diff --git a/src/renderer/component/fileCard/view.jsx b/src/renderer/component/fileCard/view.jsx
index f8702d471..ec620c603 100644
--- a/src/renderer/component/fileCard/view.jsx
+++ b/src/renderer/component/fileCard/view.jsx
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class FileCard extends React.PureComponent<Props> {
 
     if ((!claim && !pending) || placeholder) {
       return (
-        <li className="media-card media--placeholder small">
+        <li className="media-card media--placeholder">
           <div className="media__thumb media__thumb--placeholder" />
           <div className="media__title media__title--placeholder" />
           <div className="media__channel media__channel--placeholder" />
diff --git a/src/renderer/scss/component/_media.scss b/src/renderer/scss/component/_media.scss
index b7ab582a7..eed44c0c1 100644
--- a/src/renderer/scss/component/_media.scss
+++ b/src/renderer/scss/component/_media.scss
@@ -374,10 +374,14 @@
   @include thumbnail;
 
   &:not(.media__thumb--nsfw):not(.media__thumb--placeholder) {
-    background-color: $lbry-black;
+    background-color: $lbry-gray-2;
     background-position: center;
     background-repeat: no-repeat;
     background-size: cover;
+
+    html[data-theme='dark'] & {
+      background-color: rgba($lbry-white, 0.1);
+    }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/scss/init/_mixins.scss b/src/renderer/scss/init/_mixins.scss
index e4b86df1f..c7867501f 100644
--- a/src/renderer/scss/init/_mixins.scss
+++ b/src/renderer/scss/init/_mixins.scss
@@ -33,23 +33,11 @@
 }
 
 @mixin placeholder {
-  animation-duration: 4s;
-  animation-fill-mode: forwards;
-  animation-iteration-count: infinite;
-  animation-name: loading-animation;
-  animation-timing-function: linear;
-  background-color: transparent;
-  background-image: linear-gradient(to right, $lbry-gray-3 10%, transparent 80%, $lbry-gray-3 100%);
-  background-repeat: repeat;
-  background-size: 500px;
+  animation: pulse 2s infinite ease-in-out;
+  background-color: $lbry-gray-2;
 
   html[data-theme='dark'] & {
-    background-image: linear-gradient(
-      to right,
-      rgba($lbry-white, 0.1) 10%,
-      transparent 80%,
-      rgba($lbry-white, 0.1) 100%
-    );
+    background-color: rgba($lbry-white, 0.1);
   }
 }