diff --git a/src/filewidgets/kdiroperator.cpp b/src/filewidgets/kdiroperator.cpp
--- a/src/filewidgets/kdiroperator.cpp
+++ b/src/filewidgets/kdiroperator.cpp
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@
     void _k_slotDirectoryCreated(const QUrl &);
 
     void updateListViewGrid();
+    void updateIconPreviewsState();
     int iconSizeForViewType(QAbstractItemView *itemView) const;
 
     // private members
@@ -282,6 +283,9 @@
     KFilePreviewGenerator *previewGenerator;
 
     bool showPreviews;
+    bool calledByPreviewStateUpdate;
+    bool showPreviewsEnabledBeforeZoom;
+
     int iconsZoom;
 
     bool isSaving;
@@ -316,6 +320,8 @@
     configGroup(nullptr),
     previewGenerator(nullptr),
     showPreviews(false),
+    calledByPreviewStateUpdate(false),
+    showPreviewsEnabledBeforeZoom(false),
     iconsZoom(0),
     isSaving(false),
     decorationMenu(nullptr),
@@ -654,6 +660,10 @@
 
     showPreviews = show;
 
+    if (!calledByPreviewStateUpdate) {
+        showPreviewsEnabledBeforeZoom = show;
+    }
+
     if (!previewGenerator) {
         return;
     }
@@ -1633,6 +1643,9 @@
     d->previewGenerator->setPreviewShown(previewShown);
     d->actionCollection->action(QStringLiteral("inline preview"))->setChecked(previewShown);
 
+    // set grid and previews
+    d->updateListViewGrid();
+
     // ensure we change everything needed
     d->_k_slotChangeDecorationPosition();
 
@@ -2115,7 +2128,7 @@
     //                          DefaultMixDirsAndFiles)) {
     //    d->defaultView |= KFile::SeparateDirs;
     //}
-    if (configGroup.readEntry(QStringLiteral("Show Preview"), false)) {
+    if (configGroup.readEntry(QStringLiteral("Show Preview"), true)) {
         d->defaultView |= KFile::PreviewContents;
     }
 
@@ -2150,6 +2163,7 @@
 
     if (d->inlinePreviewState == Private::NotForced) {
         d->showPreviews = configGroup.readEntry(QStringLiteral("Previews"), false);
+        d->showPreviewsEnabledBeforeZoom = d->showPreviews;
     }
     QStyleOptionViewItem::Position pos = (QStyleOptionViewItem::Position) configGroup.readEntry(QStringLiteral("Decoration position"), (int) QStyleOptionViewItem::Left);
     setDecorationPosition(pos);
@@ -2213,7 +2227,7 @@
     configGroup.writeEntry(QStringLiteral("View Style"), style);
 
     if (d->inlinePreviewState == Private::NotForced) {
-        configGroup.writeEntry(QStringLiteral("Previews"), d->showPreviews);
+        configGroup.writeEntry(QStringLiteral("Previews"), d->showPreviewsEnabledBeforeZoom);
         if (qobject_cast<QListView *>(d->itemView)) {
             configGroup.writeEntry(QStringLiteral("listViewIconSize"), d->iconsZoom);
         } else {
@@ -2561,12 +2575,39 @@
     completeListDirty = true;
 }
 
+void KDirOperator::Private::updateIconPreviewsState()
+{
+    if (!itemView) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    const QFontMetrics metrics(itemView->viewport()->font());
+
+    // hide icon previews when they are too small
+    const bool shouldShowInlinePreview = itemView->iconSize().height() > metrics.height() * 2;
+
+    if (showPreviews && shouldShowInlinePreview) {
+        showPreviewsEnabledBeforeZoom = true;
+    }
+
+    KToggleAction *previewAction = static_cast<KToggleAction *>(actionCollection->action(QStringLiteral("inline preview")));
+    previewAction->setEnabled(shouldShowInlinePreview);
+
+    calledByPreviewStateUpdate = true;
+    previewAction->setChecked(shouldShowInlinePreview && showPreviewsEnabledBeforeZoom);
+    calledByPreviewStateUpdate = false;
+}
+
 void KDirOperator::Private::updateListViewGrid()
 {
     if (!itemView) {
         return;
     }
 
+    updateIconPreviewsState();
+
+    const QFontMetrics metrics(itemView->viewport()->font());
+
     QListView *view = qobject_cast<QListView *>(itemView);
 
     if (!view) {
@@ -2582,7 +2623,6 @@
             delegate->setMaximumSize(QSize());
         }
     } else {
-        const QFontMetrics metrics(itemView->viewport()->font());
         int size = itemView->iconSize().height() + metrics.height() * 2;
         // some heuristics for good looking. let's guess width = height * (3 / 2) is nice
         view->setGridSize(QSize(size * (3.0 / 2.0), size + metrics.height()));