diff --git a/lib/core/src/lib/viewer/components/pdf-viewer.component.html b/lib/core/src/lib/viewer/components/pdf-viewer.component.html
index 41a478e77db..9844cf51734 100644
--- a/lib/core/src/lib/viewer/components/pdf-viewer.component.html
+++ b/lib/core/src/lib/viewer/components/pdf-viewer.component.html
@@ -16,10 +16,8 @@
                 <ng-container *ngIf="thumbnailsTemplate">
                     <ng-container *ngTemplateOutlet="thumbnailsTemplate;context:pdfThumbnailsContext"></ng-container>
                 </ng-container>
-
-                <ng-container *ngIf="!thumbnailsTemplate && !isPanelDisabled">
-                    <adf-pdf-thumbnails (close)="toggleThumbnails()" [pdfViewer]="pdfViewer"></adf-pdf-thumbnails>
-                </ng-container>
+                <adf-pdf-thumbnails *ngIf="!thumbnailsTemplate && !isPanelDisabled" (close)="toggleThumbnails()" [pdfViewer]="pdfViewer">
+                </adf-pdf-thumbnails>
             </div>
         </div>
     </ng-container>
diff --git a/lib/core/src/lib/viewer/components/pdf-viewer.component.spec.ts b/lib/core/src/lib/viewer/components/pdf-viewer.component.spec.ts
index a3361d08373..e33a9e0f22f 100644
--- a/lib/core/src/lib/viewer/components/pdf-viewer.component.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/core/src/lib/viewer/components/pdf-viewer.component.spec.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ import { take } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { AppConfigService } from '../../app-config/app-config.service';
 import { CoreTestingModule } from '../../testing/core.testing.module';
 import { TranslateModule } from '@ngx-translate/core';
+import { PdfThumbListComponent } from '@alfresco/adf-core';
+import { By } from '@angular/platform-browser';
 
 declare const pdfjsLib: any;
 
@@ -354,6 +356,13 @@ describe('Test PdfViewer component', () => {
                     done();
                 });
             }, 55000);
+
+            it('should not render PdfThumbListComponent during initialization of new pdfViewer', () => {
+                componentUrlTestComponent.pdfViewerComponent.toggleThumbnails();
+                componentUrlTestComponent.urlFile = 'file.pdf';
+                fixtureUrlTestComponent.detectChanges();
+                expect(fixtureUrlTestComponent.debugElement.query(By.directive(PdfThumbListComponent))).toBeNull();
+            });
         });
 
         describe('Viewer events', () => {
diff --git a/lib/core/src/lib/viewer/components/pdf-viewer.component.ts b/lib/core/src/lib/viewer/components/pdf-viewer.component.ts
index 91816fe5575..08f535fd25b 100644
--- a/lib/core/src/lib/viewer/components/pdf-viewer.component.ts
+++ b/lib/core/src/lib/viewer/components/pdf-viewer.component.ts
@@ -205,6 +205,7 @@ export class PdfViewerComponent implements OnChanges, OnDestroy {
             this.loadingPercent = Math.round(level * 100);
         };
 
+        this.isPanelDisabled = true;
         this.loadingTask.promise
             .then((pdfDocument: PDFDocumentProxy) => {
                 this.totalPages = pdfDocument.numPages;