diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/molecules/FileGridItem/FileGridItem.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/molecules/FileGridItem/FileGridItem.tsx
index 9a3163e..ff5e024 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/molecules/FileGridItem/FileGridItem.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/molecules/FileGridItem/FileGridItem.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 import { Button, Card, CardActions, CardHeader, CardMedia } from '@mui/material';
 import { ReadonlySignal, useComputed } from '@preact/signals-react';
 import { IFileInfo, isIVideoFile, isPosterFeature, isTitleFeature, isYearFeature } from 'ipmc-interfaces';
-import React from 'react';
-import { useFileUrl } from '../../../hooks';
-import { useTranslation } from '../../../hooks/useTranslation';
+import React, { useRef } from 'react';
+import { useFileUrl, useIsVisible, useTranslation } from '../../../hooks';
 import { PinButton } from '../../atoms/PinButton';
 import { Display } from '../../pages/LibraryManager';
 import posterFallback from './no-poster.png';
@@ -13,11 +12,18 @@ import thumbFallback from './no-thumbnail.png';
 export function FileGridItem(props: { file: IFileInfo; onOpen: () => void; display: ReadonlySignal<Display>; }) {
 	const { file, display, onOpen } = props;
 	const _t = useTranslation();
+	const imgRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+	const visible = useIsVisible(imgRef);
 
-	const posterUrl = useFileUrl(isPosterFeature(file) && file.posters.length > 0 ? file.posters[0]?.cid : undefined, posterFallback);
-	const thumbUrl = useFileUrl(isIVideoFile(file) && file.thumbnails.length > 0 ? file.thumbnails[0]?.cid : undefined, thumbFallback);
-	const width = useComputed(() => display.value == Display.Poster ? 240 : 640);
-	const height = useComputed(() => display.value == Display.Poster ? 360 : 360);
+	const posterUrl = useFileUrl(isPosterFeature(file) && file.posters.length > 0 ? file.posters[0]?.cid : undefined, visible, posterFallback);
+	const thumbUrl = useFileUrl(isIVideoFile(file) && file.thumbnails.length > 0 ? file.thumbnails[0]?.cid : undefined, visible, thumbFallback);
+	const size = useComputed<{ width: number; height: number; }>(() => display.value == Display.Poster ? {
+		width: 240,
+		height: 360,
+	} : {
+		width: 640,
+		height: 360,
+	});
 	const url = useComputed(() => {
 		switch (display.value) {
 			case Display.Poster:
@@ -30,8 +36,8 @@ export function FileGridItem(props: { file: IFileInfo; onOpen: () => void; displ
 	});
 
 	return useComputed(() => (
-		<Card sx={{ width: width.value }}>
-			<CardMedia image={url.value} sx={{ height: height.value, width: width.value }} />
+		<Card sx={{ width: size.value.width }} ref={imgRef}>
+			<CardMedia image={url.value} sx={{ height: size.value.height, width: size.value.width }} />
 			<CardHeader title={isTitleFeature(file) ? file.title : file.name} subheader={isYearFeature(file) ? file.year : undefined}></CardHeader>
 			<CardActions>
 				<PinButton cid={file.cid} />
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/hooks/index.ts b/packages/ui/src/hooks/index.ts
index 25f87a1..7a351ff 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/hooks/index.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/hooks/index.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 export { useFileUrl } from './useFileUrl';
 export { useHotkey } from './useHotkey';
+export { useIsVisible } from './useIsVisible';
 export { PinStatus, usePinManager } from './usePinManager';
 export { useTitle } from './useTitle';
 export { useTranslation } from './useTranslation';
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/hooks/useFileUrl.ts b/packages/ui/src/hooks/useFileUrl.ts
index 986128f..ea8cdec 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/hooks/useFileUrl.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/hooks/useFileUrl.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import { IIpfsService, IIpfsServiceSymbol } from 'ipmc-interfaces';
 import { useService } from '../context/AppContext';
-import { ReadonlySignal, useComputed, useSignal, useSignalEffect } from '@preact/signals-react';
+import { ReadonlySignal, Signal, useComputed, useSignal, useSignalEffect } from '@preact/signals-react';
 import { useLinkedSignal } from './useLinkedSignal';
 import { fileTypeFromBuffer } from 'file-type';
 
-export function useFileUrl(cid?: string, fallback?: string): ReadonlySignal<string | undefined> {
+export function useFileUrl(cid?: string, visible?: Signal<boolean>, fallback?: string): ReadonlySignal<string | undefined> {
 	const result = useSignal<string | undefined>(undefined);
 	const heliaService = useService<IIpfsService>(IIpfsServiceSymbol);
 	const cidSig = useLinkedSignal(cid);
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ export function useFileUrl(cid?: string, fallback?: string): ReadonlySignal<stri
 	useSignalEffect(() => {
 		const controller = new AbortController();
 		const cid = cidSig.value;
-		if (cid !== undefined) {
-
+		const currentlyVisible = visible?.value ?? false;
+		if (cid !== undefined && currentlyVisible) {
 			(async () => {
 				const data = await heliaService.fetch(cid);
 				const fileType = await fileTypeFromBuffer(data);
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/hooks/useIsVisible.ts b/packages/ui/src/hooks/useIsVisible.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f4a1253
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ui/src/hooks/useIsVisible.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+import { Signal, useSignal } from '@preact/signals-react';
+import { RefObject, useEffect } from 'react';
+
+
+let listenerCallbacks = new WeakMap();
+
+let observer: IntersectionObserver;
+
+function handleIntersections(entries: any[]) {
+	entries.forEach(entry => {
+		if (listenerCallbacks.has(entry.target)) {
+			let cb = listenerCallbacks.get(entry.target);
+
+			if (entry.isIntersecting || entry.intersectionRatio > 0) {
+				observer.unobserve(entry.target);
+				listenerCallbacks.delete(entry.target);
+				cb();
+			}
+		}
+	});
+}
+
+function getIntersectionObserver() {
+	if (observer === undefined) {
+		observer = new IntersectionObserver(handleIntersections, {
+			rootMargin: '100px',
+			threshold: 0.15,
+		});
+	}
+	return observer;
+}
+
+export function useIsVisible(elem: RefObject<HTMLDivElement | null>): Signal<boolean> {
+	const visible = useSignal<boolean>(false);
+
+	useEffect(() => {
+		let target = elem?.current;
+		if (target !== null) {
+			let observer = getIntersectionObserver();
+			listenerCallbacks.set(target, () => {
+				visible.value = true;
+			});
+			observer.observe(target);
+
+			return () => {
+				listenerCallbacks.delete(target);
+				observer.unobserve(target);
+			};
+		} else {
+			return () => {
+				// NOOP
+			};
+		}
+	}, []);
+
+	return visible;
+}
+