diff --git a/src/activities/home/RecentBooksActivity.cpp b/src/activities/home/RecentBooksActivity.cpp
index 5a3edc4c..a37aaeea 100644
--- a/src/activities/home/RecentBooksActivity.cpp
+++ b/src/activities/home/RecentBooksActivity.cpp
@@ -377,6 +377,7 @@ void RecentBooksActivity::renderGridCell(int index, bool selected, int cellX, in
   if (!book.coverBmpPath.empty()) {
     const std::string thumbPath = gridThumbPath(book.coverBmpPath, tw, th);
     FsFile file;
+    bool thumbDrawn = false;
     if (Storage.openFileForRead("RBA", thumbPath, file)) {
       Bitmap bmp(file);
       if (bmp.parseHeaders() == BmpReaderError::Ok) {
@@ -399,10 +400,19 @@ void RecentBooksActivity::renderGridCell(int index, bool selected, int cellX, in
           // shows through in the surrounding space.
           renderer.fillRect(cellX + offsetX, cellY + offsetY, rendW, rendH, false);
           renderer.drawBitmap1Bit(bmp, cellX + offsetX, cellY + offsetY, rendW, rendH);
+          thumbDrawn = true;
         }
       }
       file.close();
     }
+    if (!thumbDrawn) {
+      // Thumbnail not yet generated — clear interior and show loading label
+      renderer.fillRect(cellX + 1, cellY + 1, tw - 2, th - 2, false);
+      const char* loadingText = tr(STR_LOADING);
+      const int textW = renderer.getTextWidth(SMALL_FONT_ID, loadingText);
+      const int textH = renderer.getLineHeight(SMALL_FONT_ID);
+      renderer.drawText(SMALL_FONT_ID, cellX + (tw - textW) / 2, cellY + (th - textH) / 2, loadingText, true);
+    }
   } else {
     // No cover — clear the whole interior so the placeholder looks clean.
     renderer.fillRect(cellX + 1, cellY + 1, tw - 2, th - 2, false);
diff --git a/src/components/themes/lyra/Lyra3CoversTheme.cpp b/src/components/themes/lyra/Lyra3CoversTheme.cpp
index 06f5f230..7fa25e8f 100644
--- a/src/components/themes/lyra/Lyra3CoversTheme.cpp
+++ b/src/components/themes/lyra/Lyra3CoversTheme.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include <GfxRenderer.h>
 #include <HalStorage.h>
+#include <I18n.h>
 
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <string>
@@ -32,10 +33,12 @@ void Lyra3CoversTheme::drawRecentBookCover(GfxRenderer& renderer, Rect rect, con
   // Only load from SD on first render, then use stored buffer
   if (hasContinueReading) {
     if (!coverRendered) {
+      bool anyPending = false;
       for (int i = 0;
            i < std::min(static_cast<int>(recentBooks.size()), Lyra3CoversMetrics::values.homeRecentBooksCount); i++) {
         std::string coverPath = recentBooks[i].coverBmpPath;
         bool hasCover = true;
+        bool tilePending = false;
         int tileX = Lyra3CoversMetrics::values.contentSidePadding + tileWidth * i;
         if (coverPath.empty()) {
           hasCover = false;
@@ -62,6 +65,8 @@ void Lyra3CoversTheme::drawRecentBookCover(GfxRenderer& renderer, Rect rect, con
             file.close();
           } else {
             hasCover = false;
+            tilePending = true;  // path exists but BMP not ready yet
+            anyPending = true;
           }
         }
         // Draw either way
@@ -69,15 +74,29 @@ void Lyra3CoversTheme::drawRecentBookCover(GfxRenderer& renderer, Rect rect, con
                           coverHeight, true);
 
         if (!hasCover) {
-          // Render empty cover
-          renderer.fillRect(tileX + hPaddingInSelection, tileY + hPaddingInSelection + (coverHeight / 3),
-                            tileWidth - 2 * hPaddingInSelection, 2 * coverHeight / 3, true);
-          renderer.drawIcon(CoverIcon, tileX + hPaddingInSelection + 24, tileY + hPaddingInSelection + 24, 32, 32);
+          if (tilePending) {
+            // Cover is being generated — show a loading label centred in the tile
+            const char* loadingText = tr(STR_LOADING);
+            const int textW = renderer.getTextWidth(SMALL_FONT_ID, loadingText);
+            const int textH = renderer.getLineHeight(SMALL_FONT_ID);
+            renderer.drawText(SMALL_FONT_ID,
+                              tileX + hPaddingInSelection + (tileWidth - 2 * hPaddingInSelection - textW) / 2,
+                              tileY + hPaddingInSelection + (coverHeight - textH) / 2, loadingText, true);
+          } else {
+            // No cover at all — render empty cover placeholder
+            renderer.fillRect(tileX + hPaddingInSelection, tileY + hPaddingInSelection + (coverHeight / 3),
+                              tileWidth - 2 * hPaddingInSelection, 2 * coverHeight / 3, true);
+            renderer.drawIcon(CoverIcon, tileX + hPaddingInSelection + 24, tileY + hPaddingInSelection + 24, 32, 32);
+          }
         }
       }
 
