diff --git a/picard/album.py b/picard/album.py
index d7151f8e7..81da90d25 100644
--- a/picard/album.py
+++ b/picard/album.py
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ class Album(DataObject, Item):
         self.errors = []
         self.status = None
         self._album_artists = []
+        self.update_metadata_images_enabled = True
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return '<Album %s %r>' % (self.id, self.metadata[u"album"])
@@ -255,6 +256,7 @@ class Album(DataObject, Item):
             self._tracks_loaded = True
 
         if not self._requests:
+            self.update_metadata_images_enabled = False
             # Prepare parser for user's script
             if config.setting["enable_tagger_scripts"]:
                 for s_pos, s_name, s_enabled, s_text in config.setting["list_of_scripts"]:
@@ -276,6 +278,7 @@ class Album(DataObject, Item):
                         self._new_metadata.strip_whitespace()
 
             for track in self.tracks:
+                track.metadata_images_changed.connect(self.update_metadata_images)
                 for file in list(track.linked_files):
                     file.move(self.unmatched_files)
             self.metadata = self._new_metadata
@@ -285,6 +288,7 @@ class Album(DataObject, Item):
             self.loaded = True
             self.status = None
             self.match_files(self.unmatched_files.files)
+            self.update_metadata_images_enabled = True
             self.update()
             self.tagger.window.set_statusbar_message(
                 N_('Album %(id)s loaded: %(artist)s - %(album)s'),
@@ -379,14 +383,19 @@ class Album(DataObject, Item):
     def update(self, update_tracks=True):
         if self.item:
             self.item.update(update_tracks)
+        self.update_metadata_images()
 
     def _add_file(self, track, file):
         self._files += 1
         self.update(update_tracks=False)
+        file.metadata_images_changed.connect(self.update_metadata_images)
+        self.update_metadata_images()
 
     def _remove_file(self, track, file):
         self._files -= 1
         self.update(update_tracks=False)
+        file.metadata_images_changed.disconnect(self.update_metadata_images)
+        self.update_metadata_images()
 
     def match_files(self, files, use_recordingid=True):
         """Match files to tracks on this album, based on metadata similarity or recordingid."""
@@ -554,6 +563,8 @@ class Album(DataObject, Item):
             self.load(priority=True, refresh=True)
 
     def update_metadata_images(self):
+        if not self.update_metadata_images_enabled:
+            return
         new_images = []
         orig_images = []
 
diff --git a/picard/file.py b/picard/file.py
index cf20ed8cf..d2097259b 100644
--- a/picard/file.py
+++ b/picard/file.py
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ from picard.const import QUERY_LIMIT
 
 class File(QtCore.QObject, Item):
 
+    metadata_images_changed = QtCore.pyqtSignal()
+
     UNDEFINED = -1
     PENDING = 0
     NORMAL = 1
@@ -156,6 +158,7 @@ class File(QtCore.QObject, Item):
 
         if acoustid:
             self.metadata["acoustid_id"] = acoustid
+        self.metadata_images_changed.emit()
 
     def has_error(self):
         return self.state == File.ERROR
diff --git a/picard/track.py b/picard/track.py
index 3130f3f5f..c1e33d1d4 100644
--- a/picard/track.py
+++ b/picard/track.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 # Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
 
 from functools import partial
+from PyQt4 import QtCore
 from picard import config, log
 from picard.metadata import Metadata, run_track_metadata_processors
 from picard.dataobj import DataObject
@@ -44,6 +45,8 @@ class TrackArtist(DataObject):
 
 class Track(DataObject, Item):
 
+    metadata_images_changed = QtCore.pyqtSignal()
+
     def __init__(self, id, album=None):
         DataObject.__init__(self, id)
         self.album = album
diff --git a/picard/ui/coverartbox.py b/picard/ui/coverartbox.py
index 80226a4ce..f7e7580b4 100644
--- a/picard/ui/coverartbox.py
+++ b/picard/ui/coverartbox.py
@@ -316,18 +316,23 @@ class CoverArtBox(QtGui.QGroupBox):
             album.metadata.set_front_image(coverartimage)
             for track in album.tracks:
                 track.metadata.set_front_image(coverartimage)
+                track.metadata_images_changed.emit()
             for file in album.iterfiles():
                 file.metadata.set_front_image(coverartimage)
+                file.metadata_images_changed.emit()
                 file.update()
         elif isinstance(self.item, Track):
             track = self.item
             track.metadata.set_front_image(coverartimage)
+            track.metadata_images_changed.emit()
             for file in track.iterfiles():
                 file.metadata.set_front_image(coverartimage)
+                file.metadata_images_changed.emit()
                 file.update()
         elif isinstance(self.item, File):
             file = self.item
             file.metadata.set_front_image(coverartimage)
+            file.metadata_images_changed.emit()
             file.update()
         self.cover_art.set_metadata(self.item.metadata)
         self.show()
diff --git a/picard/ui/mainwindow.py b/picard/ui/mainwindow.py
index 1b4a72ec9..2ae7bf465 100644
--- a/picard/ui/mainwindow.py
+++ b/picard/ui/mainwindow.py
@@ -956,7 +956,6 @@ class MainWindow(QtGui.QMainWindow):
                     self.set_statusbar_message(msg, mparms, echo=None,
                                                history=None)
             elif isinstance(obj, Album):
-                obj.update_metadata_images()
                 metadata = obj.metadata
                 orig_metadata = obj.orig_metadata
             elif obj.can_edit_tags():