diff --git a/src/components/CanvasThumbnail.js b/src/components/CanvasThumbnail.js
index 6b397d534c..72fd512ea8 100644
--- a/src/components/CanvasThumbnail.js
+++ b/src/components/CanvasThumbnail.js
@@ -34,19 +34,22 @@ export default class CanvasThumbnail extends Component {
   /**
    */
   render() {
-    const { height } = this.props;
+    const {
+      height, isValid, onClick, style,
+    } = this.props;
     const { loaded, image } = this.state;
+    const imgStyle = { height, width: '100%', ...style };
     return (
-      <div>
-        <IntersectionObserver onChange={this.handleIntersection}>
-          <img
-            alt=""
-            src={loaded ? image.src : CanvasThumbnail.defaultImgPlaceholder}
-            height={height}
-            width="100%"
-          />
-        </IntersectionObserver>
-      </div>
+      <IntersectionObserver onChange={this.handleIntersection}>
+        <img
+          alt=""
+          onClick={onClick}
+          onKeyPress={onClick}
+          role="presentation"
+          src={loaded && isValid ? image.src : CanvasThumbnail.defaultImgPlaceholder}
+          style={imgStyle}
+        />
+      </IntersectionObserver>
     );
   }
 }
@@ -54,13 +57,17 @@ export default class CanvasThumbnail extends Component {
 // Transparent "gray"
 CanvasThumbnail.defaultImgPlaceholder = 'data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAYAAAAfFcSJAAAADUlEQVR42mMMDQmtBwADgwF/Op8FmAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==';
 
-
 CanvasThumbnail.propTypes = {
   imageUrl: PropTypes.string,
+  isValid: PropTypes.bool,
   height: PropTypes.number,
+  onClick: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+  style: PropTypes.object, // eslint-disable-line react/forbid-prop-types,
 };
 
 CanvasThumbnail.defaultProps = {
   imageUrl: null,
+  isValid: true,
   height: 150,
+  style: {},
 };
diff --git a/src/components/ThumbnailNavigation.js b/src/components/ThumbnailNavigation.js
index e7de786093..686f38fa4c 100644
--- a/src/components/ThumbnailNavigation.js
+++ b/src/components/ThumbnailNavigation.js
@@ -49,15 +49,13 @@ class ThumbnailNavigation extends Component {
         className={ns('thumbnail-nav-container')}
       >
         <div
-          onClick={() => setCanvas(window.id, canvas.index)}
-          onKeyPress={() => setCanvas(window.id, canvas.index)}
-          role="presentation"
           style={{
             width: style.width - 8,
           }}
           className={ns(['thumbnail-nav-canvas', `thumbnail-nav-canvas-${canvas.index}`, this.currentCanvasClass(canvas.index)])}
         >
           <CanvasThumbnail
+            onClick={() => setCanvas(window.id, canvas.index)}
             imageUrl={new ManifestoCanvas(canvas).thumbnail(config.thumbnailNavigation.height)}
             height={config.thumbnailNavigation.height}
           />
diff --git a/src/components/ValidationCanvas.js b/src/components/ValidationCanvas.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..67cbfe8c80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/ValidationCanvas.js
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import ManifestoCanvas from '../lib/ManifestoCanvas';
+
+/**
+ */
+export default class ValidationCanvas extends ManifestoCanvas {
+  /**
+   * checks whether the canvas has a valid height
+   */
+  get hasValidHeight() {
+    return (
+      typeof this.canvas.getHeight() === 'number'
+      && this.canvas.getHeight() > 0
+    );
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * checks whether the canvas has a valid height
+   */
+  get hasValidWidth() {
+    return (
+      typeof this.canvas.getHeight() === 'number'
+      && this.canvas.getHeight() > 0
+    );
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * checks whether the canvas has valid dimensions
+   */
+  get hasValidDimensions() {
+    return (
+      this.hasValidHeight
+      && this.hasValidWidth
+    );
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/components/WindowSideBarCanvasPanel.js b/src/components/WindowSideBarCanvasPanel.js
index 3071ec3680..3bbe4bfd72 100644
--- a/src/components/WindowSideBarCanvasPanel.js
+++ b/src/components/WindowSideBarCanvasPanel.js
@@ -1,38 +1,68 @@
 import React, { Component } from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
+import classNames from 'classnames';
 import Typography from '@material-ui/core/Typography';
 import List from '@material-ui/core/List';
 import ListItem from '@material-ui/core/ListItem';
 import { withStyles } from '@material-ui/core/styles';
+import ValidationCanvas from './ValidationCanvas';
+import CanvasThumbnail from './CanvasThumbnail';
+import { getIdAndLabelOfCanvases } from '../state/selectors';
 
