diff --git a/actions/apimediaupload.php b/actions/apimediaupload.php
index be561b0bce..47d9744344 100644
--- a/actions/apimediaupload.php
+++ b/actions/apimediaupload.php
@@ -75,6 +75,17 @@ class ApiMediaUploadAction extends ApiAuthAction
         // we could catch "NoUploadedMediaException" as "no media uploaded", but here we _always_ want an upload
         $upload = MediaFile::fromUpload('media', $this->scoped);
 
+        // Hack to make a thumbnail before giving back a response
+        // (the file should instead actually be attached to a notice in the file_to_post table)
+        try {
+            if ($upload->fileRecord instanceof File) {
+                $upload->fileRecord->getThumbnail();
+            }
+        } catch (Exception $e) {
+            common_debug(sprintf('A hack is buggy: MediaFile fileRecord could not getThumbnail for file id==%u',
+                                 $upload->fileRecord->id));
+        }
+
         $this->showResponse($upload);
     }