diff --git a/res/css/views/messages/_MImageBody.scss b/res/css/views/messages/_MImageBody.scss
index 765c74a36d..b3a62896b2 100644
--- a/res/css/views/messages/_MImageBody.scss
+++ b/res/css/views/messages/_MImageBody.scss
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ $timelineImageBorderRadius: 4px;
         animation: mx--anim-pulse 1.75s infinite cubic-bezier(.4, 0, .6, 1);
         border-radius: $timelineImageBorderRadius;
     }
+
+    .mx_no-image-placeholder {
+        background-color: $primary-bg-color;
+    }
 }
 
 .mx_MImageBody_thumbnail_container {
diff --git a/src/components/views/messages/MImageBody.tsx b/src/components/views/messages/MImageBody.tsx
index e7b77b731f..286d420c58 100644
--- a/src/components/views/messages/MImageBody.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/messages/MImageBody.tsx
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ interface IState {
     };
     hover: boolean;
     showImage: boolean;
+    placeholder: 'no-image' | 'blurhash';
 }
 
 @replaceableComponent("views.messages.MImageBody")
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@ export default class MImageBody extends React.Component<IBodyProps, IState> {
             loadedImageDimensions: null,
             hover: false,
             showImage: SettingsStore.getValue("showImages"),
+            placeholder: 'no-image',
         };
     }
 
@@ -277,6 +279,17 @@ export default class MImageBody extends React.Component<IBodyProps, IState> {
             this.downloadImage();
             this.setState({ showImage: true });
         } // else don't download anything because we don't want to display anything.
+
+        // Add a 150ms timer for blurhash to first appear.
+        if (this.media.isEncrypted) {
+            setTimeout(() => {
+                if (!this.state.imgLoaded || !this.state.imgError) {
+                    this.setState({
+                        placeholder: 'blurhash',
+                    });
+                }
+            }, 150);
+        }
     }
 
     componentWillUnmount() {
@@ -434,7 +447,14 @@ export default class MImageBody extends React.Component<IBodyProps, IState> {
     // Overidden by MStickerBody
     protected getPlaceholder(width: number, height: number): JSX.Element {
         const blurhash = this.props.mxEvent.getContent().info[BLURHASH_FIELD];
-        if (blurhash) return <Blurhash className="mx_Blurhash" hash={blurhash} width={width} height={height} />;
+
+        if (blurhash) {
+            if (this.state.placeholder === 'no-image') {
+                return <div className="mx_no-image-placeholder" style={{ width: width, height: height }} />;
+            } else if (this.state.placeholder === 'blurhash') {
+                return <Blurhash className="mx_Blurhash" hash={blurhash} width={width} height={height} />;
+            }
+        }
         return (
             <InlineSpinner w={32} h={32} />
         );