diff --git a/gtk/src/service/repository.vala b/gtk/src/service/repository.vala
index 7931404..7db73ce 100644
--- a/gtk/src/service/repository.vala
+++ b/gtk/src/service/repository.vala
@@ -144,4 +144,35 @@ public class Repository : DBusServiceProxy {
         var info = dbus_repository.get_attachment_info(attachment_guid);
         return new AttachmentInfo(info.attr1, info.attr2, info.attr3, info.attr4);
     }
+
+    public int open_attachment_fd(string attachment_guid, bool preview) throws DBusServiceProxyError, GLib.Error {
+        if (dbus_repository == null) {
+            throw new DBusServiceProxyError.NOT_CONNECTED("Repository not connected");
+        }
+
+        var connection = Bus.get_sync(BusType.SESSION);
+        UnixFDList? out_fd_list = null;
+        var result = connection.call_with_unix_fd_list_sync(
+            DBUS_NAME,
+            DBUS_PATH,
+            "net.buzzert.kordophone.Repository",
+            "OpenAttachmentFd",
+            new Variant("(sb)", attachment_guid, preview),
+            new VariantType("(h)"),
+            DBusCallFlags.NONE,
+            120000,
+            null,
+            out out_fd_list,
+            null
+        );
+
+        int fd_handle = -1;
+        result.get("(h)", out fd_handle);
+
+        if (out_fd_list == null) {
+            throw new DBusServiceProxyError.NOT_CONNECTED("Missing UnixFDList from OpenAttachmentFd");
+        }
+
+        return out_fd_list.get(fd_handle);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/gtk/src/transcript/layouts/image-bubble-layout.vala b/gtk/src/transcript/layouts/image-bubble-layout.vala
index c957d86..2e4f235 100644
--- a/gtk/src/transcript/layouts/image-bubble-layout.vala
+++ b/gtk/src/transcript/layouts/image-bubble-layout.vala
@@ -13,30 +13,52 @@ private class SizeCache
         return instance;
     }
 
-    public Graphene.Size? get_size(string image_path) {
-        return size_cache.get(image_path);
+    public Graphene.Size? get_size(string attachment_guid) {
+        return size_cache.get(attachment_guid);
     }
 
-    public void set_size(string image_path, Graphene.Size size) {
-        size_cache.set(image_path, size);
+    public void set_size(string attachment_guid, Graphene.Size size) {
+        size_cache.set(attachment_guid, size);
+    }
+}
+
+private class TextureCache
+{
+    private static TextureCache instance = null;
+    private HashMap<string, Gdk.Texture> texture_cache = new HashMap<string, Gdk.Texture>();
+
+    public static TextureCache get_instance() {
+        if (instance == null) {
+            instance = new TextureCache();
+        }
+        return instance;
+    }
+
+    public Gdk.Texture? get_texture(string attachment_guid) {
+        return texture_cache.get(attachment_guid);
+    }
+
+    public void set_texture(string attachment_guid, Gdk.Texture texture) {
+        texture_cache.set(attachment_guid, texture);
     }
 }
 
 private class ImageBubbleLayout : BubbleLayout
 {
-    public string image_path;
+    public string attachment_guid;
     public bool is_downloaded;
-    public string? attachment_guid;
 
     private Graphene.Size image_size;
     private Gdk.Texture? cached_texture = null;
+    private bool preview_download_queued = false;
 
-    public ImageBubbleLayout(string image_path, bool from_me, Widget parent, float max_width, Graphene.Size? image_size = null) {
+    public ImageBubbleLayout(string attachment_guid, bool from_me, Widget parent, float max_width, Graphene.Size? image_size = null) {
         base(parent, max_width);
         
         this.from_me = from_me;
-        this.image_path = image_path;
+        this.attachment_guid = attachment_guid;
         this.is_downloaded = false;
+        this.cached_texture = TextureCache.get_instance().get_texture(attachment_guid);
 
         // Calculate image dimensions for layout
         calculate_image_dimensions(image_size);
@@ -48,26 +70,25 @@ private class ImageBubbleLayout : BubbleLayout
             return;
         }
 
-        var cached_size = SizeCache.get_instance().get_size(image_path);
+        var cached_size = SizeCache.get_instance().get_size(attachment_guid);
         if (cached_size != null) {
             this.image_size = cached_size;
             return;
         }
 
