diff --git a/src/app/core/shared/bitstream.model.ts b/src/app/core/shared/bitstream.model.ts
index 314818b482..baf2f82635 100644
--- a/src/app/core/shared/bitstream.model.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/shared/bitstream.model.ts
@@ -43,13 +43,14 @@ export class Bitstream extends DSpaceObject implements HALResource {
     bundle: HALLink;
     format: HALLink;
     content: HALLink;
+    thumbnail: HALLink;
   };
 
   /**
    * The thumbnail for this Bitstream
-   * Needs to be resolved first, but isn't available as a {@link HALLink} yet
-   * Use BitstreamDataService.getThumbnailFor(…) for now.
+   * Will be undefined unless the thumbnail {@link HALLink} has been resolved.
    */
+  @link(BITSTREAM, false, 'thumbnail')
   thumbnail?: Observable<RemoteData<Bitstream>>;
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/app/core/shared/item.model.ts b/src/app/core/shared/item.model.ts
index 53eb5e3ce2..65265e76ad 100644
--- a/src/app/core/shared/item.model.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/shared/item.model.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ import { ITEM } from './item.resource-type';
 import { ChildHALResource } from './child-hal-resource.model';
 import { Version } from './version.model';
 import { VERSION } from './version.resource-type';
+import { BITSTREAM } from './bitstream.resource-type';
+import { Bitstream } from './bitstream.model';
 
 /**
  * Class representing a DSpace Item
@@ -69,6 +71,7 @@ export class Item extends DSpaceObject implements ChildHALResource {
     owningCollection: HALLink;
     templateItemOf: HALLink;
     version: HALLink;
+    thumbnail: HALLink;
     self: HALLink;
   };
 
@@ -100,6 +103,13 @@ export class Item extends DSpaceObject implements ChildHALResource {
   @link(RELATIONSHIP, true)
   relationships?: Observable<RemoteData<PaginatedList<Relationship>>>;
 
+  /**
+   * The thumbnail for this Item
+   * Will be undefined unless the thumbnail {@link HALLink} has been resolved.
+   */
+  @link(BITSTREAM, false, 'thumbnail')
+  thumbnail?: Observable<RemoteData<Bitstream>>;
+
   /**
    * Method that returns as which type of object this object should be rendered
    */
diff --git a/src/app/thumbnail/thumbnail.component.spec.ts b/src/app/thumbnail/thumbnail.component.spec.ts
index bc9d159750..eea585f9f8 100644
--- a/src/app/thumbnail/thumbnail.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/thumbnail/thumbnail.component.spec.ts
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ describe('ThumbnailComponent', () => {
         bundle: { href: 'bundle.url' },
         format: { href: 'format.url' },
         content: { href: 'content.url' },
+        thumbnail: undefined,
       };
     });
 
@@ -126,6 +127,7 @@ describe('ThumbnailComponent', () => {
           bundle: { href: 'bundle.url' },
           format: { href: 'format.url' },
           content: { href: 'content.url' },
+          thumbnail: undefined,
         };
         thumbnail = createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject(bitstream);
       });