diff --git a/src/pyj/book_list/views.pyj b/src/pyj/book_list/views.pyj
index aec0040efe..77dab317c6 100644
--- a/src/pyj/book_list/views.pyj
+++ b/src/pyj/book_list/views.pyj
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # vim:fileencoding=utf-8
 # License: GPL v3 Copyright: 2015, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
 
-from dom import set_css, build_rule
+from dom import set_css, build_rule, clear
 from elementmaker import E
 from gettext import gettext as _
 
@@ -122,13 +122,26 @@ class BooksView:
         cover_url = str.format('get/thumb/{}/{}?sz={}x{}', book_id, self.interface_data['library_id'], THUMBNAIL_MAX_WIDTH, THUMBNAIL_MAX_HEIGHT)
         metadata = self.interface_data['metadata'][book_id]
         alt = str.format(_('{} by {}'), metadata['title'], metadata['authors'].join(' & '))
+        img = E.img(src=cover_url, alt=alt, title=alt, data_title=metadata['title'], data_authors=metadata['authors'].join(' & '),
+                style='max-width: 100%; max-height: 100%; display: block; cursor: pointer; width:auto; height:auto')
+        img.onerror = def(err):
+            img = err.target
+            div = img.parentNode
+            clear(div)
+            div.appendChild(E.div(
+                style='position:relative; top:-50%; transform: translateY(50%); cursor:pointer',
+                E.h2(img.getAttribute('data-title'), style='text-align:center; font-size:larger; font-weight: bold'),
+                E.div(_('by'), style='text-align: center'),
+                E.h2(img.getAttribute('data-authors'), style='text-align:center; font-size:larger; font-weight: bold')
+            ))
+            set_css(div, border='dashed 1px currentColor', border_radius='10px')
+
         return E.div(
             style=str.format(('margin: 10px; display: flex; align-content: flex-end; align-items: flex-end; justify-content: space-around;'
                              'width: 21vw; height: 28vw; max-width: {}px; max-height: {}px; min-width: {}px; min-height: {}px'),
                              THUMBNAIL_MAX_WIDTH, THUMBNAIL_MAX_HEIGHT, THUMBNAIL_MAX_WIDTH // 2, THUMBNAIL_MAX_HEIGHT // 2),
             data_book_id=str(book_id),
-            E.img(src=cover_url, alt=alt, title=alt,
-                  style='max-width: 100%; max-height: 100%; display: block; cursor: pointer; width:auto; height:auto')
+            img
         )
 
     # }}}