-      coverBufferStored = storeCoverBuffer();
-      coverRendered = coverBufferStored;  // Only consider it rendered if we successfully stored the buffer
+      // Only cache the frame buffer once all tiles are definitively resolved.
+      // If any cover is still being generated we keep coverRendered=false so the next render will retry.
+      if (!anyPending) {
+        coverBufferStored = storeCoverBuffer();
+        coverRendered = coverBufferStored;
+      }
     }
 
     for (int i = 0; i < std::min(static_cast<int>(recentBooks.size()), Lyra3CoversMetrics::values.homeRecentBooksCount);
diff --git a/src/components/themes/lyra/LyraTheme.cpp b/src/components/themes/lyra/LyraTheme.cpp
index 9ee2f037..c233137d 100644
--- a/src/components/themes/lyra/LyraTheme.cpp
+++ b/src/components/themes/lyra/LyraTheme.cpp
@@ -554,6 +554,7 @@ void LyraTheme::drawRecentBookCover(GfxRenderer& renderer, Rect rect, const std:
     if (!coverRendered) {
       std::string coverPath = book.coverBmpPath;
       bool hasCover = true;
+      bool coverPending = false;
       int tileX = LyraMetrics::values.contentSidePadding;
       if (coverPath.empty()) {
         hasCover = false;
@@ -572,6 +573,9 @@ void LyraTheme::drawRecentBookCover(GfxRenderer& renderer, Rect rect, const std:
             hasCover = false;
           }
           file.close();
+        } else {
+          hasCover = false;
+          coverPending = true;  // path exists but BMP not ready yet
         }
       }
 
@@ -579,14 +583,27 @@ void LyraTheme::drawRecentBookCover(GfxRenderer& renderer, Rect rect, const std:
       renderer.drawRect(tileX + hPaddingInSelection, tileY + hPaddingInSelection, coverWidth, coverHeight, true);
 
       if (!hasCover) {
-        // Render empty cover
-        renderer.fillRect(tileX + hPaddingInSelection, tileY + hPaddingInSelection + (coverHeight / 3), coverWidth,
-                          2 * coverHeight / 3, true);
-        renderer.drawIcon(CoverIcon, tileX + hPaddingInSelection + 24, tileY + hPaddingInSelection + 24, 32, 32);
+        if (coverPending) {
+          // Cover is being generated — show a loading label centred in the cover area
+          const char* loadingText = tr(STR_LOADING);
+          const int textW = renderer.getTextWidth(SMALL_FONT_ID, loadingText);
+          const int textH = renderer.getLineHeight(SMALL_FONT_ID);
+          renderer.drawText(SMALL_FONT_ID, tileX + hPaddingInSelection + (coverWidth - textW) / 2,
+                            tileY + hPaddingInSelection + (coverHeight - textH) / 2, loadingText, true);
+        } else {
+          // No cover at all — render empty cover placeholder
+          renderer.fillRect(tileX + hPaddingInSelection, tileY + hPaddingInSelection + (coverHeight / 3), coverWidth,
+                            2 * coverHeight / 3, true);
+          renderer.drawIcon(CoverIcon, tileX + hPaddingInSelection + 24, tileY + hPaddingInSelection + 24, 32, 32);
+        }
       }
 
-      coverBufferStored = storeCoverBuffer();
-      coverRendered = coverBufferStored;  // Only consider it rendered if we successfully stored the buffer
+      // Only cache the frame buffer once the cover is definitively resolved (loaded or confirmed absent).
+      // If a cover is still being generated we keep coverRendered=false so the next render will retry.
+      if (!coverPending) {
+        coverBufferStored = storeCoverBuffer();
+        coverRendered = coverBufferStored;
+      }
     }
 
     bool bookSelected = (selectorIndex == 0);