diff --git a/cps/gdriveutils.py b/cps/gdriveutils.py
index 7e4c662b..7bff089b 100644
--- a/cps/gdriveutils.py
+++ b/cps/gdriveutils.py
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ import shutil
 import chardet
 import ssl
 import sqlite3
+import mimetypes
 
+from werkzeug.datastructures import Headers
 from flask import Response, stream_with_context
 from sqlalchemy import create_engine
 from sqlalchemy import Column, UniqueConstraint
@@ -600,7 +602,10 @@ def get_cover_via_gdrive(cover_path):
             except (OperationalError, IntegrityError) as ex:
                 log.error_or_exception('Database error: {}'.format(ex))
                 session.rollback()
-        return df.metadata.get('webContentLink')
+        headers = Headers()
+        headers["Content-Type"] = 'image/jpeg'
+        resp, content = df.auth.Get_Http_Object().request(df.metadata.get('downloadUrl'), headers=headers)
+        return content
     else:
         return None
 
diff --git a/cps/helper.py b/cps/helper.py
index 84e46a24..f4c226a6 100644
--- a/cps/helper.py
+++ b/cps/helper.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ import requests
 import unidecode
 from uuid import uuid4
 
-from flask import send_from_directory, make_response, redirect, abort, url_for
+from flask import send_from_directory, make_response, abort, url_for, Response
 from flask_babel import gettext as _
 from flask_babel import lazy_gettext as N_
 from flask_babel import get_locale
@@ -787,9 +787,9 @@ def get_book_cover_internal(book, resolution=None):
             try:
                 if not gd.is_gdrive_ready():
                     return get_cover_on_failure()
-                path = gd.get_cover_via_gdrive(book.path)
-                if path:
-                    return redirect(path)
+                cover_file = gd.get_cover_via_gdrive(book.path)
+                if cover_file:
+                    return Response(cover_file, mimetype='image/jpeg')
                 else:
                     log.error('{}/cover.jpg not found on Google Drive'.format(book.path))
                     return get_cover_on_failure()
diff --git a/cps/tasks/thumbnail.py b/cps/tasks/thumbnail.py
index 54b68f40..2921ffc9 100644
--- a/cps/tasks/thumbnail.py
+++ b/cps/tasks/thumbnail.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import os
 from shutil import copyfile, copyfileobj
 from urllib.request import urlopen
+from io import BytesIO
 
 from .. import constants
 from cps import config, db, fs, gdriveutils, logger, ub
@@ -182,13 +183,11 @@ class TaskGenerateCoverThumbnails(CalibreTask):
                 if not gdriveutils.is_gdrive_ready():
                     raise Exception('Google Drive is configured but not ready')
 
-                web_content_link = gdriveutils.get_cover_via_gdrive(book.path)
-                if not web_content_link:
+                content = gdriveutils.get_cover_via_gdrive(book.path)
+                if not content:
                     raise Exception('Google Drive cover url not found')
-
-                stream = None
                 try:
-                    stream = urlopen(web_content_link)
+                    stream = BytesIO(content)
                     with Image(file=stream) as img:
                         filename = self.cache.get_cache_file_path(thumbnail.filename,
                                                                   constants.CACHE_TYPE_THUMBNAILS)