diff --git a/source/blender/editors/space_file/filelist.cc b/source/blender/editors/space_file/filelist.cc
index e551f4cecb7..fc730bbee99 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/space_file/filelist.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/space_file/filelist.cc
@@ -183,7 +183,6 @@ struct FileListEntryPreview {
   char filepath[FILE_MAX_LIBEXTRA];
   uint flags;
   int index;
-  int attributes; /* from FileDirEntry. */
   int icon_id;
 };
 
@@ -1534,10 +1533,8 @@ static void filelist_cache_preview_runf(TaskPool *__restrict pool, void *taskdat
 
   IMB_thumb_path_lock(preview->filepath);
   /* Always generate biggest preview size for now, it's simpler and avoids having to re-generate
-   * in case user switch to a bigger preview size. Do not create preview when file is offline. */
-  ImBuf *imbuf = (preview->attributes & FILE_ATTR_OFFLINE) ?
-                     IMB_thumb_read(preview->filepath, THB_LARGE) :
-                     IMB_thumb_manage(preview->filepath, THB_LARGE, source);
+   * in case user switch to a bigger preview size. */
+  ImBuf *imbuf = IMB_thumb_manage(preview->filepath, THB_LARGE, source);
   IMB_thumb_path_unlock(preview->filepath);
   if (imbuf) {
     preview->icon_id = BKE_icon_imbuf_create(imbuf);
@@ -1667,7 +1664,6 @@ static void filelist_cache_previews_push(FileList *filelist, FileDirEntry *entry
   FileListEntryPreview *preview = MEM_new<FileListEntryPreview>(__func__);
   preview->index = index;
   preview->flags = entry->typeflag;
-  preview->attributes = entry->attributes;
   preview->icon_id = 0;
 
   if (preview_in_memory) {
diff --git a/source/blender/imbuf/IMB_thumbs.h b/source/blender/imbuf/IMB_thumbs.h
index 9506546e3b8..0d5cd0e21de 100644
--- a/source/blender/imbuf/IMB_thumbs.h
+++ b/source/blender/imbuf/IMB_thumbs.h
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ void IMB_thumb_delete(const char *file_or_lib_path, ThumbSize size);
 
 /**
  * Create the thumb if necessary and manage failed and old thumbs.
+ * Will not attempt to (re)create thumbnails of offline files. In this case only a preexisting
+ * thumbnail is returned, or null if none was found.
+ *
  * \param file_or_lib_path: File path or library-ID path (e.g. `/a/b.blend/Material/MyMaterial`) to
  *                          the thumbnail to be created/managed.
  */
diff --git a/source/blender/imbuf/intern/thumbs.cc b/source/blender/imbuf/intern/thumbs.cc
index da9fc72f6b5..80714d6fdc1 100644
--- a/source/blender/imbuf/intern/thumbs.cc
+++ b/source/blender/imbuf/intern/thumbs.cc
@@ -557,6 +557,17 @@ ImBuf *IMB_thumb_manage(const char *file_or_lib_path, ThumbSize size, ThumbSourc
   if (!uri_from_filename(file_or_lib_path, uri)) {
     return nullptr;
   }
+
+  /* Don't access offline files, only use already existing thumbnails (don't recreate). */
+  const eFileAttributes file_attributes = BLI_file_attributes(file_path);
+  if (file_attributes & FILE_ATTR_OFFLINE) {
+    char thumb_path[FILE_MAX];
+    if (thumbpath_from_uri(uri, thumb_path, sizeof(thumb_path), size)) {
+      return IMB_loadiffname(thumb_path, IB_rect | IB_metadata, nullptr);
+    }
+    return nullptr;
+  }
+
   char thumb_path[FILE_MAX];
   if (thumbpath_from_uri(uri, thumb_path, sizeof(thumb_path), THB_FAIL)) {
     /* failure thumb exists, don't try recreating */