diff --git a/consts/consts.go b/consts/consts.go
index 42e9ec42f..86731de82 100644
--- a/consts/consts.go
+++ b/consts/consts.go
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ const (
 
 	I18nFolder     = "i18n"
 	ScanIgnoreFile = ".ndignore"
+	NoMediaFile    = ".nomedia"
 	ArtworkFolder  = "artwork"
 	// HashedArtworkFolder is a subtree of ArtworkFolder, kept apart from the name-addressed
 	// upload folders beside it so Prune's sweep never reaches them.
diff --git a/scanner/README.md b/scanner/README.md
index b2c682381..0f80ddffb 100644
--- a/scanner/README.md
+++ b/scanner/README.md
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ flowchart TD
 1. **Folder Traversal**
     - Uses `walkDirTree` to traverse the directory structure
     - Handles symbolic links and hidden files
-    - Processes `.ndignore` files for exclusions
+    - Processes `.ndignore` files for exclusions, and skips folders containing a `.nomedia` file
     - Maps files to appropriate types (audio, image, playlist)
 
 2. **Metadata Extraction**
diff --git a/scanner/ignore_checker.go b/scanner/ignore_checker.go
index f0aedb079..d65d3791e 100644
--- a/scanner/ignore_checker.go
+++ b/scanner/ignore_checker.go
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ import (
 	ignore "github.com/sabhiram/go-gitignore"
 )
 
+const ignoreAllPattern = "**/*"
+
 // IgnoreChecker manages .ndignore patterns using a stack-based approach.
 // Use Push() to add patterns when entering a folder, Pop() when leaving,
 // and ShouldIgnore() to check if a path should be ignored.
@@ -102,8 +104,13 @@ func (ic *IgnoreChecker) ShouldIgnore(ctx context.Context, relPath string) bool
 
 // loadPatternsFromFolder reads the .ndignore file in the specified folder and returns the patterns.
 // If the file doesn't exist, returns an empty slice.
-// If the file exists but is empty, returns a pattern to ignore everything ("**/*").
+// If the file exists but is empty, or a .nomedia file exists, returns a pattern to ignore everything.
 func (ic *IgnoreChecker) loadPatternsFromFolder(ctx context.Context, folder string) []string {
+	if _, err := fs.Stat(ic.fsys, path.Join(folder, consts.NoMediaFile)); err == nil {
+		log.Trace(ctx, "Scanner: .nomedia file found, ignoring everything", "path", folder)
+		return []string{ignoreAllPattern}
+	}
+
 	ignoreFilePath := path.Join(folder, consts.ScanIgnoreFile)
 	var patterns []string
 
@@ -138,7 +145,7 @@ func (ic *IgnoreChecker) loadPatternsFromFolder(ctx context.Context, folder stri
 	// If the .ndignore file is empty, ignore everything
 	if len(patterns) == 0 {
 		log.Trace(ctx, "Scanner: .ndignore file is empty, ignoring everything", "path", folder)
-		patterns = []string{"**/*"}
+		patterns = []string{ignoreAllPattern}
 	}
 
 	return patterns
diff --git a/scanner/ignore_checker_test.go b/scanner/ignore_checker_test.go
index 5378ed4fa..610073275 100644
--- a/scanner/ignore_checker_test.go
+++ b/scanner/ignore_checker_test.go
@@ -37,6 +37,20 @@ var _ = Describe("IgnoreChecker", func() {
 			})
 		})
 
+		DescribeTable("when .nomedia file exists",
+			func(files fstest.MapFS) {
+				ic = newIgnoreChecker(files)
+				patterns := ic.loadPatternsFromFolder(ctx, ".")
+				Expect(patterns).To(Equal([]string{"**/*"}))
+			},
+			Entry("empty", fstest.MapFS{".nomedia": &fstest.MapFile{}}),
+			Entry("with content", fstest.MapFS{".nomedia": &fstest.MapFile{Data: []byte("*.txt")}}),
+			Entry("alongside .ndignore", fstest.MapFS{
+				".nomedia":  &fstest.MapFile{},
+				".ndignore": &fstest.MapFile{Data: []byte("*.txt")},
+			}),
+		)
+
 		DescribeTable("parsing .ndignore content",
 			func(content string, expectedPatterns []string) {
 				fsys := fstest.MapFS{
diff --git a/scanner/walk_dir_tree_test.go b/scanner/walk_dir_tree_test.go
index 43939e5c2..826005c88 100644
--- a/scanner/walk_dir_tree_test.go
+++ b/scanner/walk_dir_tree_test.go
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ var _ = Describe("walk_dir_tree", func() {
 						"root/h/.hidden.mp3":                              {},
 						"root/i/.git/config":                              {},
 						"root/i/.streams/stream.mp3":                      {},
+						"root/j/.nomedia":                                 {},
+						"root/j/f1.mp3":                                   {},
+						"root/j/sub/f2.mp3":                               {},
 					},
 				}
 				job = &scanJob{
@@ -100,6 +103,8 @@ var _ = Describe("walk_dir_tree", func() {
 					Expect(folders["root/c"].audioFiles).To(BeEmpty())
 					Expect(folders["root/c"].imageFiles).To(BeEmpty())
 					Expect(folders).ToNot(HaveKey("root/d"))
+					Expect(folders["root/j"].audioFiles).To(BeEmpty())
+					Expect(folders).ToNot(HaveKey("root/j/sub"))
 
 					// By default (Scanner.IgnoreDotFolders == true), dot-prefixed
 					// folders are skipped, dot-prefixed files are not indexed, and
@@ -122,8 +127,8 @@ var _ = Describe("walk_dir_tree", func() {
 						Expect(folders["root/f"].audioFiles).ToNot(HaveKey("evil.mp3"))
 					}
 				},
-				Entry("with symlinks enabled", true, 11),
-				Entry("with symlinks disabled", false, 10),
+				Entry("with symlinks enabled", true, 12),
+				Entry("with symlinks disabled", false, 11),
 			)
 
 			DescribeTable("dot-prefixed folders with IgnoreDotFolders disabled",