diff --git a/copyparty/__main__.py b/copyparty/__main__.py
index b3904031..6e2921bb 100644
--- a/copyparty/__main__.py
+++ b/copyparty/__main__.py
@@ -1802,7 +1802,7 @@ def add_thumbnail(ap):
     ap2.add_argument("--th-ff-jpg", action="store_true", help="force jpg output for video thumbs (avoids issues on some FFmpeg builds)")
     ap2.add_argument("--th-ff-swr", action="store_true", help="use swresample instead of soxr for audio thumbs (faster, lower accuracy, avoids issues on some FFmpeg builds)")
     ap2.add_argument("--th-vips-jxl", metavar="N", type=int, default=1, help="when to allow generating jxl thumbnails with libvips; 0=never, 1=musl-mallocng, 2=always")
-    ap2.add_argument("--th-poke", metavar="SEC", type=int, default=300, help="activity labeling cooldown -- avoids doing keepalive pokes (updating the mtime) on thumbnail folders more often than \033[33mSEC\033[0m seconds")
+    ap2.add_argument("--th-poke", metavar="SEC", type=int, default=300, help="activity labeling cooldown -- avoids doing keepalive pokes (updating the mtime) on thumbnail folders more often than \033[33mSEC\033[0m seconds; 0=no-keepalive")
     ap2.add_argument("--th-clean", metavar="SEC", type=int, default=43200, help="cleanup interval; 0=disabled")
     ap2.add_argument("--th-maxage", metavar="SEC", type=int, default=604800, help="max folder age -- folders which haven't been poked for longer than \033[33m--th-poke\033[0m seconds will get deleted every \033[33m--th-clean\033[0m seconds")
     ap2.add_argument("--th-pregen", metavar="F,F", type=u, default="", help="pregenerate thumbnails on startup; \033[33mF,F\033[0m is comma-separated list of formats; example: [\033[32mj,jf,w,w3,wf,wf3,x,xf\033[0m] NOTE: remember to set \033[33m--th-maxage 123456789\033[0m (volflag=th_pregen)")
diff --git a/copyparty/svchub.py b/copyparty/svchub.py
index 66bff686..d63b6308 100644
--- a/copyparty/svchub.py
+++ b/copyparty/svchub.py
@@ -476,6 +476,8 @@ class SvcHub(object):
             }
 
         args.th_poke = min(args.th_poke, args.th_maxage, args.ac_maxage)
+        if not args.th_clean:
+            args.th_poke = 0
 
         zms = ""
         if not args.https_only:
diff --git a/copyparty/th_cli.py b/copyparty/th_cli.py
index 3cb0e3b5..5aedd8f4 100644
--- a/copyparty/th_cli.py
+++ b/copyparty/th_cli.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class ThumbCli(object):
         self.asrv = hsrv.asrv
 
         # cache on both sides for less broker spam
-        self.cooldown = Cooldown(self.args.th_poke)
+        self.cooldown = Cooldown(self.args.th_poke) if self.args.th_poke else None
 
         self.thumbable = c["thumbable"]
         self.fmt_pil = c["pil"]
@@ -149,14 +149,15 @@ class ThumbCli(object):
                 pass
 
         if ret:
-            tdir = os.path.dirname(tpath)
-            if self.cooldown.poke(tdir):
-                self.broker.say("thumbsrv.poke", tdir)
+            if self.cooldown:
+                tdir = os.path.dirname(tpath)
+                if self.cooldown.poke(tdir):
+                    self.broker.say("thumbsrv.poke", tdir)
 
-            if want_opus:
-                # audio files expire individually
-                if self.cooldown.poke(tpath):
-                    self.broker.say("thumbsrv.poke", tpath)
+                if want_opus:
+                    # audio files expire individually
+                    if self.cooldown.poke(tpath):
+                        self.broker.say("thumbsrv.poke", tpath)
 
             return ret
 
diff --git a/copyparty/th_srv.py b/copyparty/th_srv.py
index 9a1376a7..ada1c860 100644
--- a/copyparty/th_srv.py
+++ b/copyparty/th_srv.py
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ class ThumbSrv(object):
         self.log = self._log
         self.nextlog = 0
 
-        self.poke_cd = Cooldown(self.args.th_poke)
+        self.poke_cd = Cooldown(self.args.th_poke) if self.args.th_poke else None
 
         self.mutex = threading.Lock()
         self.busy: dict[str, list[threading.Condition]] = {}
@@ -1419,7 +1419,7 @@ class ThumbSrv(object):
         return ret
 
     def poke(self, tdir: str) -> None:
-        if not self.poke_cd.poke(tdir):
+        if not self.poke_cd or not self.poke_cd.poke(tdir):
             return
 
         ts = int(time.time())