diff --git a/src/app/thumbnail/thumbnail.component.html b/src/app/thumbnail/thumbnail.component.html
index cef88e0192..645bce9b80 100644
--- a/src/app/thumbnail/thumbnail.component.html
+++ b/src/app/thumbnail/thumbnail.component.html
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-<div class="thumbnail">
-  <img *ngIf="src !== null" [src]="src | dsSafeUrl" [alt]="alt | translate" (error)="errorHandler()" class="img-fluid"/>
-  <div *ngIf="src === null" class="outer">
+<div [ngClass]="{ 'thumbnail': true, 'limit-width': limitWidth }">
+  <img *ngIf="src !== null" class="thumbnail-content img-fluid"
+       [src]="src | dsSafeUrl" [alt]="alt | translate" (error)="errorHandler()"/>
+  <div *ngIf="src === null" class="thumbnail-content outer">
     <div class="inner">
-      <div class="thumbnail-placeholder w-100 h-100 p-3">{{ placeholder | translate }}</div>
+      <div class="thumbnail-placeholder w-100 h-100 p-3 lead">{{ placeholder | translate }}</div>
     </div>
   </div>
 </div>
diff --git a/src/app/thumbnail/thumbnail.component.scss b/src/app/thumbnail/thumbnail.component.scss
index a96147468c..b15238afac 100644
--- a/src/app/thumbnail/thumbnail.component.scss
+++ b/src/app/thumbnail/thumbnail.component.scss
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.thumbnail {
+.limit-width {
   max-width: var(--ds-thumbnail-max-width);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/app/thumbnail/thumbnail.component.ts b/src/app/thumbnail/thumbnail.component.ts
index 11dee37037..30911644f7 100644
--- a/src/app/thumbnail/thumbnail.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/thumbnail/thumbnail.component.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { hasValue } from '../shared/empty.util';
 /**
  * This component renders a given Bitstream as a thumbnail.
  * One input parameter of type Bitstream is expected.
- * If no Bitstream is provided, a holderjs image will be rendered instead.
+ * If no Bitstream is provided, a HTML placeholder will be rendered instead.
  */
 @Component({
   selector: 'ds-thumbnail',
@@ -39,6 +39,11 @@ export class ThumbnailComponent implements OnInit {
    */
   @Input() placeholder? = 'thumbnail.default.placeholder';
 
+  /**
+   * Limit thumbnail width to --ds-thumbnail-max-width
+   */
+  @Input() limitWidth? = true;
+
   /**
    * Initialize the thumbnail.
    * Use a default image if no actual image is available.