diff --git a/src/public/app/services/tree_builder.js b/src/public/app/services/tree_builder.js
index ac267c475..ddb90aeb7 100644
--- a/src/public/app/services/tree_builder.js
+++ b/src/public/app/services/tree_builder.js
@@ -98,9 +98,8 @@ async function prepareNode(branch) {
         key: utils.randomString(12) // this should prevent some "duplicate key" errors
     };
 
-    if (note.hasChildren() || note.type === 'search') {
-        node.folder = true;
-    }
+    node.folder = getChildBranchesWithoutImages(note).length > 0
+               || note.type === 'search';
 
     return node;
 }
@@ -108,16 +107,9 @@ async function prepareNode(branch) {
 async function prepareRealBranch(parentNote) {
     utils.assertArguments(parentNote);
 
-    const childBranches = await parentNote.getChildBranches();
-
-    if (!childBranches) {
-        ws.logError(`No children for ${parentNote}. This shouldn't happen.`);
-        return;
-    }
-
     const noteList = [];
 
-    for (const branch of childBranches) {
+    for (const branch of getChildBranchesWithoutImages(parentNote)) {
         const node = await prepareNode(branch);
 
         noteList.push(node);
@@ -126,6 +118,20 @@ async function prepareRealBranch(parentNote) {
     return noteList;
 }
 
+function getChildBranchesWithoutImages(parentNote) {
+    const childBranches = parentNote.getChildBranches();
+
+    if (!childBranches) {
+        ws.logError(`No children for ${parentNote}. This shouldn't happen.`);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    const imageLinks = parentNote.getRelations('imageLink');
+
+    // image is already visible in the parent note so no need to display it separately in the book
+    return childBranches.filter(branch => !imageLinks.find(rel => rel.value === branch.noteId));
+}
+
 async function prepareSearchBranch(note) {
     await treeCache.reloadNotes([note.noteId]);
 
@@ -170,5 +176,6 @@ export default {
     prepareRootNode,
     prepareBranch,
     getExtraClasses,
-    getIcon
+    getIcon,
+    getChildBranchesWithoutImages
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/note_tree.js b/src/public/app/widgets/note_tree.js
index 368da7425..a6600cff9 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/note_tree.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/note_tree.js
@@ -389,7 +389,8 @@ export default class NoteTreeWidget extends TabAwareWidget {
 
         node.data.isProtected = note.isProtected;
         node.data.noteType = note.type;
-        node.folder = note.type === 'search' || note.getChildNoteIds().length > 0;
+        node.folder = treeBuilder.getChildBranchesWithoutImages(note).length > 0
+                   || note.type === 'search';
         node.icon = treeBuilder.getIcon(note);
         node.extraClasses = treeBuilder.getExtraClasses(note);
         node.title = (branch.prefix ? (branch.prefix + " - ") : "") + note.title;
@@ -481,6 +482,15 @@ export default class NoteTreeWidget extends TabAwareWidget {
                 // missing handling of things inherited from template
                 noteIdsToReload.add(attr.noteId);
             }
+            else if (attr.type === 'relation' && attr.name === 'imageLink') {
+                const note = treeCache.getNoteFromCache(attr.noteId);
+
+                if (note && note.getChildNoteIds().includes(attr.value)) {
+                    // there's new/deleted imageLink betwen note and its image child - which can show/hide
+                    // the image (if there is a imageLink relation between parent and child then it is assumed to be "contained" in the note and thus does not have to be displayed in the tree)
+                    noteIdsToReload.add(attr.noteId);
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         for (const branch of loadResults.getBranches()) {