumbs.js b/src/topics/thumbs.js
index 22fa2c48bd..3239ab0fdc 100644
--- a/src/topics/thumbs.js
+++ b/src/topics/thumbs.js
@@ -33,8 +33,9 @@ Thumbs.load = async function (topicData) {
 
 	const topicsWithThumbs = topicData.filter((tid, idx) => hasThumbs[idx]);
 	const tidsWithThumbs = topicsWithThumbs.map(t => t.tid);
-
-	const thumbs = await loadFromTopicData(topicsWithThumbs);
+	const thumbs = await loadFromTopicData(topicsWithThumbs, {
+		thumbsOnly: meta.config.showPostUploadsAsThumbnails !== 1,
+	});
 
 	const tidToThumbs = _.zipObject(tidsWithThumbs, thumbs);
 	return topicData.map(t => (t && t.tid ? (tidToThumbs[t.tid] || []) : []));
diff --git a/src/views/admin/settings/uploads.tpl b/src/views/admin/settings/uploads.tpl
index aa138c8c67..400058eb20 100644
--- a/src/views/admin/settings/uploads.tpl
+++ b/src/views/admin/settings/uploads.tpl
@@ -88,6 +88,11 @@
 					<label for="allowTopicsThumbnail" class="form-check-label">[[admin/settings/uploads:allow-topic-thumbnails]]</label>
 				</div>
 
+					<div class="form-check form-switch mb-3">
+					<input class="form-check-input" type="checkbox" id="showPostUploadsAsThumbnails" data-field="showPostUploadsAsThumbnails">
+					<label for="showPostUploadsAsThumbnails" class="form-check-label">[[admin/settings/uploads:show-post-uploads-as-thumbnails]]</label>
+				</div>
+
 				<div class="mb-3">
 					<label class="form-label" for="topicThumbSize">[[admin/settings/uploads:topic-thumb-size]]</label>
 					<input id="topicThumbSize" type="text" class="form-control" value="120" data-field="topicThumbSize">