diff --git a/geonode/documents/migrations/0036_clean_document_thumbnails.py b/geonode/documents/migrations/0036_clean_document_thumbnails.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..edfd6847a66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/geonode/documents/migrations/0036_clean_document_thumbnails.py
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import logging
+
+from django.db import migrations
+
+from ..models import Document
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+def set_null_to_non_image_docs_thumbnails(apps, _):
+    "Sets thumbnail_url to null for documents which are not images"
+    try:
+        # update thumbnail urls
+        for document in Document.objects.all():
+            if not document.is_image:
+                document.thumbnail_url=None
+                document.save()
+        # Remove thumbnail links
+        link_model = apps.get_model('base', 'Link')
+        link_model.objects.filter(resource__thumbnail_url__isnull=True, name='Thumbnail').delete()
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.exception(e)
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('documents', '0033_remove_document_doc_type'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.RunPython(set_null_to_non_image_docs_thumbnails, migrations.RunPython.noop),
+    ]
diff --git a/geonode/documents/models.py b/geonode/documents/models.py
index b9c20121f38..938d736efd8 100644
--- a/geonode/documents/models.py
+++ b/geonode/documents/models.py
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.db import models
 from django.urls import reverse
-from django.contrib.staticfiles import finders
 from django.utils.functional import classproperty
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
 from django.contrib.contenttypes.models import ContentType
@@ -101,18 +100,6 @@ def name_long(self):
         else:
             return f'{self.title} ({self.id})'
 
-    def find_placeholder(self):
-        placeholder = 'documents/{0}-placeholder.png'
-        if finders.find(placeholder.format(self.extension), False):
-            return finders.find(placeholder.format(self.extension), False)
-        elif self.is_audio:
-            return finders.find(placeholder.format('audio'), False)
-        elif self.is_image:
-            return finders.find(placeholder.format('image'), False)
-        elif self.is_video:
-            return finders.find(placeholder.format('video'), False)
-        return finders.find(placeholder.format('generic'), False)
-
     @property
     def href(self):
         if self.doc_url:
diff --git a/geonode/documents/tasks.py b/geonode/documents/tasks.py
index e91a6ca30b1..1cd21e6bb74 100644
--- a/geonode/documents/tasks.py
+++ b/geonode/documents/tasks.py
@@ -16,18 +16,14 @@
 # along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #
 #########################################################################
-import os
-
 from celery.utils.log import get_task_logger
 
 from geonode.celery_app import app
 from geonode.storage.manager import storage_manager
 
+from ..base.models import ResourceBase
 from .models import Document
-from .renderers import (
-    render_document,
-    generate_thumbnail_content,
-    ConversionError)
+from .renderers import (generate_thumbnail_content)
 
 logger = get_task_logger(__name__)
 
@@ -56,60 +52,29 @@ def create_document_thumbnail(self, object_id):
         logger.error(f"Document #{object_id} does not exist.")
         raise
 
-    image_path = None
     image_file = None
+    thumbnail_content = None
 
     if document.is_image:
         dname = storage_manager.path(document.files[0])
         if storage_manager.exists(dname):
             image_file = storage_manager.open(dname, 'rb')
-    elif document.is_video or document.is_audio:
-        image_file = open(document.find_placeholder(), 'rb')
-    elif document.is_file:
-        dname = storage_manager.path(document.files[0])
-        try:
-            document_location = storage_manager.path(dname)
-        except NotImplementedError as e:
-            logger.debug(e)
-
-            document_location = storage_manager.url(dname)
 
-        try:
-            image_path = render_document(document_location)
-            if image_path is not None:
-                try:
-                    image_file = open(image_path, 'rb')
-                except Exception as e:
-                    logger.debug(f"Failed to render document #{object_id}: {e}")
-            else:
-                logger.debug(f"Failed to render document #{object_id}")
-        except ConversionError as e:
-            logger.debug(f"Could not convert document #{object_id}: {e}.")
-        except NotImplementedError as e:
-            logger.debug(f"Failed to render document #{object_id}: {e}")
-
-    thumbnail_content = None
-    try:
         try:
             thumbnail_content = generate_thumbnail_content(image_file)
         except Exception as e:
-            logger.debug(f"Could not generate thumbnail, falling back to 'placeholder': {e}")
-            thumbnail_content = generate_thumbnail_content(document.find_placeholder())
-    except Exception as e:
-        logger.error(f"Could not generate thumbnail: {e}")
-        return
-    finally:
-        if image_file is not None:
-            image_file.close()
-
-        if image_path is not None:
-            os.remove(image_path)
+            logger.debug(f"Could not generate thumbnail, setting thumbnail_url to None: {e}")
+        finally:
+            if image_file is not None:
+                image_file.close()
 
     if not thumbnail_content:
         logger.warning(f"Thumbnail for document #{object_id} empty.")
-    filename = f'document-{document.uuid}-thumb.png'
-    document.save_thumbnail(filename, thumbnail_content)
-    logger.debug(f"Thumbnail for document #{object_id} created.")
+        ResourceBase.objects.filter(id=document.id).update(thumbnail_url=None)
+    else:
+        filename = f'document-{document.uuid}-thumb.png'
+        document.save_thumbnail(filename, thumbnail_content)
+        logger.debug(f"Thumbnail for document #{object_id} created.")
 
 
 @app.task(