diff --git a/site/.storybook/static/tiny-thumbnail.png b/site/.storybook/static/tiny-thumbnail.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5e59e255cb
Binary files /dev/null and b/site/.storybook/static/tiny-thumbnail.png differ
diff --git a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/RecordingPreview.stories.tsx b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/RecordingPreview.stories.tsx
index 24cd6b96d0..06025adf64 100644
--- a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/RecordingPreview.stories.tsx
+++ b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/RecordingPreview.stories.tsx
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@ import type { Meta, StoryObj } from "@storybook/react-vite";
 import { expect, fireEvent, userEvent, waitFor, within } from "storybook/test";
 import { RecordingPreview } from "./RecordingPreview";
 
-// The file is stored in site/.storybook/static/tiny-recording.mp4.
+// Static assets stored in site/.storybook/static/.
 const TINY_MP4 = "/tiny-recording.mp4";
+const TINY_THUMBNAIL = "/tiny-thumbnail.png";
 
 const meta: Meta<typeof RecordingPreview> = {
 	title: "pages/AgentsPage/ChatElements/tools/RecordingPreview",
@@ -23,10 +24,13 @@ type Story = StoryObj<typeof RecordingPreview>;
 export const Default: Story = {
 	args: {
 		recordingFileId: "dummy-recording-id",
+		thumbnailFileId: "dummy-thumb-id",
+		thumbnailSrc: TINY_THUMBNAIL,
 		src: TINY_MP4,
 	},
 	play: async ({ canvasElement }) => {
 		const canvas = within(canvasElement);
+		expect(canvas.getByRole("img")).toBeInTheDocument();
 		expect(
 			canvas.getByRole("button", { name: "View recording" }),
 		).toBeInTheDocument();
@@ -36,6 +40,8 @@ export const Default: Story = {
 export const LightboxOpen: Story = {
 	args: {
 		recordingFileId: "dummy-recording-id",
+		thumbnailFileId: "dummy-thumb-id",
+		thumbnailSrc: TINY_THUMBNAIL,
 		src: TINY_MP4,
 	},
 	play: async ({ canvasElement }) => {
@@ -55,13 +61,14 @@ export const LightboxOpen: Story = {
 export const ThumbnailError: Story = {
 	args: {
 		recordingFileId: "dummy-recording-id",
+		thumbnailFileId: "bad-thumb-id",
 		src: TINY_MP4,
 	},
 	play: async ({ canvasElement }) => {
 		const canvas = within(canvasElement);
-		const video = canvasElement.querySelector("video");
-		expect(video).not.toBeNull();
-		fireEvent.error(video!);
+		const img = canvasElement.querySelector("img");
+		expect(img).not.toBeNull();
+		fireEvent.error(img!);
 		await waitFor(() => {
 			expect(canvas.getByText("Thumbnail unavailable")).toBeInTheDocument();
 			// The play button should still be available so the user can
@@ -72,3 +79,43 @@ export const ThumbnailError: Story = {
 		});
 	},
 };
+
+export const WithThumbnail: Story = {
+	args: {
+		recordingFileId: "rec-id",
+		thumbnailFileId: "thumb-id",
+		thumbnailSrc: TINY_THUMBNAIL,
+	},
+	play: async ({ canvasElement }) => {
+		const canvas = within(canvasElement);
+		const img = canvas.getByRole("img");
+		expect(img).toBeInTheDocument();
+		expect(img).toHaveAttribute("src", TINY_THUMBNAIL);
+		// No <video> element should be in the DOM.
+		expect(canvasElement.querySelector("video")).toBeNull();
+		expect(
+			canvas.getByRole("button", { name: "View recording" }),
+		).toBeInTheDocument();
+	},
+};
+
+export const WithoutThumbnail: Story = {
+	args: {
+		recordingFileId: "rec-id",
+	},
+	play: async ({ canvasElement }) => {
+		const canvas = within(canvasElement);
+		// No <img> or <video> element should be in the DOM.
+		expect(canvasElement.querySelector("img")).toBeNull();
+		expect(canvasElement.querySelector("video")).toBeNull();
+		// Play button is still present.
+		expect(
+			canvas.getByRole("button", { name: "View recording" }),
+		).toBeInTheDocument();
+		// Gray placeholder div is visible.
+		const placeholder = canvasElement.querySelector(
+			".bg-surface-secondary:not(.flex)",
+		);
+		expect(placeholder).not.toBeNull();
+	},
+};
diff --git a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/RecordingPreview.tsx b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/RecordingPreview.tsx
index 8ce3602944..a984ac439b 100644
--- a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/RecordingPreview.tsx
+++ b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/RecordingPreview.tsx
@@ -7,9 +7,14 @@ import { DEFAULT_ASPECT, PREVIEW_HEIGHT } from "./previewConstants";
 interface RecordingPreviewProps {
 	/** The chat file ID for the MP4 recording. */
 	recordingFileId: string;
+	/** File ID for the JPEG thumbnail of a completed recording. */
+	thumbnailFileId?: string;
 	/** Optional video URL override. When provided, this is used
 	 * directly instead of deriving the URL from recordingFileId. */
 	src?: string;
+	/** Optional thumbnail URL override. When provided, this is used
+	 * directly instead of deriving the URL from thumbnailFileId. */
+	thumbnailSrc?: string;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -20,7 +25,9 @@ interface RecordingPreviewProps {
  */
 export const RecordingPreview: React.FC<RecordingPreviewProps> = ({
 	recordingFileId,
+	thumbnailFileId,
 	src: srcOverride,
+	thumbnailSrc: thumbnailSrcOverride,
 }) => {
 	const [showLightbox, setShowLightbox] = useState(false);
 	const [thumbnailError, setThumbnailError] = useState(false);
@@ -28,9 +35,6 @@ export const RecordingPreview: React.FC<RecordingPreviewProps> = ({
 	// component remounts and resets its internal error state.
 	const [lightboxKey, setLightboxKey] = useState(0);
 
