diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 8c6717a97..ff401f729 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ Added:
   the original image. Thanks `@Yutsuten`_ for reviving this!
 * Add the ``none`` sorting type for the ``sort.image_order`` and ``sort.directory_order``
   options, implemented by `@buzzingwires`_
+* Add the ``thumbnail.save`` option, implemented by `@buzzingwires`_
 
 Changed:
 ^^^^^^^^
diff --git a/tests/unit/utils/test_thumbnail_manager.py b/tests/unit/utils/test_thumbnail_manager.py
index f7a155035..34a6510d1 100644
--- a/tests/unit/utils/test_thumbnail_manager.py
+++ b/tests/unit/utils/test_thumbnail_manager.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 
+from vimiv.api import settings
 from vimiv.utils import thumbnail_manager
 
 
@@ -24,6 +25,28 @@ def manager(qtbot, tmp_path, mocker):
     yield thumbnail_manager.ThumbnailManager(None)
 
 
+def test_thumbnail_save_disabled(monkeypatch, qtbot, tmp_path, manager):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(settings.thumbnail.save, "value", False)
+    no_thumbnail_path = str(tmp_path / "no_thumbnail.jpg")
+    QPixmap(300, 300).save(no_thumbnail_path, "jpg")
+    manager.create_thumbnails_async([no_thumbnail_path])
+    check_thumbails_created(qtbot, manager, 0)
+
+
+def test_thumbnail_save_disabled_no_delete_old(monkeypatch, qtbot, tmp_path, manager):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(settings.thumbnail.save, "value", True)
+    has_thumbnail_path = str(tmp_path / "has_thumbnail.jpg")
+    QPixmap(300, 300).save(has_thumbnail_path, "jpg")
+    manager.create_thumbnails_async([has_thumbnail_path])
+    check_thumbails_created(qtbot, manager, 1)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(settings.thumbnail.save, "value", False)
+    no_thumbnail_path = str(tmp_path / "no_thumbnail.jpg")
+    QPixmap(300, 300).save(no_thumbnail_path, "jpg")
+    manager.create_thumbnails_async([has_thumbnail_path, no_thumbnail_path])
+    check_thumbails_created(qtbot, manager, 1)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("n_paths", (1, 5))
 def test_create_n_thumbnails(qtbot, tmp_path, manager, n_paths):
     # Create images to create thumbnails of
diff --git a/vimiv/api/settings.py b/vimiv/api/settings.py
index 4d1d9c4c1..af1e3ac3c 100644
--- a/vimiv/api/settings.py
+++ b/vimiv/api/settings.py
@@ -470,6 +470,11 @@ class thumbnail:  # pylint: disable=invalid-name
     """Namespace for thumbnail related settings."""
 
     size = ThumbnailSizeSetting("thumbnail.size", 128, desc="Size of thumbnails")
+    save = BoolSetting(
+        "thumbnail.save",
+        True,
+        desc="Save new thumbnails to the disk in the shared icon cache for later use"
+    )
 
 
 class slideshow:  # pylint: disable=invalid-name
diff --git a/vimiv/utils/thumbnail_manager.py b/vimiv/utils/thumbnail_manager.py
index a547f0f93..aed51f666 100644
--- a/vimiv/utils/thumbnail_manager.py
+++ b/vimiv/utils/thumbnail_manager.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 from PyQt5.QtGui import QIcon, QPixmap, QImage
 
 import vimiv
+from vimiv import api
 from vimiv.utils import xdg, imagereader, Pool
 
 
@@ -131,6 +132,24 @@ def _get_thumbnail_filename(self, path: str) -> str:
     def _get_source_mtime(path: str) -> int:
         return int(os.path.getmtime(path))
 
+    def _save_thumbnail(self, image: QImage, thumbnail_path: str) -> None:
+        """Save the thumbnail file to the disk.
+
+        Args:
+            image: The QImage representing the thumbnail.
+            thumbnail_path: Path to which the thumbnail is stored.
+        Returns:
+            None.
+        """
+        # First create temporary file and then move it. This avoids
+        # problems with concurrent access of the thumbnail cache, since
+        # "move" is an atomic operation
+        handle, tmp_filename = tempfile.mkstemp(dir=self._manager.directory)
+        os.close(handle)
+        os.chmod(tmp_filename, 0o600)
+        image.save(tmp_filename, format="png")
+        os.replace(tmp_filename, thumbnail_path)
+
     def _create_thumbnail(self, path: str, thumbnail_path: str) -> QPixmap:
         """Create thumbnail for an image.
 
@@ -153,14 +172,8 @@ def _create_thumbnail(self, path: str, thumbnail_path: str) -> QPixmap:
             return self._manager.fail_pixmap
         for key, value in attributes.items():
             image.setText(key, value)
-        # First create temporary file and then move it. This avoids
-        # problems with concurrent access of the thumbnail cache, since
-        # "move" is an atomic operation
-        handle, tmp_filename = tempfile.mkstemp(dir=self._manager.directory)
-        os.close(handle)
-        os.chmod(tmp_filename, 0o600)
-        image.save(tmp_filename, format="png")
-        os.replace(tmp_filename, thumbnail_path)
+        if api.settings.thumbnail.save:
+            self._save_thumbnail(image, thumbnail_path)
         return QPixmap(image)
 
     def _get_thumbnail_attributes(self, path: str, image: QImage) -> Dict[str, str]: