diff --git a/copyparty/broker_mp.py b/copyparty/broker_mp.py
index b1b2f9d9..9479c707 100644
--- a/copyparty/broker_mp.py
+++ b/copyparty/broker_mp.py
@@ -146,21 +146,17 @@ class BrokerMp(object):
         returns a Queue object which eventually contains the response if want_retval
         (not-impl here since nothing uses it yet)
         """
-        if dest == "httpsrv.listen":
-            for p in self.procs:
-                p.q_pend.put((0, dest, [args[0], len(self.procs)]))
-
-        elif dest == "httpsrv.set_netdevs":
-            for p in self.procs:
-                p.q_pend.put((0, dest, list(args)))
+        if dest.startswith("httpsrv."):
+            if dest == "httpsrv.listen":
+                for p in self.procs:
+                    p.q_pend.put((0, dest, [args[0], len(self.procs)]))
+            else:
+                for p in self.procs:
+                    p.q_pend.put((0, dest, list(args)))
 
         elif dest == "cb_httpsrv_up":
             self.hub.cb_httpsrv_up()
 
-        elif dest == "httpsrv.set_bad_ver":
-            for p in self.procs:
-                p.q_pend.put((0, dest, list(args)))
-
         else:
             raise Exception("what is " + str(dest))
 
diff --git a/copyparty/broker_thr.py b/copyparty/broker_thr.py
index ae290d06..242746f9 100644
--- a/copyparty/broker_thr.py
+++ b/copyparty/broker_thr.py
@@ -58,13 +58,8 @@ class BrokerThr(BrokerCli):
                 self.httpsrv.listen(args[0], 1)
                 return
 
-            if dest == "httpsrv.set_netdevs":
-                self.httpsrv.set_netdevs(args[0])
-                return
-
-            if dest == "httpsrv.set_bad_ver":
-                self.httpsrv.set_bad_ver()
-                return
+            getattr(self.httpsrv, dest[8:])(*args)
+            return
 
         # new ipc invoking managed service in hub
         obj = self.hub
diff --git a/copyparty/httpcli.py b/copyparty/httpcli.py
index 9ff05b47..a6b93d2e 100644
--- a/copyparty/httpcli.py
+++ b/copyparty/httpcli.py
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ class HttpCli(object):
         self.E: EnvParams = self.args.E
         self.asrv = conn.asrv  # mypy404
         self.ico = conn.ico  # mypy404
-        self.thumbcli = conn.thumbcli  # mypy404
+        self.thumbcli = conn.hsrv.thumbcli
         self.u2fh = conn.u2fh  # mypy404
         self.pipes = conn.pipes  # mypy404
         self.log_func = conn.log_func  # mypy404
diff --git a/copyparty/httpconn.py b/copyparty/httpconn.py
index b7522374..3d4636dc 100644
--- a/copyparty/httpconn.py
+++ b/copyparty/httpconn.py
@@ -69,8 +69,6 @@ class HttpConn(object):
         self.bans: dict[str, int] = hsrv.bans
         self.aclose: dict[str, int] = hsrv.aclose
 
-        enth = (HAVE_PIL or HAVE_VIPS or HAVE_FFMPEG) and not self.args.no_thumb
-        self.thumbcli: Optional[ThumbCli] = ThumbCli(hsrv) if enth else None  # mypy404
         self.ico: Ico = Ico(self.args)  # mypy404
 
         self.t0: float = time.time()  # mypy404
diff --git a/copyparty/httpsrv.py b/copyparty/httpsrv.py
index c82cd43d..7da35727 100644
--- a/copyparty/httpsrv.py
+++ b/copyparty/httpsrv.py
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ except SyntaxError:
 
 from .httpconn import HttpConn
 from .metrics import Metrics
+from .mtag import HAVE_FFMPEG
+from .th_cli import ThumbCli
+from .th_srv import HAVE_PIL, HAVE_VIPS
 from .u2idx import U2idx
 from .util import (
     E_SCK,
@@ -133,6 +136,8 @@ class HttpSrv(object):
         self.bans: dict[str, int] = {}
         self.aclose: dict[str, int] = {}
 
+        self.thumbcli: Optional[ThumbCli] = None
+
         dli: dict[str, tuple[float, int, "VFS", str, str]] = {}  # info
         dls: dict[str, tuple[float, int]] = {}  # state
         self.dli = self.tdli = dli
@@ -230,16 +235,20 @@ class HttpSrv(object):
             if self.args.log_thrs:
                 start_log_thrs(self.log, self.args.log_thrs, nid)
 
-        self.th_cfg: dict[str, set[str]] = {}
-        Daemon(self.post_init, "hsrv-init2")
+        if (HAVE_PIL or HAVE_VIPS or HAVE_FFMPEG) and not self.args.no_thumb:
+            Daemon(self.post_init, "hsrv-init2")
 
     def post_init(self) -> None:
         try:
             x = self.broker.ask("thumbsrv.getcfg")
-            self.th_cfg = x.get()
+            self.thumbcli = ThumbCli(self, x.get())
         except:
             pass
 
+    def set_th_cfg(self, c: dict[str, set[str]], opts: tuple[bool]) -> None:
+        self.args.th_no_jxl = opts[0]
+        self.thumbcli = ThumbCli(self, c)
+
     def set_bad_ver(self) -> None:
         self.bad_ver = True
 
diff --git a/copyparty/th_cli.py b/copyparty/th_cli.py
index f2a1379c..1a4155ac 100644
--- a/copyparty/th_cli.py
+++ b/copyparty/th_cli.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ IMG_EXTS = set(["webp", "jpg", "png", "jxl"])
 
 
 class ThumbCli(object):
-    def __init__(self, hsrv: "HttpSrv") -> None:
+    def __init__(self, hsrv: "HttpSrv", c: dict[str, set[str]]) -> None:
         self.broker = hsrv.broker
         self.log_func = hsrv.log
         self.args = hsrv.args
@@ -33,16 +33,6 @@ class ThumbCli(object):
         # cache on both sides for less broker spam
         self.cooldown = Cooldown(self.args.th_poke)
 
-        try:
-            c = hsrv.th_cfg
-            if not c:
-                raise Exception()
-        except:
-            c = {
-                k: set()
-                for k in ["thumbable", "pil", "vips", "raw", "ffi", "ffv", "ffa"]
-            }
-
         self.thumbable = c["thumbable"]
         self.fmt_pil = c["pil"]
         self.fmt_vips = c["vips"]
diff --git a/copyparty/th_srv.py b/copyparty/th_srv.py
index 94314d44..d0cd43e3 100644
--- a/copyparty/th_srv.py
+++ b/copyparty/th_srv.py
@@ -327,6 +327,10 @@ class ThumbSrv(object):
                 self.fmt_pil.discard(f)
 
         self.thumbable: set[str] = set()
+        self._build_thumbable()
+
+    def _build_thumbable(self) -> None:
+        self.thumbable.clear()
 
         if "pil" in self.args.th_dec:
             self.thumbable |= self.fmt_pil
@@ -417,6 +421,10 @@ class ThumbSrv(object):
 
         return None
 
+    def _rebuild_thumbable(self) -> None:
+        self._build_thumbable()
+        self.hub.broker.say("httpsrv.set_th_cfg", self.getcfg(), (self.args.th_no_jxl,))
+
     def getcfg(self) -> dict[str, set[str]]:
         return {
             "thumbable": self.thumbable,
@@ -834,6 +842,21 @@ class ThumbSrv(object):
             ret = 321
             c = 3
 
+        elif cmd[-1].lower().endswith(b".jxl") and (
+            "Error selecting an encoder" in serr
+            or "Automatic encoder selection failed" in serr
+            or "Default encoder for format webp" in serr
+            or "Unrecognized option 'effort:v" in serr
+            or "Please choose an encoder manually" in serr
+        ):
+            self.args.th_no_jxl = True
+            self.fmt_ffi.discard("jxl")
+            self.fmt_ffv.discard("jxl")
+            self._rebuild_thumbable()
+            t = "FFmpeg failed because it was compiled without jpegxl; enabling --th-no-jxl to force webp output:\n"
+            ret = 321
+            c = 1
+
         elif (
             (not self.args.th_ff_jpg or time.time() - int(self.args.th_ff_jpg) < 60)
             and cmd[-1].lower().endswith(b".webp")
diff --git a/tests/util.py b/tests/util.py
index f4563faa..2d75c71d 100644
--- a/tests/util.py
+++ b/tests/util.py
@@ -316,6 +316,7 @@ class VHttpSrv(object):
         self.g403 = Garda("")
         self.gurl = Garda("")
 
+        self.thumbcli = None
         self.u2idx = None
 
     def cachebuster(self):