diff --git a/menu/drivers/rgui.c b/menu/drivers/rgui.c
index 40e20ddf73..bb8669cc02 100644
--- a/menu/drivers/rgui.c
+++ b/menu/drivers/rgui.c
@@ -423,6 +423,7 @@ typedef struct
    char *thumbnail_system;
    char *thumbnail_content;
    char *thumbnail_path;
+   char *thumbnail_playlist;
 } rgui_t;
 
 #define THUMB_MAX_WIDTH 320
@@ -1591,6 +1592,8 @@ static void rgui_free(void *data)
          free(rgui->thumbnail_content);
       if (!string_is_empty(rgui->thumbnail_path))
          free(rgui->thumbnail_path);
+      if (!string_is_empty(rgui->thumbnail_playlist))
+         free(rgui->thumbnail_playlist);
    }
 
    fb_font_inited = menu_display_get_font_data_init();
@@ -1737,11 +1740,23 @@ static void rgui_update_thumbnail_path(void *userdata)
 static void rgui_set_thumbnail_system(void *userdata, char *s, size_t len)
 {
    rgui_t *rgui = (rgui_t*)userdata;
+   char tmp_path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH] = {0};
    if (!rgui)
       return;
    if (!string_is_empty(rgui->thumbnail_system))
       free(rgui->thumbnail_system);
+   if (!string_is_empty(rgui->thumbnail_playlist))
+      free(rgui->thumbnail_playlist);
    rgui->thumbnail_system = strdup(s);
+   /* Get associated playlist file name
+    * (i.e. <rgui->thumbnail_system>.lpl) */
+   if (!string_is_empty(rgui->thumbnail_system))
+   {
+      strlcpy(tmp_path, rgui->thumbnail_system, sizeof(tmp_path));
+      strlcat(tmp_path, file_path_str(FILE_PATH_LPL_EXTENSION), sizeof(tmp_path));
+      if (!string_is_empty(tmp_path))
+         rgui->thumbnail_playlist = strdup(tmp_path);
+   }
 }
 
 static void rgui_update_thumbnail_content(void *userdata)
@@ -1759,10 +1774,9 @@ static void rgui_update_thumbnail_content(void *userdata)
    rgui->is_playlist_entry = false;
    title[0] = '\0';
    menu_entries_get_title(title, sizeof(title));
-   if (!string_is_empty(rgui->thumbnail_system))
+   if (!string_is_empty(rgui->thumbnail_playlist))
    {
-      /* An ugly but effective test... */
-      if (strstr(path_basename(title), rgui->thumbnail_system) != NULL)
+      if (string_is_equal(path_basename(title), rgui->thumbnail_playlist))
       {
          /* Get label of currently selected playlist entry
           * > This is pretty nasty, but I can't see any other way of doing
@@ -1800,7 +1814,7 @@ static void rgui_update_thumbnail_image(void *userdata)
       return;
    
    rgui->show_thumbnail = !rgui->show_thumbnail;
-   
+
    if (rgui->show_thumbnail)
    {
       rgui_update_thumbnail_content(rgui);
diff --git a/menu/menu_displaylist.c b/menu/menu_displaylist.c
index 60000e98e7..e809799bfb 100644
--- a/menu/menu_displaylist.c
+++ b/menu/menu_displaylist.c
@@ -1290,6 +1290,7 @@ static int menu_displaylist_parse_playlist(menu_displaylist_info_t *info,
    unsigned i;
    size_t selection = menu_navigation_get_selection();
    size_t list_size = playlist_size(playlist);
+   settings_t *settings = config_get_ptr();
 
    if (list_size == 0)
       goto error;
@@ -1330,7 +1331,11 @@ static int menu_displaylist_parse_playlist(menu_displaylist_info_t *info,
       if (core_name)
          strlcpy(fill_buf, core_name, path_size);
 
-      if (!is_history && i == selection && !string_is_empty(label))
+      /* Note: this function is never called when using RGUI,
+       * but if it ever were then we must ensure that thumbnail
+       * updates are omitted (since this functionality is
+       * handled elsewhere) */
+      if (!is_history && i == selection && !string_is_empty(label) && !string_is_equal(settings->arrays.menu_driver, "rgui"))
       {
          char *content_basename = strdup(label);
 
@@ -1659,16 +1664,24 @@ static int menu_displaylist_parse_database_entry(menu_handle_t *menu,
 
       snprintf(crc_str, sizeof(crc_str), "%08X", db_info_entry->crc32);
 
-      if (!string_is_empty(db_info_entry->name))
-         strlcpy(thumbnail_content, db_info_entry->name,
-               sizeof(thumbnail_content));
+      /* It is unclear why parsing a database should trigger a
+       * thumbnail update, but I guess this is here for a reason...
+       * Regardless, thumbnail updates must be disabled when using
+       * RGUI, since this functionality is handled elsewhere
+       * (and doing it here creates harmful conflicts) */
+      if (!string_is_equal(settings->arrays.menu_driver, "rgui"))
+      {
+         if (!string_is_empty(db_info_entry->name))
+            strlcpy(thumbnail_content, db_info_entry->name,
+                  sizeof(thumbnail_content));
 
-      if (!string_is_empty(thumbnail_content))
-         menu_driver_set_thumbnail_content(thumbnail_content,
-               sizeof(thumbnail_content));
+         if (!string_is_empty(thumbnail_content))
+            menu_driver_set_thumbnail_content(thumbnail_content,
+                  sizeof(thumbnail_content));
 
-      menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_UPDATE_THUMBNAIL_PATH, NULL);
-      menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_UPDATE_THUMBNAIL_IMAGE, NULL);
+         menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_UPDATE_THUMBNAIL_PATH, NULL);
+         menu_driver_ctl(RARCH_MENU_CTL_UPDATE_THUMBNAIL_IMAGE, NULL);
+      }
 
       if (playlist)
       {