-        // Try to load the image to get its dimensions
+        this.image_size = Graphene.Size() { width = 200.0f, height = 150.0f };
+    }
+
+    private void queue_preview_download_if_needed() {
+        if (is_downloaded || preview_download_queued || attachment_guid == "") {
+            return;
+        }
+
         try {
-            warning("No image size provided, loading image to get dimensions");
-            
-            var texture = Gdk.Texture.from_filename(image_path);
-            var original_width = (float)texture.get_width();
-            var original_height = (float)texture.get_height();
-            
-            this.image_size = Graphene.Size() { width = original_width, height = original_height };
-            SizeCache.get_instance().set_size(image_path, this.image_size);
-        } catch (Error e) {
-            // Fallback dimensions if image can't be loaded
-            warning("Failed to load image %s: %s", image_path, e.message);
-            this.image_size = Graphene.Size() { width = 200.0f, height = 150.0f };
+            Repository.get_instance().download_attachment(attachment_guid, true);
+            preview_download_queued = true;
+        } catch (GLib.Error e) {
+            warning("Failed to queue preview download for %s: %s", attachment_guid, e.message);
         }
     }
 
@@ -81,9 +102,22 @@ private class ImageBubbleLayout : BubbleLayout
         }
 
         try {
-            cached_texture = Gdk.Texture.from_filename(image_path);
+            int fd = Repository.get_instance().open_attachment_fd(attachment_guid, true);
+            var stream = new UnixInputStream(fd, true);
+            var pixbuf = new Gdk.Pixbuf.from_stream(stream, null);
+            cached_texture = Gdk.Texture.for_pixbuf(pixbuf);
+
+            if (cached_texture != null) {
+                TextureCache.get_instance().set_texture(attachment_guid, cached_texture);
+                this.image_size = Graphene.Size() {
+                    width = (float)cached_texture.get_width(),
+                    height = (float)cached_texture.get_height()
+                };
+                SizeCache.get_instance().set_size(attachment_guid, this.image_size);
+                parent.queue_allocate();
+            }
         } catch (Error e) {
-            warning("Failed to load image %s: %s", image_path, e.message);
+            warning("Failed to load preview image for %s: %s", attachment_guid, e.message);
         }
     }
 
@@ -110,6 +144,7 @@ private class ImageBubbleLayout : BubbleLayout
     }
 
     public override void draw_content(Snapshot snapshot) {
+        queue_preview_download_if_needed();
         load_image_if_needed();
 
         snapshot.save();
@@ -137,4 +172,4 @@ private class ImageBubbleLayout : BubbleLayout
     public override void copy(Gdk.Clipboard clipboard) {
         clipboard.set_texture(cached_texture);
     }
-} 
\ No newline at end of file
+} 
diff --git a/gtk/src/transcript/message-list-model.vala b/gtk/src/transcript/message-list-model.vala
index b4cf6ec..5f9dbae 100644
--- a/gtk/src/transcript/message-list-model.vala
+++ b/gtk/src/transcript/message-list-model.vala
@@ -62,44 +62,65 @@ public class MessageListModel : Object, ListModel
         }
     }
 
-    public void load_messages() {
+    public void load_messages(bool force_full_reload = false) {
         var previous_messages = new HashSet<Message>();
         previous_messages.add_all(_messages);
 
         try {
             bool first_load = _messages.size == 0;
+            string last_message_id = (first_load || force_full_reload) ? "" : _messages.get(_messages.size - 1).guid;
 
-            Message[] messages = Repository.get_instance().get_messages(conversation.guid);
-            
-            // Clear existing set
-            uint old_count = _messages.size;
-            _messages.clear();
-            participants.clear();
-            
-            // Notify of removal
-            if (old_count > 0) {
-                items_changed(0, old_count, 0);
+            Message[] messages = Repository.get_instance().get_messages(conversation.guid, last_message_id);
+
+            bool fallback_full_reload = first_load || force_full_reload;
+            if (!first_load && messages.length > 0 && previous_messages.contains(messages[0])) {
+                fallback_full_reload = true;
             }
-            
-            // Process each conversation
-            uint position = 0;
-            
-            for (int i = 0; i < messages.length; i++) {
-                var message = messages[i];
-                participants.add(message.sender);
 
-                if (!first_load && !previous_messages.contains(message)) {
-                    // This is a new message according to the UI, schedule an animation for it. 
-                    message.should_animate = true;
+            if (fallback_full_reload) {
+                uint old_count = _messages.size;
+                _messages.clear();
+                participants.clear();
+
+                if (old_count > 0) {
+                    items_changed(0, old_count, 0);
                 }
 
