diff --git a/frontend/src/components/FileExplorer.tsx b/frontend/src/components/FileExplorer.tsx
index 3dc1678..d8720bb 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/FileExplorer.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/FileExplorer.tsx
@@ -1163,15 +1163,15 @@ export default function FileExplorer({ onLogout }: FileExplorerProps) {
     const isAudio = ['mp3', 'flac', 'wav', 'm4a', 'wma', 'aac'].includes(ext) || file.mime_type?.startsWith('audio/');
     const isMedia = isImage || isVideo || isOffice || isAudio || ext === 'pdf';
 
-    if (ext === 'pdf') {
-      return (
-        <div className={`${large ? 'w-20 h-20 rounded-2xl text-2xl' : 'w-5 h-5 rounded text-[6px] flex-shrink-0 aspect-square'} flex items-center justify-center font-black tracking-tighter shadow-sm text-white bg-[#ea4335]`}>
-          PDF
-        </div>
-      );
-    }
-
     const fallbackIcon = (() => {
+      if (ext === 'pdf') {
+        return (
+          <div className={`${large ? 'w-20 h-20 rounded-2xl text-2xl' : 'w-5 h-5 rounded text-[6px] flex-shrink-0 aspect-square'} flex items-center justify-center font-black tracking-tighter shadow-sm text-white bg-[#ea4335]`}>
+            PDF
+          </div>
+        );
+      }
+
       if (ext === 'docx' || ext === 'doc') {
         return (
           <div className={`${large ? 'w-20 h-20 rounded-2xl text-2xl' : 'w-5 h-5 rounded text-[6px] flex-shrink-0 aspect-square'} flex items-center justify-center font-black tracking-tighter shadow-sm text-white bg-[#2B579A]`}>
@@ -1241,16 +1241,10 @@ export default function FileExplorer({ onLogout }: FileExplorerProps) {
 
     if (isMedia && file.checksum && viewMode === 'grid') {
       const docType = file.name.endsWith('.docx') ? 'docs' : file.name.endsWith('.pptx') ? 'slides' : (file.name.endsWith('.xlsx') || file.name.endsWith('.xls')) ? 'sheets' : ext === 'pdf' ? 'pdf' : null;
-      // Use fallbackIcon for PDF too so it shows "PDF" text while loading
-      const currentFallback = ext === 'pdf' ? (
-        <div className={`${large ? 'w-20 h-20 rounded-2xl text-2xl' : 'w-5 h-5 rounded text-[6px] flex-shrink-0 aspect-square'} flex items-center justify-center font-black tracking-tighter shadow-sm text-white bg-[#ea4335]`}>
-          PDF
-        </div>
-      ) : fallbackIcon;
 
       return (
         <div className="relative w-full h-full flex items-center justify-center overflow-hidden rounded-md">
-          <ThumbnailImage checksum={file.checksum} fallbackIcon={currentFallback} downloadToken={downloadToken || ''} docType={docType} />
+          <ThumbnailImage checksum={file.checksum} fallbackIcon={fallbackIcon} downloadToken={downloadToken || ''} docType={docType} />
         </div>
       );
     }