diff --git a/config/defaults.hjson b/config/defaults.hjson
index 188ca324d..1ce63396f 100644
--- a/config/defaults.hjson
+++ b/config/defaults.hjson
@@ -49,6 +49,12 @@
     # 
     # Requires pict-rs 0.5
     image_proxy: false
+    # Don't store preview images for external links in pict-rs. Enabling this setting reduces
+    # storage usage. It may also be necessary in certain countries which don't allow copying images
+    # from newspaper articles, but only allow hotlinking.
+    # 
+    # If this setting is enabled, the Opengraph image is directly returned as thumbnail.
+    disable_external_link_previews: false
   }
   # Email sending configuration. All options except login/password are mandatory
   email: {
diff --git a/crates/api_common/src/request.rs b/crates/api_common/src/request.rs
index 954a6cd88..3e2311f8f 100644
--- a/crates/api_common/src/request.rs
+++ b/crates/api_common/src/request.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use crate::{context::LemmyContext, post::LinkMetadata};
+use crate::{context::LemmyContext, post::LinkMetadata, utils::proxy_image_link};
 use encoding::{all::encodings, DecoderTrap};
 use lemmy_utils::{
   error::{LemmyError, LemmyErrorType},
@@ -233,6 +233,10 @@ async fn generate_pictrs_thumbnail(
 ) -> Result<Url, LemmyError> {
   let pictrs_config = context.settings().pictrs_config()?;
 
+  if pictrs_config.disable_external_link_previews {
+    return Ok(proxy_image_link(image_url.clone(), context)?);
+  }
+
   // fetch remote non-pictrs images for persistent thumbnail link
   // TODO: should limit size once supported by pictrs
   let fetch_url = format!(
diff --git a/crates/utils/src/settings/structs.rs b/crates/utils/src/settings/structs.rs
index d5dc8c8f6..39153f4a8 100644
--- a/crates/utils/src/settings/structs.rs
+++ b/crates/utils/src/settings/structs.rs
@@ -86,6 +86,14 @@ pub struct PictrsConfig {
   /// Requires pict-rs 0.5
   #[default(false)]
   pub image_proxy: bool,
+
+  /// Don't store preview images for external links in pict-rs. Enabling this setting reduces
+  /// storage usage. It may also be necessary in certain countries which don't allow copying images
+  /// from newspaper articles, but only allow hotlinking.
+  ///
+  /// If this setting is enabled, the Opengraph image is directly returned as thumbnail.
+  #[default(false)]
+  pub disable_external_link_previews: bool,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Deserialize, Serialize, Clone, SmartDefault, Document)]
diff --git a/crates/utils/translations b/crates/utils/translations
index abd40d473..e943f97fe 160000
--- a/crates/utils/translations
+++ b/crates/utils/translations
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit abd40d4737fa732321fd7b62e42bbfcd51081cb6
+Subproject commit e943f97fe481dc425acdebc8872bf1fdcabaf875