diff --git a/core/artwork/image_cache.go b/core/artwork/image_cache.go
index 39938a755..b1970d21d 100644
--- a/core/artwork/image_cache.go
+++ b/core/artwork/image_cache.go
@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@ func (r *resizedItem) Reader(ctx context.Context) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	// An open() that reports "no image" as a nil reader would otherwise panic on the Close below.
+	if orig == nil {
+		return nil, ErrUnavailable
+	}
 	defer orig.Close()
 	data, err := readCapped(orig)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/core/artwork/image_cache_test.go b/core/artwork/image_cache_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a74c51088
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/artwork/image_cache_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+package artwork
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"io"
+	"strings"
+
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+)
+
+var _ = Describe("resizedItem", func() {
+	Describe("Reader", func() {
+		newItem := func(open func() (io.ReadCloser, error)) *resizedItem {
+			return &resizedItem{hash: "abc123", size: 300, open: open}
+		}
+
+		It("reports a nil reader as unavailable instead of panicking on it", func() {
+			// Every caller is expected to report "no image" as an error, but a nil reader reaches
+			// the deferred Close as a nil interface, which takes the whole request down.
+			_, err := newItem(func() (io.ReadCloser, error) { return nil, nil }).Reader(context.Background())
+			Expect(err).To(MatchError(ErrUnavailable))
+		})
+
+		It("propagates the open error", func() {
+			boom := errors.New("boom")
+			_, err := newItem(func() (io.ReadCloser, error) { return nil, boom }).Reader(context.Background())
+			Expect(err).To(MatchError(boom))
+		})
+
+		It("serves the original bytes when they cannot be resized", func() {
+			rc, err := newItem(func() (io.ReadCloser, error) {
+				return io.NopCloser(strings.NewReader("not an image")), nil
+			}).Reader(context.Background())
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			defer rc.Close()
+			Expect(io.ReadAll(rc)).To(Equal([]byte("not an image")))
+		})
+	})
+})