diff --git a/src/js/defaults.js b/src/js/defaults.js
index da089efc..f66a7c2f 100644
--- a/src/js/defaults.js
+++ b/src/js/defaults.js
@@ -199,7 +199,6 @@ const defaults = {
         youtube: {
             sdk: 'https://www.youtube.com/iframe_api',
             api: 'https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/videos?id={0}&key={1}&fields=items(snippet(title))&part=snippet',
-            poster: 'https://img.youtube.com/vi/{0}/maxresdefault.jpg,https://img.youtube.com/vi/{0}/hqdefault.jpg',
         },
         googleIMA: {
             sdk: 'https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/sdkloader/ima3.js',
@@ -332,6 +331,7 @@ const defaults = {
         embed: 'plyr__video-embed',
         embedContainer: 'plyr__video-embed__container',
         poster: 'plyr__poster',
+        posterEnabled: 'plyr__poster-enabled',
         ads: 'plyr__ads',
         control: 'plyr__control',
         playing: 'plyr--playing',
diff --git a/src/js/plugins/vimeo.js b/src/js/plugins/vimeo.js
index 0ceb89e5..96b36781 100644
--- a/src/js/plugins/vimeo.js
+++ b/src/js/plugins/vimeo.js
@@ -99,11 +99,8 @@ const vimeo = {
             // Get original image
             url.pathname = `${url.pathname.split('_')[0]}.jpg`;
 
-            // Set attribute
-            player.media.setAttribute('poster', url.href);
-
-            // Update
-            ui.setPoster.call(player);
+            // Set and show poster
+            ui.setPoster.call(player, url.href);
         });
 
         // Setup instance
diff --git a/src/js/plugins/youtube.js b/src/js/plugins/youtube.js
index 4fde9319..10283998 100644
--- a/src/js/plugins/youtube.js
+++ b/src/js/plugins/youtube.js
@@ -162,7 +162,19 @@ const youtube = {
         player.media = utils.replaceElement(container, player.media);
 
         // Set poster image
-        player.media.setAttribute('poster', utils.format(player.config.urls.youtube.poster, videoId));
+        const posterSrc = format => `https://img.youtube.com/vi/${videoId}/${format}default.jpg`;
+
+        // Check thumbnail images in order of quality, but reject fallback thumbnails (120px wide)
+        utils.loadImage(posterSrc('maxres'), 121) // Higest quality and unpadded
+            .catch(() => utils.loadImage(posterSrc('sd'), 121)) // 480p padded 4:3
+            .catch(() => utils.loadImage(posterSrc('hq'))) // 360p padded 4:3. Always exists
+            .then(image => ui.setPoster.call(player, image.src))
+            .then(posterSrc => {
+                // If the image is padded, use background-size "cover" instead (like youtube does too with their posters)
+                if (!posterSrc.includes('maxres')) {
+                    player.elements.poster.style.backgroundSize = 'cover';
+                }
+            });
 
         // Setup instance
         // https://developers.google.com/youtube/iframe_api_reference
diff --git a/src/js/plyr.js b/src/js/plyr.js
index ffd2a1e3..4c569fec 100644
--- a/src/js/plyr.js
+++ b/src/js/plyr.js
@@ -802,10 +802,7 @@ class Plyr {
             return;
         }
 
-        if (utils.is.string(input)) {
-            this.media.setAttribute('poster', input);
-            ui.setPoster.call(this);
-        }
+        ui.setPoster.call(this, input);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/js/ui.js b/src/js/ui.js
index 039144a5..3a8f2d05 100644
--- a/src/js/ui.js
+++ b/src/js/ui.js
@@ -105,8 +105,10 @@ const ui = {
         // Set the title
         ui.setTitle.call(this);
 
-        // Set the poster image
-        ui.setPoster.call(this);
+        // Assure the poster image is set, if the property was added before the element was created
+        if (this.poster && this.elements.poster && !this.elements.poster.style.backgroundImage) {
+            ui.setPoster.call(this, this.poster);
+        }
     },
 
     // Setup aria attribute for play and iframe title
@@ -146,15 +148,39 @@ const ui = {
         }
     },
 
-    // Set the poster image
-    setPoster() {
-        if (!utils.is.element(this.elements.poster) || utils.is.empty(this.poster)) {
-            return;
+    // Toggle poster
+    togglePoster(enable) {
+        utils.toggleClass(this.elements.container, this.config.classNames.posterEnabled, enable);
+    },
+
+    // Set the poster image (async)
+    setPoster(poster) {
+        // Set property regardless of validity
+        this.media.setAttribute('poster', poster);
+
+        // Bail if element is missing
+        if (!utils.is.element(this.elements.poster)) {
+            return Promise.reject();
         }
 
-        // Set the inline style
-        const posters = this.poster.split(',');
-        this.elements.poster.style.backgroundImage = posters.map(p => `url('${p}')`).join(',');
+        // Load the image, and set poster if successful
+        const loadPromise = utils.loadImage(poster)
+            .then(() => {
+                this.elements.poster.style.backgroundImage = `url('${poster}')`;
+                Object.assign(this.elements.poster.style, {
+                    backgroundImage: `url('${poster}')`,
+                    // Reset backgroundSize as well (since it can be set to "cover" for padded thumbnails for youtube)
+                    backgroundSize: '',
+                });
+                ui.togglePoster.call(this, true);
+                return poster;
+            });
+
+        // Hide the element if the poster can't be loaded (otherwise it will just be a black element covering the video)
+        loadPromise.catch(() => ui.togglePoster.call(this, false));
+
+        // Return the promise so the caller can use it as well
+        return loadPromise;
     },
 
     // Check playing state
diff --git a/src/js/utils.js b/src/js/utils.js
index 13e26655..0c5a28d7 100644
--- a/src/js/utils.js
+++ b/src/js/utils.js
@@ -120,6 +120,21 @@ const utils = {
         });
     },
 
+    // Load image avoiding xhr/fetch CORS issues
+    // Server status can't be obtained this way unfortunately, so this uses "naturalWidth" to determine if the image has loaded.
+    // By default it checks if it is at least 1px, but you can add a second argument to change this.
+    loadImage(src, minWidth = 1) {
+        return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+            const image = new Image();
+            const handler = () => {
+                delete image.onload;
+                delete image.onerror;
+                (image.naturalWidth >= minWidth ? resolve : reject)(image);
+            };
+            Object.assign(image, {onload: handler, onerror: handler, src});
+        });
+    },
+
     // Load an external script
     loadScript(url) {
         return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
diff --git a/src/sass/components/poster.scss b/src/sass/components/poster.scss
index 92ab0fce..4bdb60d9 100644
--- a/src/sass/components/poster.scss
+++ b/src/sass/components/poster.scss
@@ -18,6 +18,6 @@
     pointer-events: none;
 }
 
-.plyr--stopped .plyr__poster {
+.plyr--stopped.plyr__poster-enabled .plyr__poster {
     opacity: 1;
 }