diff --git a/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/UpdateManager.java b/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/UpdateManager.java
index 75cf888fe..ee03d0de0 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/UpdateManager.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/UpdateManager.java
@@ -61,21 +61,25 @@ public class UpdateManager {
 
     private static void onUpgrade(final int oldVersionCode, final int newVersionCode) {
         if(oldVersionCode < 1030000) {
-            List<Feed> feeds = DBReader.getFeedList(context);
-            for(Feed podcast: feeds) {
-                List<FeedItem> episodes = DBReader.getFeedItemList(context, podcast);
-                for(FeedItem episode : episodes) {
-                    FeedImage image = episode.getImage();
-                    if(image != null && image.isDownloaded() && image.getFile_url() != null) {
-                        File imageFile = new File(image.getFile_url());
-                        if(imageFile.exists()) {
-                            imageFile.delete();
+            new Thread() {
+                public void run() {
+                    List<Feed> feeds = DBReader.getFeedList(context);
+                    for (Feed podcast : feeds) {
+                        List<FeedItem> episodes = DBReader.getFeedItemList(context, podcast);
+                        for (FeedItem episode : episodes) {
+                            FeedImage image = episode.getImage();
+                            if (image != null && image.isDownloaded() && image.getFile_url() != null) {
+                                File imageFile = new File(image.getFile_url());
+                                if (imageFile.exists()) {
+                                    imageFile.delete();
+                                }
+                                image.setFile_url(null); // calls setDownloaded(false)
+                                DBWriter.setFeedImage(context, image);
+                            }
                         }
-                        image.setFile_url(null); // calls setDownloaded(false)
-                        DBWriter.setFeedImage(context, image);
                     }
                 }
-            }
+            }.start();
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/fragment/ItemlistFragment.java b/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/fragment/ItemlistFragment.java
index 3321d6b84..232dfc214 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/fragment/ItemlistFragment.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/fragment/ItemlistFragment.java
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import android.content.DialogInterface;
 import android.content.Intent;
 import android.content.res.TypedArray;
 import android.graphics.Color;
+import android.graphics.LightingColorFilter;
 import android.os.AsyncTask;
 import android.os.Build;
 import android.os.Bundle;
@@ -506,6 +507,10 @@ public class ItemlistFragment extends ListFragment {
         txtvTitle.setText(feed.getTitle());
         txtvAuthor.setText(feed.getAuthor());
 
+
+        // https://github.com/bumptech/glide/issues/529
+        imgvBackground.setColorFilter(new LightingColorFilter(0xff828282, 0x000000));
+
         Glide.with(getActivity())
                 .load(feed.getImageUri())
                 .placeholder(R.color.image_readability_tint)
@@ -515,9 +520,6 @@ public class ItemlistFragment extends ListFragment {
                 .dontAnimate()
                 .into(imgvBackground);
 
-        // https://github.com/bumptech/glide/issues/529
-        imgvBackground.setColorFilter(R.color.image_readability_tint);
-
         Glide.with(getActivity())
                 .load(feed.getImageUri())
                 .placeholder(R.color.light_gray)
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/core/glide/FastBlurTransformation.java b/core/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/core/glide/FastBlurTransformation.java
index f5e645535..ee58c2f39 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/core/glide/FastBlurTransformation.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/core/glide/FastBlurTransformation.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package de.danoeh.antennapod.core.glide;
 
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.graphics.Bitmap;
+import android.media.ThumbnailUtils;
 import android.util.Log;
 
 import com.bumptech.glide.load.engine.bitmap_recycle.BitmapPool;
@@ -9,33 +10,35 @@ import com.bumptech.glide.load.resource.bitmap.BitmapTransformation;
 
 public class FastBlurTransformation extends BitmapTransformation {
 
-    private static final String TAG = "BlurTransformation";
+    private static final String TAG = FastBlurTransformation.class.getSimpleName();
 
-    private static final int RADIUS = 1;
-    private static final int IMAGE_SIZE = 192;
+    private static final int STACK_BLUR_RADIUS = 1;
+    private static final int BLUR_IMAGE_WIDTH = 150;
 
     public FastBlurTransformation(Context context) {
         super(context);
     }
 
     @Override
-    protected Bitmap transform(BitmapPool pool, Bitmap toTransform,
+    protected Bitmap transform(BitmapPool pool, Bitmap source,
                                int outWidth, int outHeight) {
-        Bitmap resizedBitmap = Bitmap.createScaledBitmap(toTransform, IMAGE_SIZE, IMAGE_SIZE, true);
-        Bitmap transformed = fastBlur(resizedBitmap, RADIUS);
-        if (transformed == null) {
-            Log.w(TAG, "transformed was null");
-            return toTransform;
+        int targetWidth = BLUR_IMAGE_WIDTH;
+        int targetHeight = (int) (1.0 * outHeight * targetWidth / outWidth);
+        Bitmap resized = ThumbnailUtils.extractThumbnail(source, targetWidth, targetHeight);
+        Bitmap result = fastBlur(resized, STACK_BLUR_RADIUS);
+        if (result == null) {
+            Log.w(TAG, "result was null");
+            return source;
         }
-        return transformed;
+        return result;
     }
 
     @Override
     public String getId() {
-        return "FastBlurTransformation-" + IMAGE_SIZE + "x" + IMAGE_SIZE + "-" + RADIUS;
+        return "FastBlurTransformation[width=" + BLUR_IMAGE_WIDTH + "px,radius=" + STACK_BLUR_RADIUS +"]";
     }
 
-    private static Bitmap fastBlur(Bitmap original, int radius) {
+    private static Bitmap fastBlur(Bitmap bitmap, int radius) {
 
         // Stack Blur v1.0 from
         // http://www.quasimondo.com/StackBlurForCanvas/StackBlurDemo.html
@@ -65,15 +68,6 @@ public class FastBlurTransformation extends BitmapTransformation {
         //
         // Stack Blur Algorithm by Mario Klingemann <mario@quasimondo.com>
 
-        Bitmap.Config config = original.getConfig();
-        if (config == null) {
-            // Sometimes the config can be null, in those cases
-            // we don't do a transform.
-            return null;
-        }
-
-        Bitmap bitmap = original.copy(config, true);
-
         if (radius < 1) {
             return null;
         }
@@ -82,7 +76,6 @@ public class FastBlurTransformation extends BitmapTransformation {
         int h = bitmap.getHeight();
 
         int[] pix = new int[w * h];
-        Log.e("pix", w + " " + h + " " + pix.length);
         bitmap.getPixels(pix, 0, w, 0, 0, w, h);
 
         int wm = w - 1;
@@ -267,10 +260,7 @@ public class FastBlurTransformation extends BitmapTransformation {
                 yi += w;
             }
         }
-
-        Log.e("pix", w + " " + h + " " + pix.length);
         bitmap.setPixels(pix, 0, w, 0, 0, w, h);
-
         return bitmap;
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/core/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index e91030e93..21a35cdb7 100644
--- a/core/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/core/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -465,7 +465,6 @@
 
     <!-- Progress information -->
     <string name="progress_upgrading_database">Upgrading the database</string>
-    <string name="progress_clearing_image_cache">Clearing old image cache</string>
 
     <!-- AntennaPodSP -->