diff --git a/model/mediafile.go b/model/mediafile.go
index 21d8decc..1fc510ea 100644
--- a/model/mediafile.go
+++ b/model/mediafile.go
@@ -2,9 +2,12 @@ package model
 
 import (
 	"mime"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/conf"
 	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/consts"
 	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/utils"
 	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/utils/number"
@@ -75,6 +78,7 @@ func (mfs MediaFiles) ToAlbum() Album {
 	var songArtistIds []string
 	var mbzAlbumIds []string
 	var comments []string
+	var firstPath string
 	for _, m := range mfs {
 		// We assume these attributes are all the same for all songs on an album
 		a.ID = m.AlbumID
@@ -115,8 +119,11 @@ func (mfs MediaFiles) ToAlbum() Album {
 			m.SortAlbumName, m.SortAlbumArtistName, m.SortArtistName,
 			m.DiscSubtitle)
 		if m.HasCoverArt {
-			// TODO CoverArtPriority
 			a.CoverArtId = m.ID
+			a.CoverArtPath = m.Path
+		}
+		if firstPath == "" {
+			firstPath = m.Path
 		}
 	}
 	comments = slices.Compact(comments)
@@ -132,6 +139,14 @@ func (mfs MediaFiles) ToAlbum() Album {
 	slices.Sort(songArtistIds)
 	a.AllArtistIDs = strings.Join(slices.Compact(songArtistIds), " ")
 	a.MbzAlbumID = slice.MostFrequent(mbzAlbumIds)
+
+	if a.CoverArtPath == "" || !strings.HasPrefix(conf.Server.CoverArtPriority, "embedded") {
+		if path := getCoverFromPath(firstPath, a.CoverArtPath); path != "" {
+			a.CoverArtId = "al-" + a.ID
+			a.CoverArtPath = path
+		}
+	}
+
 	return a
 }
 
@@ -169,6 +184,44 @@ func fixAlbumArtist(a Album, albumArtistIds []string) Album {
 	return a
 }
 
+// GetCoverFromPath accepts a path to a file, and returns a path to an eligible cover image from the
+// file's directory (as configured with CoverArtPriority). If no cover file is found, among
+// available choices, or an error occurs, an empty string is returned. If HasEmbeddedCover is true,
+// and 'embedded' is matched among eligible choices, GetCoverFromPath will return early with an
+// empty path.
+// TODO: Move to scanner (or at least out of here)
+func getCoverFromPath(mediaPath string, embeddedPath string) string {
+	n, err := os.Open(filepath.Dir(mediaPath))
+	if err != nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+
+	defer n.Close()
+	names, err := n.Readdirnames(-1)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+
+	for _, p := range strings.Split(conf.Server.CoverArtPriority, ",") {
+		pat := strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(p))
+		if pat == "embedded" {
+			if embeddedPath != "" {
+				return ""
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+
+		for _, name := range names {
+			match, _ := filepath.Match(pat, strings.ToLower(name))
+			if match && utils.IsImageFile(name) {
+				return filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(mediaPath), name)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return ""
+}
+
 type MediaFileRepository interface {
 	CountAll(options ...QueryOptions) (int64, error)
 	Exists(id string) (bool, error)
diff --git a/model/mediafile_internal_test.go b/model/mediafile_internal_test.go
index 2f902f8e..b86427f6 100644
--- a/model/mediafile_internal_test.go
+++ b/model/mediafile_internal_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 package model
 
 import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/conf"
 	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/consts"
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
@@ -51,3 +55,57 @@ var _ = Describe("fixAlbumArtist", func() {
 		})
 	})
 })
+
+var _ = Describe("getCoverFromPath", func() {
+	var testFolder, testPath, embeddedPath string
+	BeforeEach(func() {
+		testFolder, _ = os.MkdirTemp("", "album_persistence_tests")
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(testFolder, 0777); err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+		if _, err := os.Create(filepath.Join(testFolder, "Cover.jpeg")); err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+		if _, err := os.Create(filepath.Join(testFolder, "FRONT.PNG")); err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+		testPath = filepath.Join(testFolder, "somefile.test")
+		embeddedPath = filepath.Join(testFolder, "somefile.mp3")
+	})
+	AfterEach(func() {
+		_ = os.RemoveAll(testFolder)
+	})
+
+	It("returns audio file for embedded cover", func() {
+		conf.Server.CoverArtPriority = "embedded, cover.*, front.*"
+		Expect(getCoverFromPath(testPath, embeddedPath)).To(Equal(""))
+	})
+
+	It("returns external file when no embedded cover exists", func() {
+		conf.Server.CoverArtPriority = "embedded, cover.*, front.*"
+		Expect(getCoverFromPath(testPath, "")).To(Equal(filepath.Join(testFolder, "Cover.jpeg")))
+	})
+
+	It("returns embedded cover even if not first choice", func() {
+		conf.Server.CoverArtPriority = "something.png, embedded, cover.*, front.*"
+		Expect(getCoverFromPath(testPath, embeddedPath)).To(Equal(""))
+	})
+
+	It("returns first correct match case-insensitively", func() {
+		conf.Server.CoverArtPriority = "embedded, cover.jpg, front.svg, front.png"
+		Expect(getCoverFromPath(testPath, "")).To(Equal(filepath.Join(testFolder, "FRONT.PNG")))
+	})
+
+	It("returns match for embedded pattern", func() {
+		conf.Server.CoverArtPriority = "embedded, cover.jp?g, front.png"
+		Expect(getCoverFromPath(testPath, "")).To(Equal(filepath.Join(testFolder, "Cover.jpeg")))
+	})
+
+	It("returns empty string if no match was found", func() {
+		conf.Server.CoverArtPriority = "embedded, cover.jpg, front.apng"
+		Expect(getCoverFromPath(testPath, "")).To(Equal(""))
+	})
+
+	// Reset configuration to default.
+	conf.Server.CoverArtPriority = "embedded, cover.*, front.*"
+})