diff --git a/web/apps/photos/src/services/ffmpeg.ts b/web/apps/photos/src/services/ffmpeg.ts
index b407d9f4c..6a35f6569 100644
--- a/web/apps/photos/src/services/ffmpeg.ts
+++ b/web/apps/photos/src/services/ffmpeg.ts
@@ -42,8 +42,11 @@ export const generateVideoThumbnail = async (
         );
 
     try {
+        // Try generating thumbnail at seekTime 1 second.
         return await thumbnailAtTime(1);
     } catch (e) {
+        // If that fails, try again at the beginning. If even this throws, let
+        // it fail.
         return await thumbnailAtTime(0);
     }
 };
diff --git a/web/apps/photos/src/services/upload/thumbnail.ts b/web/apps/photos/src/services/upload/thumbnail.ts
index 82f4486b4..68cebc708 100644
--- a/web/apps/photos/src/services/upload/thumbnail.ts
+++ b/web/apps/photos/src/services/upload/thumbnail.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
-import { getFileNameSize } from "@/next/file";
 import log from "@/next/log";
-import { ElectronFile } from "@/next/types/file";
+import { ElectronFile, type DesktopFilePath } from "@/next/types/file";
 import { CustomErrorMessage, type Electron } from "@/next/types/ipc";
 import { CustomError } from "@ente/shared/error";
 import { FILE_TYPE } from "constants/file";
@@ -11,6 +10,7 @@ import { FileTypeInfo } from "types/upload";
 import { isFileHEIC } from "utils/file";
 import { getUint8ArrayView } from "../readerService";
 import { getFileName } from "./uploadService";
+import { fopLabel } from "@/next/file";
 
 /** Maximum width or height of the generated thumbnail */
 const maxThumbnailDimension = 720;
@@ -178,35 +178,23 @@ async function generateImageThumbnailUsingCanvas(
     return await getUint8ArrayView(thumbnailBlob);
 }
 
-async function generateVideoThumbnail(
-    file: File | ElectronFile,
-    fileTypeInfo: FileTypeInfo,
-) {
-    let thumbnail: Uint8Array;
+const generateVideoThumbnail = async (fileOrPath: File | DesktopFilePath) => {
     try {
-        log.info(
-            `ffmpeg generateThumbnail called for ${getFileNameSize(file)}`,
-        );
-
-        const thumbnail = await FFmpegService.generateVideoThumbnail(file);
-        log.info(
-            `ffmpeg thumbnail successfully generated ${getFileNameSize(file)}`,
-        );
-        return await getUint8ArrayView(thumbnail);
+        return await FFmpegService.generateVideoThumbnail(fileOrPath);
     } catch (e) {
-        log.info(
-            `ffmpeg thumbnail generated failed  ${getFileNameSize(
-                file,
-            )} error: ${e.message}`,
-        );
         log.error(
-            `failed to generate thumbnail using ffmpeg for format ${fileTypeInfo.exactType}`,
+            `Failed to generate thumbnail using FFmpeg for ${fopLabel(fileOrPath)}`,
             e,
         );
-        thumbnail = await generateVideoThumbnailUsingCanvas(file);
+        // If we're on the web, try falling back to using the canvas instead.
+        if (fileOrPath instanceof File) {
+            log.info()
+        }
+
+        return await generateVideoThumbnailUsingCanvas(file);
     }
     return thumbnail;
-}
+};
 
 async function generateVideoThumbnailUsingCanvas(file: File | ElectronFile) {
     const canvas = document.createElement("canvas");
diff --git a/web/packages/next/file.ts b/web/packages/next/file.ts
index 83b20f2ec..4d05225c8 100644
--- a/web/packages/next/file.ts
+++ b/web/packages/next/file.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { ElectronFile } from "./types/file";
+import type { DesktopFilePath, ElectronFile } from "./types/file";
 
 /**
  * The two parts of a file name - the name itself, and an (optional) extension.
@@ -66,6 +66,13 @@ export const dirname = (path: string) => {
     return pathComponents.join("/");
 };
 
+/**
+ * Return a short description of the given {@link fileOrPath} suitable for
+ * helping identify it in log messages.
+ */
+export const fopLabel = (fileOrPath: File | DesktopFilePath) =>
+    fileOrPath instanceof File ? `File(${fileOrPath.name})` : fileOrPath.path;
+
 export function getFileNameSize(file: File | ElectronFile) {
     return `${file.name}_${convertBytesToHumanReadable(file.size)}`;
 }