diff --git a/webapp/channels/src/components/file_preview_modal/file_preview_modal.test.tsx b/webapp/channels/src/components/file_preview_modal/file_preview_modal.test.tsx
index e6c46d6178c..fdc6c2dff71 100644
--- a/webapp/channels/src/components/file_preview_modal/file_preview_modal.test.tsx
+++ b/webapp/channels/src/components/file_preview_modal/file_preview_modal.test.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import FilePreviewModal from 'components/file_preview_modal/file_preview_modal';
 
 import Constants from 'utils/constants';
 import {TestHelper} from 'utils/test_helper';
-import * as Utils from 'utils/utils';
 import {generateId} from 'utils/utils';
 
 describe('components/FilePreviewModal', () => {
@@ -170,17 +169,6 @@ describe('components/FilePreviewModal', () => {
     });
 
     test('should handle external image URLs correctly', () => {
-        // Create a mock for Utils.loadImage
-        const loadImageSpy = jest.spyOn(Utils, 'loadImage').mockImplementation((url, onLoad) => {
-            // Create a mock ProgressEvent
-            const mockProgressEvent = new ProgressEvent('progress');
-
-            // Call onLoad with the mock event if it exists
-            if (onLoad) {
-                onLoad.call({} as XMLHttpRequest, mockProgressEvent);
-            }
-        });
-
         // Create a LinkInfo object for an external image URL
         const externalImageUrl = 'http://localhost:8065/api/v4/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2Fimage.jpg';
         const fileInfos = [{
@@ -199,18 +187,8 @@ describe('components/FilePreviewModal', () => {
         // Call loadImage with the external image URL
         wrapper.instance().loadImage(0);
 
-        // Verify that Utils.loadImage was called with the correct URL
-        expect(loadImageSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-            externalImageUrl,
-            expect.any(Function),
-            expect.any(Function),
-        );
-
         // Verify that handleImageLoaded was called
         expect(handleImageLoadedSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
-
-        // Restore the original loadImage function
-        loadImageSpy.mockRestore();
     });
 
     test('should have called loadImage', () => {
@@ -317,4 +295,24 @@ describe('components/FilePreviewModal', () => {
 
         expect(wrapper).toMatchSnapshot();
     });
+
+    test('should be marked as loaded immediately to avoid infinite loading of external images', () => {
+
+        const externalImageUrl = 'http://localhost:8065/api/v4/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2Fimage.jpg';
+        
+        const fileInfos = [{
+            has_preview_image: false,
+            link: externalImageUrl,
+            extension: '',
+            name: 'External Image',
+        }];
+
+        const props = {...baseProps, fileInfos};
+        const wrapper = shallow<FilePreviewModal>(<FilePreviewModal {...props}/>);
+
+        wrapper.instance().loadImage(0);
+
+        expect(wrapper.state('loaded')[0]).toBe(true);
+    });
+
 });
diff --git a/webapp/channels/src/components/file_preview_modal/file_preview_modal.tsx b/webapp/channels/src/components/file_preview_modal/file_preview_modal.tsx
index f4d398ab63c..b582f1f1987 100644
--- a/webapp/channels/src/components/file_preview_modal/file_preview_modal.tsx
+++ b/webapp/channels/src/components/file_preview_modal/file_preview_modal.tsx
@@ -204,6 +204,8 @@ export default class FilePreviewModal extends React.PureComponent<Props, State>
             } else if (isLinkInfo(fileInfo)) {
                 // For LinkInfo, use the link directly
                 previewUrl = fileInfo.link;
+                this.handleImageLoaded(index);
+                return;
             }
 
             Utils.loadImage(