diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 586e121..1430d8f 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -691,9 +691,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "event-listener-strategy"
-version = "0.5.2"
+version = "0.5.3"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "0f214dc438f977e6d4e3500aaa277f5ad94ca83fbbd9b1a15713ce2344ccc5a1"
+checksum = "3c3e4e0dd3673c1139bf041f3008816d9cf2946bbfac2945c09e523b8d7b05b2"
 dependencies = [
  "event-listener",
  "pin-project-lite",
@@ -1549,9 +1549,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "indexmap"
-version = "2.6.0"
+version = "2.7.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "707907fe3c25f5424cce2cb7e1cbcafee6bdbe735ca90ef77c29e84591e5b9da"
+checksum = "62f822373a4fe84d4bb149bf54e584a7f4abec90e072ed49cda0edea5b95471f"
 dependencies = [
  "equivalent",
  "hashbrown",
@@ -2205,7 +2205,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "pin-project-lite",
  "quinn-proto",
  "quinn-udp",
- "rustc-hash 2.0.0",
+ "rustc-hash 2.1.0",
  "rustls",
  "socket2",
  "thiserror 2.0.3",
@@ -2223,7 +2223,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "getrandom",
  "rand",
  "ring",
- "rustc-hash 2.0.0",
+ "rustc-hash 2.1.0",
  "rustls",
  "rustls-pki-types",
  "slab",
@@ -2434,9 +2434,9 @@ checksum = "08d43f7aa6b08d49f382cde6a7982047c3426db949b1424bc4b7ec9ae12c6ce2"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "rustc-hash"
-version = "2.0.0"
+version = "2.1.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "583034fd73374156e66797ed8e5b0d5690409c9226b22d87cb7f19821c05d152"
+checksum = "c7fb8039b3032c191086b10f11f319a6e99e1e82889c5cc6046f515c9db1d497"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "rustc_version"
diff --git a/src/model/song.rs b/src/model/song.rs
index d336528..4d72b36 100644
--- a/src/model/song.rs
+++ b/src/model/song.rs
@@ -101,12 +101,17 @@ impl Song {
             *thumbnail_loading = Some(glib::spawn_future_local(async move {
                 let _permit = SEM.acquire().await.unwrap();
 
-                let pixbuf = match api
+                let texture = match api
                     // see pixel-size in play_queue_song.blp
                     .cover_art(&id, Some(50 * scale_factor))
                     .await
                 {
-                    Ok(image) => audrey::util::image_to_pixbuf(image),
+                    Ok(image) => gtk::gio::spawn_blocking(|| {
+                        let pixbuf = audrey::util::image_to_pixbuf(image);
+                        gdk::Texture::for_pixbuf(&pixbuf)
+                    })
+                    .await
+                    .expect("glib blocking join failed"),
                     Err(err) => {
                         event!(
                             Level::ERROR,
@@ -122,7 +127,6 @@ impl Song {
                     Some(song) => song,
                 };
 
-                let texture = gdk::Texture::for_pixbuf(&pixbuf);
                 song.set_thumbnail(texture);
             }));
         }
diff --git a/src/ui/album_carousel/album.rs b/src/ui/album_carousel/album.rs
index 06a2ddb..3db5888 100644
--- a/src/ui/album_carousel/album.rs
+++ b/src/ui/album_carousel/album.rs
@@ -56,10 +56,10 @@ glib::wrapper! {
 
 impl Album {
     fn semaphore(&self) -> &Rc<Semaphore> {
-        // only load 5 at a time
+        // only load 10 at a time
         self.imp()
             .semaphore
-            .get_or_init(|| Rc::new(Semaphore::new(5)))
+            .get_or_init(|| Rc::new(Semaphore::new(10)))
     }
 
     pub fn bind(&self, client: &crate::wrappers::Client, album: &model::Album) {
@@ -74,8 +74,13 @@ impl Album {
             let _permit = sem.acquire().await.unwrap();
 
             // see pixel-size in album_carousel_album.blp
-            let pixbuf = match client.cover_art(&id, Some(160 * scale_factor)).await {
-                Ok(image) => audrey::util::image_to_pixbuf(image),
+            let texture = match client.cover_art(&id, Some(160 * scale_factor)).await {
+                Ok(image) => gtk::gio::spawn_blocking(|| {
+                    let pixbuf = audrey::util::image_to_pixbuf(image);
+                    gdk::Texture::for_pixbuf(&pixbuf)
+                })
+                .await
+                .expect("glib blocking join failed"),
                 Err(err) => {
                     event!(Level::ERROR, "could not fetch cover for album {id}: {err}");
                     return;
@@ -83,7 +88,7 @@ impl Album {
             };
 
             let this = this.upgrade().unwrap();
-            this.set_cover_art(Some(gdk::Texture::for_pixbuf(&pixbuf)));
+            this.set_cover_art(Some(texture));
         });
 
         self.imp().cover_art_loading.replace(Some(handle));
diff --git a/src/ui/window.rs b/src/ui/window.rs
index 8998e9c..46e3673 100644
--- a/src/ui/window.rs
+++ b/src/ui/window.rs
@@ -792,29 +792,33 @@ mod imp {
                         },
                     );
 
-                    let pixbuf = audrey::util::image_to_pixbuf(image);
+                    let (texture, palette) = gtk::gio::spawn_blocking(move || {
+                        let pixbuf = audrey::util::image_to_pixbuf(image);
+                        let texture = gdk::Texture::for_pixbuf(&pixbuf);
+                        // from amberol
+                        let palette = color_thief::get_palette(
+                            pixbuf.pixel_bytes().unwrap().as_ref(),
+                            if pixbuf.has_alpha() {
+                                color_thief::ColorFormat::Rgba
+                            } else {
+                                color_thief::ColorFormat::Rgb
+                            },
+                            8,
+                            3,
+                        )
+                        .unwrap();
+
+                        (texture, palette)
+                    })
+                    .await
+                    .expect("glib blocking join failed");
 
                     match window.song() {
                         Some(song) if song.id() == song_id => {
-                            let texture = gdk::Texture::for_pixbuf(&pixbuf);
-
                             window.remove_css_class("loading-cover");
                             window.set_playing_cover_art(Some(&texture.into()));
                             window.imp().cover_art_buffering().stop();
 
-                            // from amberol
-                            let palette = color_thief::get_palette(
-                                pixbuf.pixel_bytes().unwrap().as_ref(),
-                                if pixbuf.has_alpha() {
-                                    color_thief::ColorFormat::Rgba
-                                } else {
-                                    color_thief::ColorFormat::Rgb
-                                },
-                                8,
-                                3,
-                            )
-                            .unwrap();
-
                             let mut css = String::new();
                             css.push_str(":root {");
                             for (i, color) in palette