-	const thumbnailSrc =
-		// Seek to first frame so the browser renders a thumbnail preview.
-		srcOverride ?? `/api/experimental/chats/files/${recordingFileId}#t=0.001`;
 	const videoSrc =
 		srcOverride ?? `/api/experimental/chats/files/${recordingFileId}`;
 
@@ -44,14 +48,19 @@ export const RecordingPreview: React.FC<RecordingPreviewProps> = ({
 					<ImageOffIcon className="h-3 w-3" />
 					Thumbnail unavailable
 				</div>
-			) : (
-				<video
-					src={thumbnailSrc}
-					preload="metadata"
-					muted
+			) : thumbnailFileId ? (
+				<img
+					src={
+						thumbnailSrcOverride ??
+						`/api/experimental/chats/files/${thumbnailFileId}`
+					}
+					alt="Recording thumbnail"
 					className="h-full w-full pointer-events-none object-cover"
 					onError={() => setThumbnailError(true)}
 				/>
+			) : (
+				// No thumbnail available — neutral gray placeholder.
+				<div className="h-full w-full bg-surface-secondary" />
 			)}
 			<button
 				type="button"
diff --git a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/SubagentTool.tsx b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/SubagentTool.tsx
index 3b4e938f62..238c3479ae 100644
--- a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/SubagentTool.tsx
+++ b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/SubagentTool.tsx
@@ -172,6 +172,8 @@ export const SubagentTool: React.FC<{
 	variant?: "default" | "computer-use";
 	/** File ID for a completed recording (shown after tool completes). */
 	recordingFileId?: string;
+	/** File ID for the JPEG thumbnail of a completed recording. */
+	thumbnailFileId?: string;
 }> = ({
 	toolName,
 	title,
@@ -187,6 +189,7 @@ export const SubagentTool: React.FC<{
 	showDesktopPreview,
 	variant = "default",
 	recordingFileId,
+	thumbnailFileId,
 }) => {
 	const [expanded, setExpanded] = useState(false);
 	const { desktopChatId, onOpenDesktop } = useDesktopPanel();
@@ -262,7 +265,10 @@ export const SubagentTool: React.FC<{
 
 			{recordingFileId && toolStatus === "completed" && (
 				<div className="mt-1.5 w-fit">
-					<RecordingPreview recordingFileId={recordingFileId} />
+					<RecordingPreview
+						recordingFileId={recordingFileId}
+						thumbnailFileId={thumbnailFileId}
+					/>
 				</div>
 			)}
 			{expanded && hasPrompt && (
diff --git a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/Tool.tsx b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/Tool.tsx
index e085aa6073..4bb0b6ddf0 100644
--- a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/Tool.tsx
+++ b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/Tool.tsx
@@ -356,6 +356,7 @@ const SubagentRenderer: FC<ToolRendererProps> = ({
 		: undefined;
 	const report = rec ? asString(rec.report) : "";
 	const recordingFileId = rec ? asString(rec.recording_file_id) : "";
+	const thumbnailFileId = rec ? asString(rec.thumbnail_file_id) : "";
 	const prompt = parsedArgs ? asString(parsedArgs.prompt) : "";
 	const subagentMessage = parsedArgs ? asString(parsedArgs.message) : "";
 	const title =
@@ -418,6 +419,7 @@ const SubagentRenderer: FC<ToolRendererProps> = ({
 			}
 			variant={variant}
 			recordingFileId={recordingFileId || undefined}
+			thumbnailFileId={thumbnailFileId || undefined}
 		/>
 	);
 };