-                _messages.add(message);
-                position++;
-            }
-            
-            // Notify of additions
-            if (position > 0) {
-                items_changed(0, 0, position);
+                uint position = 0;
+                for (int i = 0; i < messages.length; i++) {
+                    var message = messages[i];
+                    participants.add(message.sender);
+
+                    if (!first_load && !previous_messages.contains(message)) {
+                        message.should_animate = true;
+                    }
+
+                    _messages.add(message);
+                    position++;
+                }
+
+                if (position > 0) {
+                    items_changed(0, 0, position);
+                }
+            } else {
+                uint old_count = _messages.size;
+                uint appended = 0;
+
+                for (int i = 0; i < messages.length; i++) {
+                    var message = messages[i];
+                    if (previous_messages.contains(message)) {
+                        continue;
+                    }
+
+                    participants.add(message.sender);
+                    message.should_animate = true;
+                    _messages.add(message);
+                    appended++;
+                }
+
+                if (appended > 0) {
+                    items_changed(old_count, 0, appended);
+                }
             }
         } catch (Error e) {
             warning("Failed to load messages: %s", e.message);
@@ -134,4 +155,4 @@ public class MessageListModel : Object, ListModel
     public Object? get_item(uint position) {
         return _messages.get((int)position);
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/gtk/src/transcript/transcript-drawing-area.vala b/gtk/src/transcript/transcript-drawing-area.vala
index df05ba6..aac1a05 100644
--- a/gtk/src/transcript/transcript-drawing-area.vala
+++ b/gtk/src/transcript/transcript-drawing-area.vala
@@ -363,49 +363,23 @@ private class TranscriptDrawingArea : Widget
 
             // Check for attachments. For each one, add an image layout bubble
             foreach (var attachment in message.attachments) {
-                string preview_path = attachment.preview_path;
-                bool preview_downloaded = attachment.preview_downloaded;
-
-                if (preview_path == null || preview_path == "") {
-                    try {
-                        var attachment_info = Repository.get_instance().get_attachment_info(attachment.guid);
-                        if (attachment_info.preview_path != null) {
-                            preview_path = attachment_info.preview_path;
-                        }
-                        preview_downloaded = attachment_info.preview_downloaded == true;
-                    } catch (GLib.Error e) {
-                        warning("Failed to load attachment info for %s: %s", attachment.guid, e.message);
-                    }
-                }
-
                 Graphene.Size? image_size = null;
-                if (attachment.metadata != null) {
+                if (attachment.metadata != null && attachment.metadata.attribution_info != null) {
                     image_size = Graphene.Size() {
                         width = attachment.metadata.attribution_info.width,
                         height = attachment.metadata.attribution_info.height
                     };
                 }
 
-                var image_layout = new ImageBubbleLayout(preview_path, message.from_me, this, max_width, image_size);
+                var image_layout = new ImageBubbleLayout(attachment.guid, message.from_me, this, max_width, image_size);
                 image_layout.id = @"image-$(attachment.guid)";
-                image_layout.attachment_guid = attachment.guid;
 
                 if (animate) {
                     start_animation(image_layout.id);
                 }
 
-                image_layout.is_downloaded = preview_downloaded;
+                image_layout.is_downloaded = attachment.preview_downloaded;
                 items.add(image_layout);
-
-                // If the attachment isn't downloaded, queue a download since we are going to be showing it here. 
-                // TODO: Probably would be better if we only did this for stuff in the viewport. 
-                if (!preview_downloaded) {
-                    try {
-                        Repository.get_instance().download_attachment(attachment.guid, true);
-                    } catch (GLib.Error e) {
-                        warning("Wasn't able to message daemon about queuing attachment download: %s", e.message);
-                    }
-                }
             }
 
             last_sender = message.sender;
diff --git a/gtk/src/transcript/transcript-view.vala b/gtk/src/transcript/transcript-view.vala
index cd431bc..306b4ac 100644
--- a/gtk/src/transcript/transcript-view.vala
+++ b/gtk/src/transcript/transcript-view.vala
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ public class TranscriptView : Adw.Bin
                 GLib.Idle.add(() => {
                     if (needs_reload) {
                         debug("Reloading messages for attachment download");
-                        model.load_messages();
+                        model.load_messages(true);
                         needs_reload = false;
                     }