diff --git a/packages/vidstack/src/components/ui/thumbnails/thumbnail-cross-origin.test.ts b/packages/vidstack/src/components/ui/thumbnails/thumbnail-cross-origin.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..02ec682e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vidstack/src/components/ui/thumbnails/thumbnail-cross-origin.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import { createComponent, provideContext, root, tick } from 'maverick.js';
+import { vi } from 'vitest';
+
+import { mediaContext } from '../../../core/api/media-context';
+import { mediaState } from '../../../core/api/player-state';
+import { Thumbnail } from './thumbnail';
+
+function setupThumbnail(src: string, crossOrigin: 'anonymous' | 'use-credentials' | null = null) {
+  let dispose!: () => void;
+
+  const $state = mediaState.create();
+  $state.canLoad.set(true);
+  $state.providedDuration.set(120);
+  $state.crossOrigin.set(crossOrigin);
+
+  const rootEl = document.createElement('div');
+
+  const thumbnail = root((stop) => {
+    dispose = stop;
+    provideContext(mediaContext, { $state } as any);
+
+    const instance = createComponent(Thumbnail, {
+      props: { src, time: 0 },
+    }) as any;
+
+    instance.$$.setup();
+    instance.$$.attach(rootEl);
+    instance.$$.connect();
+
+    return instance;
+  }) as any;
+
+  tick();
+
+  return { dispose, thumbnail };
+}
+
+describe('Thumbnail cross-origin', function () {
+  let fetchSpy: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
+
+  beforeEach(function () {
+    fetchSpy = vi.fn(() =>
+      Promise.resolve(new Response('[]', { headers: { 'content-type': 'application/json' } })),
+    );
+
+    vi.stubGlobal('fetch', fetchSpy);
+  });
+
+  afterEach(function () {
+    vi.unstubAllGlobals();
+  });
+
+  it('should request thumbnails once with media cross-origin credentials', function () {
+    const src = 'https://cdn.example.com/storyboard-cross-origin.vtt',
+      { dispose } = setupThumbnail(src, 'use-credentials');
+
+    try {
+      expect(fetchSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(fetchSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(src, { credentials: 'include' });
+    } finally {
+      dispose();
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/vidstack/src/components/ui/thumbnails/thumbnail.ts b/packages/vidstack/src/components/ui/thumbnails/thumbnail.ts
index 2bbe8ab03..33362b273 100644
--- a/packages/vidstack/src/components/ui/thumbnails/thumbnail.ts
+++ b/packages/vidstack/src/components/ui/thumbnails/thumbnail.ts
@@ -44,10 +44,10 @@ export class Thumbnail extends Component<ThumbnailProps, ThumbnailState> {
 
   protected override onSetup(): void {
     this.media = useMediaContext();
-    this.#loader = ThumbnailsLoader.create(this.$props.src, this.$state.crossOrigin);
-
     this.#watchCrossOrigin();
 
+    this.#loader = ThumbnailsLoader.create(this.$props.src, this.$state.crossOrigin);
+
     this.setAttributes({
       'data-loading': this.#isLoading.bind(this),
       'data-error': this.#hasError.bind(this),