diff --git a/server/controllers/LibraryItemController.js b/server/controllers/LibraryItemController.js
index 0b4d3d0c..f0f5c86d 100644
--- a/server/controllers/LibraryItemController.js
+++ b/server/controllers/LibraryItemController.js
@@ -342,44 +342,25 @@ class LibraryItemController {
       query: { width, height, format, raw }
     } = req
 
-    const libraryItem = await Database.libraryItemModel.findByPk(req.params.id, {
-      attributes: ['id', 'mediaType', 'mediaId', 'libraryId'],
-      include: [
-        {
-          model: Database.bookModel,
-          attributes: ['id', 'coverPath', 'tags', 'explicit']
-        },
-        {
-          model: Database.podcastModel,
-          attributes: ['id', 'coverPath', 'tags', 'explicit']
-        }
-      ]
-    })
-    if (!libraryItem) {
-      Logger.warn(`[LibraryItemController] getCover: Library item "${req.params.id}" does not exist`)
-      return res.sendStatus(404)
-    }
-
-    // Check if user can access this library item
-    if (!req.user.checkCanAccessLibraryItem(libraryItem)) {
-      return res.sendStatus(403)
-    }
-
-    // Check if library item media has a cover path
-    if (!libraryItem.media.coverPath || !(await fs.pathExists(libraryItem.media.coverPath))) {
-      return res.sendStatus(404)
-    }
-
     if (req.query.ts) res.set('Cache-Control', 'private, max-age=86400')
 
+    const libraryItemId = req.params.id
+    if (!libraryItemId) {
+      return res.sendStatus(400)
+    }
+
     if (raw) {
+      const coverPath = await Database.getLibraryItemCoverPath(libraryItemId)
+      if (!coverPath || !(await fs.pathExists(coverPath))) {
+        return res.sendStatus(404)
+      }
       // any value
       if (global.XAccel) {
-        const encodedURI = encodeUriPath(global.XAccel + libraryItem.media.coverPath)
+        const encodedURI = encodeUriPath(global.XAccel + coverPath)
         Logger.debug(`Use X-Accel to serve static file ${encodedURI}`)
         return res.status(204).header({ 'X-Accel-Redirect': encodedURI }).send()
       }
-      return res.sendFile(libraryItem.media.coverPath)
+      return res.sendFile(coverPath)
     }
 
     const options = {
@@ -387,7 +368,7 @@ class LibraryItemController {
       height: height ? parseInt(height) : null,
       width: width ? parseInt(width) : null
     }
-    return CacheManager.handleCoverCache(res, libraryItem.id, libraryItem.media.coverPath, options)
+    return CacheManager.handleCoverCache(res, libraryItemId, options)
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/server/managers/CacheManager.js b/server/managers/CacheManager.js
index b4d2f270..d1b27423 100644
--- a/server/managers/CacheManager.js
+++ b/server/managers/CacheManager.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ const stream = require('stream')
 const Logger = require('../Logger')
 const { resizeImage } = require('../utils/ffmpegHelpers')
 const { encodeUriPath } = require('../utils/fileUtils')
+const Database = require('../Database')
 
 class CacheManager {
   constructor() {
@@ -29,24 +30,24 @@ class CacheManager {
     await fs.ensureDir(this.ItemCachePath)
   }
 
-  async handleCoverCache(res, libraryItemId, coverPath, options = {}) {
+  async handleCoverCache(res, libraryItemId, options = {}) {
     const format = options.format || 'webp'
     const width = options.width || 400
     const height = options.height || null
 
     res.type(`image/${format}`)
 
-    const path = Path.join(this.CoverCachePath, `${libraryItemId}_${width}${height ? `x${height}` : ''}`) + '.' + format
+    const cachePath = Path.join(this.CoverCachePath, `${libraryItemId}_${width}${height ? `x${height}` : ''}`) + '.' + format
 
     // Cache exists
-    if (await fs.pathExists(path)) {
+    if (await fs.pathExists(cachePath)) {
       if (global.XAccel) {
-        const encodedURI = encodeUriPath(global.XAccel + path)
+        const encodedURI = encodeUriPath(global.XAccel + cachePath)
         Logger.debug(`Use X-Accel to serve static file ${encodedURI}`)
         return res.status(204).header({ 'X-Accel-Redirect': encodedURI }).send()
       }
 
-      const r = fs.createReadStream(path)
+      const r = fs.createReadStream(cachePath)
       const ps = new stream.PassThrough()
       stream.pipeline(r, ps, (err) => {
         if (err) {
@@ -57,7 +58,13 @@ class CacheManager {
       return ps.pipe(res)
     }
 
-    const writtenFile = await resizeImage(coverPath, path, width, height)
+    // Cached cover does not exist, generate it
+    const coverPath = await Database.getLibraryItemCoverPath(libraryItemId)
+    if (!coverPath || !(await fs.pathExists(coverPath))) {
+      return res.sendStatus(404)
+    }
+
+    const writtenFile = await resizeImage(coverPath, cachePath, width, height)
     if (!writtenFile) return res.sendStatus(500)
 
     if (global.XAccel) {