diff --git a/frigate/api/export.py b/frigate/api/export.py
index 71c6ebe6c..c88e0146a 100644
--- a/frigate/api/export.py
+++ b/frigate/api/export.py
@@ -141,7 +141,10 @@ def export_delete(id: str):
         )
 
     Path(export.video_path).unlink(missing_ok=True)
-    Path(export.thumb_path).unlink(missing_ok=True)
+
+    if export.thumb_path:
+        Path(export.thumb_path).unlink(missing_ok=True)
+
     export.delete_instance()
     return make_response(
         jsonify(
@@ -152,4 +155,3 @@ def export_delete(id: str):
         ),
         200,
     )
-
diff --git a/frigate/app.py b/frigate/app.py
index 0d7346405..68a5857bf 100644
--- a/frigate/app.py
+++ b/frigate/app.py
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ from frigate.plus import PlusApi
 from frigate.ptz.autotrack import PtzAutoTrackerThread
 from frigate.ptz.onvif import OnvifController
 from frigate.record.cleanup import RecordingCleanup
+from frigate.record.export import migrate_exports
 from frigate.record.record import manage_recordings
 from frigate.review.review import manage_review_segments
 from frigate.stats.emitter import StatsEmitter
@@ -331,6 +332,17 @@ class FrigateApp:
         ]
         self.db.bind(models)
 
+    def check_db_data_migrations(self) -> None:
+        # check if vacuum needs to be run
+        if not os.path.exists(f"{CONFIG_DIR}/.exports"):
+            try:
+                with open(f"{CONFIG_DIR}/.exports", "w") as f:
+                    f.write(str(datetime.datetime.now().timestamp()))
+            except PermissionError:
+                logger.error("Unable to write to /config to save export state")
+
+            migrate_exports(self.config.cameras.keys())
+
     def init_external_event_processor(self) -> None:
         self.external_event_processor = ExternalEventProcessor(self.config)
 
@@ -631,6 +643,7 @@ class FrigateApp:
             self.init_review_segment_manager()
             self.init_go2rtc()
             self.bind_database()
+            self.check_db_data_migrations()
             self.init_inter_process_communicator()
             self.init_dispatcher()
         except Exception as e:
diff --git a/frigate/record/export.py b/frigate/record/export.py
index ffac0c21e..89980c663 100644
--- a/frigate/record/export.py
+++ b/frigate/record/export.py
@@ -249,3 +249,61 @@ class RecordingExporter(threading.Thread):
             ).execute()
 
         logger.debug(f"Finished exporting {video_path}")
+
+
+def migrate_exports(camera_names: list[str]):
+    Path(os.path.join(CLIPS_DIR, "export")).mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+
+    exports = []
+    for export_file in os.listdir(EXPORT_DIR):
+        camera = "unknown"
+
+        for cam_name in camera_names:
+            if cam_name in export_file:
+                camera = cam_name
+                break
+
+        id = f"{camera}_{''.join(random.choices(string.ascii_lowercase + string.digits, k=6))}"
+        video_path = os.path.join(EXPORT_DIR, export_file)
+        thumb_path = os.path.join(
+            CLIPS_DIR, f"export/{id}.jpg"
+        )  # use jpg because webp encoder can't get quality low enough
+
+        ffmpeg_cmd = [
+            "ffmpeg",
+            "-hide_banner",
+            "-loglevel",
+            "warning",
+            "-i",
+            video_path,
+            "-vf",
+            "scale=-1:180",
+            "-frames",
+            "1",
+            "-q:v",
+            "8",
+            thumb_path,
+        ]
+
+        process = sp.run(
+            ffmpeg_cmd,
+            capture_output=True,
+        )
+
+        if process.returncode != 0:
+            logger.error(process.stderr)
+            continue
+
+        exports.append(
+            {
+                Export.id: id,
+                Export.camera: camera,
+                Export.name: export_file.replace(".mp4", ""),
+                Export.date: os.path.getctime(video_path),
+                Export.video_path: video_path,
+                Export.thumb_path: thumb_path,
+                Export.in_progress: False,
+            }
+        )
+
+    Export.insert_many(exports).execute()
diff --git a/web/src/components/card/ExportCard.tsx b/web/src/components/card/ExportCard.tsx
index 01415043b..3926691e9 100644
--- a/web/src/components/card/ExportCard.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/card/ExportCard.tsx
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@ export default function ExportCard({
   onDelete,
 }: ExportProps) {
   const [hovered, setHovered] = useState(false);
-  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
+  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(
+    exportedRecording.thumb_path.length > 0,
+  );
 
   // editing name
 
@@ -129,7 +131,7 @@ export default function ExportCard({
             </div>
 
             <Button
-              className="absolute left-1/2 -translate-x-1/2 top-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 w-20 h-20 z-20 text-white hover:text-white hover:bg-transparent"
+              className="absolute left-1/2 -translate-x-1/2 top-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 w-20 h-20 z-20 text-white hover:text-white hover:bg-transparent cursor-pointer"
               variant="ghost"
               onClick={() => {
                 onSelect(exportedRecording);
@@ -142,11 +144,17 @@ export default function ExportCard({
         {exportedRecording.in_progress ? (
           <ActivityIndicator />
         ) : (
-          <img
-            className="absolute inset-0 object-contain aspect-video rounded-2xl"
-            src={exportedRecording.thumb_path.replace("/media/frigate", "")}
-            onLoad={() => setLoading(false)}
-          />
+          <>
+            {exportedRecording.thumb_path.length > 0 ? (
+              <img
+                className="size-full absolute inset-0 object-contain aspect-video rounded-2xl"
+                src={exportedRecording.thumb_path.replace("/media/frigate", "")}
+                onLoad={() => setLoading(false)}
+              />
+            ) : (
+              <div className="absolute inset-0 bg-secondary rounded-2xl" />
+            )}
+          </>
         )}
         {loading && (
           <Skeleton className="absolute inset-0 aspect-video rounded-2xl" />