diff --git a/api/thumbnails.py b/api/thumbnails.py
index 08edb7083f..cd2d6d788f 100644
--- a/api/thumbnails.py
+++ b/api/thumbnails.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import subprocess
 
 import pyvips
-from wand.image import Image
+import requests
 
 import api.util as util
 import ownphotos.settings
@@ -16,14 +16,13 @@ def createThumbnail(inputPath, outputHeight, outputPath, hash, fileType):
                 completePath = os.path.join(
                     ownphotos.settings.MEDIA_ROOT, outputPath, hash + fileType
                 ).strip()
-                with Image(filename=inputPath) as img:
-                    with img.clone() as thumbnail:
-                        thumbnail.format = "webp"
-                        thumbnail.transform(resize="x" + str(outputHeight))
-                        thumbnail.compression_quality = 95
-                        thumbnail.auto_orient()
-                        thumbnail.save(filename=completePath)
-                return completePath
+                json = {
+                    "source": inputPath,
+                    "destination": completePath,
+                    "height": outputHeight,
+                }
+                response = requests.post("http://localhost:8003/", json=json).json()
+                return response["thumbnail"]
             else:
                 bigThumbnailPath = os.path.join(
                     ownphotos.settings.MEDIA_ROOT, "thumbnails_big", hash + fileType
diff --git a/requirements.dev.txt b/requirements.dev.txt
index 6d740a239a..82acc7d3b1 100644
--- a/requirements.dev.txt
+++ b/requirements.dev.txt
@@ -13,4 +13,5 @@ Faker==17.6.0
 isort==5.12.0
 setuptools==67.6.1
 black==23.3.0
-pyfakefs==5.2.0
\ No newline at end of file
+pyfakefs==5.2.0
+pytest==7.3.1
diff --git a/service/__init__.py b/service/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/service/thumbnail/__init__.py b/service/thumbnail/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/service/thumbnail/main.py b/service/thumbnail/main.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dfcd463bb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/service/thumbnail/main.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import gevent
+from flask import Flask, request
+from gevent.pywsgi import WSGIServer
+from wand.image import Image
+
+app = Flask(__name__)
+
+
+def log(message):
+    print("thumbnail: {}".format(message))
+
+
+@app.route("/", methods=["POST"])
+def create_thumbnail():
+    try:
+        data = request.get_json()
+        source = data["source"]
+        destination = data["destination"]
+        height = data["height"]
+    except Exception:
+        return "", 400
+    log(f"creating for source={source} height={height}")
+    with Image(filename=source) as img:
+        with img.clone() as thumbnail:
+            thumbnail.format = "webp"
+            thumbnail.transform(resize=f"x{height}")
+            thumbnail.compression_quality = 95
+            thumbnail.auto_orient()
+            thumbnail.save(filename=destination)
+    log(f"created at location={destination}")
+    return {"thumbnail": destination}, 201
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    log("service starting")
+    server = WSGIServer(("0.0.0.0", 8003), app)
+    server_thread = gevent.spawn(server.serve_forever)
+    gevent.joinall([server_thread])
diff --git a/service/thumbnail/test/.gitignore b/service/thumbnail/test/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..044ffe51eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/service/thumbnail/test/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+samples/*
+!samples/.gitkeep
+!samples/README.md
diff --git a/service/thumbnail/test/__init__.py b/service/thumbnail/test/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/service/thumbnail/test/samples/.gitkeep b/service/thumbnail/test/samples/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/service/thumbnail/test/samples/README.md b/service/thumbnail/test/samples/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..635003a6b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/service/thumbnail/test/samples/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+place any *image* files in this directory that you want to use as test data
diff --git a/service/thumbnail/test/test_thumbnail_worker.py b/service/thumbnail/test/test_thumbnail_worker.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..20989c7abb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/service/thumbnail/test/test_thumbnail_worker.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import os
+
+from pytest import fixture
+
+from service.thumbnail.main import app
+
+
+@fixture()
+def client():
+    return app.test_client()
+
+
+def test_must_fail_when_passing_empty_string(client):
+    response = client.post("/", data="")
+    assert response.status_code == 400
+
+
+def test_must_fail_when_passing_invalid_json(client):
+    response = client.post("/", data="invalid json")
+    assert response.status_code == 400
+
+
+def test_must_fail_when_passing_incomplete_json(client):
+    invalid_payloads = [
+        {"source": "foo"},
+        {"destination": "/tmp/result.webp"},
+        {"height": 100},
+        {"source": "foo", "destination": "/tmp/result.webp"},
+        {"destination": "/tmp/result.webp", "height": 100},
+        {"height": 100, "source": "foo"},
+    ]
+    for payload in invalid_payloads:
+        response = client.post("/", json=payload)
+        assert response.status_code == 400
+
+
+def test_should_create_thumbnail(client):
+    samples_dir = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)), "samples")
+    samples = [f for f in os.listdir(samples_dir) if f not in [".gitkeep", "README.md"]]
+    thumbnail_path = "/tmp/result.webp"
+    for sample in samples:
+        if os.path.exists(thumbnail_path):
+            os.remove(thumbnail_path)
+        source = os.path.join(samples_dir, sample)
+        json = {"source": source, "destination": thumbnail_path, "height": 100}
+        response = client.post("/", json=json)
+        assert response.status_code == 201