 /**
  * a panel showing the canvases for a given manifest
  */
 class WindowSideBarCanvasPanel extends Component {
+  /**
+   * calculateScaledWidth - calculates the scaled width according to the given width and aspectRatio
+   */
+  static calculateScaledWidth(height, aspectRatio) {
+    return Math.floor(height * aspectRatio);
+  }
+
   /**
    * render
    */
   render() {
     const {
-      canvasesIdAndLabel, setCanvas, windowId, classes, t,
+      canvases, classes, config, setCanvas, t, windowId,
     } = this.props;
 
+    const canvasesIdAndLabel = getIdAndLabelOfCanvases(canvases);
+
     return (
       <>
         <Typography variant="h2" className={classes.windowSideBarH2}>{t('canvasIndex')}</Typography>
         <List>
           {
-            canvasesIdAndLabel.map((canvas, canvasIndex) => (
-              <ListItem key={canvas.id}>
-                <Typography
-                  className={classes.clickable}
-                  variant="body2"
-                  onClick={() => { setCanvas(windowId, canvasIndex); }}
+            canvasesIdAndLabel.map((canvas, canvasIndex) => {
+              const validationCanvas = new ValidationCanvas(canvases[canvasIndex]);
+              const isValid = validationCanvas.hasValidDimensions;
+              return (
+                <ListItem
+                  key={canvas.id}
                 >
-                  {canvas.label}
-                </Typography>
-              </ListItem>
-            ))
+                  <CanvasThumbnail
+                    className={classNames(classes.clickable)}
+                    isValid={isValid}
+                    imageUrl={validationCanvas.thumbnail(config.canvasNavigation.height)}
+                    onClick={() => { setCanvas(windowId, canvasIndex); }}
+                    style={{
+                      cursor: 'pointer',
+                      height: config.canvasNavigation.height,
+                      width: isValid ? WindowSideBarCanvasPanel.calculateScaledWidth(config.canvasNavigation.height, validationCanvas.aspectRatio) : 'auto',
+                    }}
+                  />
+                  <Typography
+                    className={classNames(classes.clickable, classes.label)}
+                    onClick={() => { setCanvas(windowId, canvasIndex); }}
+                    variant="body2"
+                  >
+                    {canvas.label}
+                  </Typography>
+                </ListItem>
+              );
+            })
           }
         </List>
       </>
@@ -41,11 +71,12 @@ class WindowSideBarCanvasPanel extends Component {
 }
 
 WindowSideBarCanvasPanel.propTypes = {
-  windowId: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
-  canvasesIdAndLabel: PropTypes.array.isRequired, // eslint-disable-line react/forbid-prop-types
-  setCanvas: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+  canvases: PropTypes.array.isRequired, // eslint-disable-line react/forbid-prop-types
   classes: PropTypes.object.isRequired, // eslint-disable-line react/forbid-prop-types
+  config: PropTypes.object.isRequired, // eslint-disable-line react/forbid-prop-types
+  setCanvas: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
   t: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+  windowId: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
 };
 
 /**
@@ -57,6 +88,10 @@ const styles = theme => ({
   clickable: {
     cursor: 'pointer',
   },
+  label: {
+    fontSize: '8pt',
+    paddingLeft: 8,
+  },
 });
 
 export default withStyles(styles)(WindowSideBarCanvasPanel);
diff --git a/src/config/settings.js b/src/config/settings.js
index 95065995db..df3444143d 100644
--- a/src/config/settings.js
+++ b/src/config/settings.js
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 export default {
+  canvasNavigation: {
+    height: 100,
+  },
   theme: { // Sets up a MaterialUI theme. See https://material-ui.com/customization/default-theme/
     palette: {
       type: 'light', // dark also available
diff --git a/src/containers/WindowSideBarCanvasPanel.js b/src/containers/WindowSideBarCanvasPanel.js
index 6188bc8e99..4eb5035292 100644
--- a/src/containers/WindowSideBarCanvasPanel.js
+++ b/src/containers/WindowSideBarCanvasPanel.js
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import WindowSideBarCanvasPanel from '../components/WindowSideBarCanvasPanel';
 import {
   getManifestCanvases,
   getWindowManifest,
-  getIdAndLabelOfCanvases,
 } from '../state/selectors';
 
 /**
@@ -15,8 +14,10 @@ import {
 const mapStateToProps = (state, { windowId }) => {
   const manifest = getWindowManifest(state, windowId);
   const canvases = getManifestCanvases(manifest);
+  const { config } = state;
   return {
-    canvasesIdAndLabel: getIdAndLabelOfCanvases(canvases),
+    canvases,
+    config,
   };
 };