diff --git a/lib/hooks/upload-hooks.js b/lib/hooks/upload-hooks.js
--- a/lib/hooks/upload-hooks.js
+++ b/lib/hooks/upload-hooks.js
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
   assignBlobHolder,
   generateBlobHolder,
   makeBlobServiceEndpointURL,
+  makeFarcasterBlobMediaURI,
   makeBlobServiceURI,
 } from '../utils/blob-service.js';
 import { getMessageForException } from '../utils/errors.js';
@@ -278,9 +279,7 @@
         }
         return {
           id: response.mediaID,
-          uri: makeBlobServiceEndpointURL(blobService.httpEndpoints.GET_MEDIA, {
-            mediaID: response.mediaID,
-          }),
+          uri: makeFarcasterBlobMediaURI(response.mediaID, { thumbHash }),
           mediaType,
           dimensions,
           loop: loop ?? false,
diff --git a/lib/utils/blob-service.js b/lib/utils/blob-service.js
--- a/lib/utils/blob-service.js
+++ b/lib/utils/blob-service.js
@@ -54,17 +54,35 @@
   const path = replacePathParams(endpoint.path, params);
   return `${blobServiceConfig.url}${path}`;
 }
-
 function getBlobFetchableURL(blobHash: string): string {
   return makeBlobServiceEndpointURL(blobServiceConfig.httpEndpoints.GET_BLOB, {
     blobHash,
   });
 }
 
-function makeFarcasterBlobMediaURI(mediaID: string): string {
-  return makeBlobServiceEndpointURL(blobServiceConfig.httpEndpoints.GET_MEDIA, {
-    mediaID,
-  });
+function makeFarcasterBlobMediaURI(
+  mediaID: string,
+  metadata: { +thumbHash?: ?string } = {},
+): string {
+  const { thumbHash } = metadata;
+
+  const baseURL = makeBlobServiceEndpointURL(
+    blobServiceConfig.httpEndpoints.GET_MEDIA,
+    { mediaID },
+  );
+
+  if (!thumbHash) {
+    return baseURL;
+  }
+
+  // encode base64-url + urlencode padding
+  const encodedThumbHash = thumbHash
+    .replaceAll('+', '-')
+    .replaceAll('/', '_')
+    .replaceAll('=', '%3D');
+
+  const urlFragment = `#thumbHash=${encodedThumbHash}`;
+  return `${baseURL}${urlFragment}`;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/utils/convert-farcaster-message-to-comm-messages.js b/lib/utils/convert-farcaster-message-to-comm-messages.js
--- a/lib/utils/convert-farcaster-message-to-comm-messages.js
+++ b/lib/utils/convert-farcaster-message-to-comm-messages.js
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
           id: uuid.v4(),
           uri: med.staticRaster,
           type: 'photo',
-          thumbHash: null,
+          thumbHash: findThumbHash(med.staticRaster),
           dimensions: {
             height: med.height,
             width: med.width,
@@ -167,4 +167,19 @@
   return input.replaceAll(url, '').replaceAll(mirrorOriginalUrl, '');
 }
 
+const thumbHashRegex = /thumbHash=(.+)($|&)/;
+
+function findThumbHash(url: string): ?string {
+  const matchResult = url.match(thumbHashRegex);
+  if (!matchResult || matchResult.length < 2) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  // decode base64-url and unescape padding
+  return matchResult[1]
+    .replaceAll('-', '+')
+    .replaceAll('_', '/')
+    .replaceAll('%3D', '=');
+}
+
 export { convertFarcasterMessageToCommMessages };
diff --git a/web/media/media-utils.js b/web/media/media-utils.js
--- a/web/media/media-utils.js
+++ b/web/media/media-utils.js
@@ -260,9 +260,13 @@
     }
 
     if (!encryptionKey) {
-      const binaryThumbHash = base64DecodeBuffer(thumbHash);
-      const placeholderImage = thumbHashToDataURL(binaryThumbHash);
-      setPlaceholder(placeholderImage);
+      try {
+        const binaryThumbHash = base64DecodeBuffer(thumbHash);
+        const placeholderImage = thumbHashToDataURL(binaryThumbHash);
+        setPlaceholder(placeholderImage);
+      } catch (e) {
+        console.warn('Failed to set placeholder thumbHash:', e);
+      }
       return;
     }