diff --git a/src/app/mod.rs b/src/app/mod.rs
index d42be8e..8ef9843 100644
--- a/src/app/mod.rs
+++ b/src/app/mod.rs
@@ -69,14 +69,11 @@ impl State {
                 let entry = self.images.entry(path.clone()).or_default();
 
                 if matches!(entry, MaybeImage::Unloaded) {
-                    let columns = self.columns;
+                    let size = 1000 / self.columns as u32;
                     let (task, handle) = Task::perform(
                         async move {
-                            utils::load_image(&path)
-                                .map(|img| {
-                                    let size = 1000 / columns as u32;
-                                    (path, handle_from_image(img.thumbnail(size, size)))
-                                })
+                            utils::load_thumbnail(&path, size)
+                                .map(|img| (path, handle_from_image(img)))
                                 .map_err(Arc::new)
                         },
                         Message::ImageLoaded,
diff --git a/src/utils.rs b/src/utils.rs
index 9baabee..3eb1795 100644
--- a/src/utils.rs
+++ b/src/utils.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,27 @@
-use std::path::Path;
+use std::{ffi::OsStr, path::Path};
 
-use image::{DynamicImage, ImageReader, ImageResult};
+use image::{DynamicImage, ImageDecoder, ImageReader, ImageResult};
 
-pub fn load_image(path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> ImageResult<DynamicImage> {
-    Ok(DynamicImage::from_decoder(
-        ImageReader::open(path)?.into_decoder()?,
-    )?)
+pub fn load_thumbnail(path: impl AsRef<Path>, max_size: u32) -> ImageResult<DynamicImage> {
+    let mut decoder = ImageReader::open(&path)?
+        .with_guessed_format()?
+        .into_decoder()?;
+
+    let oreintation = decoder.orientation()?;
+
+    let mut decoded_image = DynamicImage::from_decoder(decoder)?.thumbnail(max_size, max_size);
+
+    // the condition is a workaround to not rotate JXL images twice;
+    // since they are already rotated by the decoder
+    // (while jpegs for instance aren't)
+    if !path
+        .as_ref()
+        .extension()
+        .map(OsStr::to_string_lossy)
+        .is_some_and(|s| s == "jxl")
+    {
+        decoded_image.apply_orientation(oreintation);
+    }
+
+    Ok(decoded_image)
 }