diff --git a/src/plugins/imageviewer/imageviewer.cpp b/src/plugins/imageviewer/imageviewer.cpp
index 5d4a068e717..d1893b703ae 100644
--- a/src/plugins/imageviewer/imageviewer.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/imageviewer/imageviewer.cpp
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ void ImageViewer::ctor()
             d->imageView, &ImageView::reset);
     connect(d->file.data(), &ImageViewerFile::reloadFinished,
             d->imageView, &ImageView::createScene);
-    connect(d->file.data(), &ImageViewerFile::isPausedChanged,
+    connect(d->file.data(), &ImageViewerFile::movieStateChanged,
             this, &ImageViewer::updatePauseAction);
     connect(d->imageView, &ImageView::scaleFactorChanged,
             this, &ImageViewer::scaleFactorUpdate);
@@ -349,19 +349,42 @@ void ImageViewer::togglePlay()
 
 void ImageViewer::playToggled()
 {
-    d->file->setPaused(!d->file->isPaused());
+    QMovie *m = d->file->movie();
+    if (!m)
+        return;
+    const QMovie::MovieState state = d->file->movie()->state();
+    switch (state) {
+    case QMovie::NotRunning:
+        m->start();
+        break;
+    case QMovie::Paused:
+        m->setPaused(false);
+        break;
+    case QMovie::Running:
+        m->setPaused(true);
+        break;
+    }
 }
 
 void ImageViewer::updatePauseAction()
 {
-    bool isMovie = d->file->type() == ImageViewerFile::TypeMovie;
-    if (isMovie && !d->file->isPaused()) {
-        d->actionPlayPause->setToolTipBase(Tr::tr("Pause Animation"));
-        d->actionPlayPause->setIcon(Icons::INTERRUPT_SMALL_TOOLBAR.icon());
-    } else {
-        d->actionPlayPause->setToolTipBase(Tr::tr("Play Animation"));
-        d->actionPlayPause->setIcon(Icons::RUN_SMALL_TOOLBAR.icon());
-        d->actionPlayPause->setEnabled(isMovie);
+    const bool isMovie = d->file->type() == ImageViewerFile::TypeMovie;
+    const QMovie::MovieState state = isMovie ? d->file->movie()->state() : QMovie::NotRunning;
+    CommandAction *a = d->actionPlayPause;
+    switch (state) {
+    case QMovie::NotRunning:
+        a->setToolTipBase(Tr::tr("Play Animation"));
+        a->setIcon(Icons::RUN_SMALL_TOOLBAR.icon());
+        a->setEnabled(isMovie);
+        break;
+    case QMovie::Paused:
+        a->setToolTipBase(Tr::tr("Resume Paused Animation"));
+        a->setIcon(Icons::CONTINUE_SMALL_TOOLBAR.icon());
+        break;
+    case QMovie::Running:
+        a->setToolTipBase(Tr::tr("Pause Animation"));
+        a->setIcon(Icons::INTERRUPT_SMALL_TOOLBAR.icon());
+        break;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/imageviewer/imageviewerfile.cpp b/src/plugins/imageviewer/imageviewerfile.cpp
index afa5c5cfc3d..15a3d8d77b3 100644
--- a/src/plugins/imageviewer/imageviewerfile.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/imageviewer/imageviewerfile.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 #include "imageviewerconstants.h"
 #include "imageviewertr.h"
+#include "utils/algorithm.h"
 
 #include <coreplugin/editormanager/documentmodel.h>
 #include <coreplugin/editormanager/ieditor.h>
@@ -115,20 +116,8 @@ Core::IDocument::OpenResult ImageViewerFile::openImpl(QString *errorString,
             return OpenResult::CannotHandle;
         }
         m_type = TypeMovie;
-        m_movie->setCacheMode(QMovie::CacheAll);
-        connect(
-            m_movie,
-            &QMovie::finished,
-            m_movie,
-            [this] {
-                if (m_movie->isValid())
-                    m_movie->start();
-            },
-            Qt::QueuedConnection);
         connect(m_movie, &QMovie::resized, this, &ImageViewerFile::imageSizeChanged);
-        m_movie->start();
-        m_isPaused = false; // force update
-        setPaused(true);
+        connect(m_movie, &QMovie::stateChanged, this, &ImageViewerFile::movieStateChanged);
     } else {
         m_pixmap = new QPixmap(fileName);
         if (m_pixmap->isNull()) {
@@ -169,18 +158,9 @@ bool ImageViewerFile::reload(QString *errorString,
     return success;
 }
 
-bool ImageViewerFile::isPaused() const
+QMovie *ImageViewerFile::movie() const
 {
-    return m_isPaused;
-}
-
-void ImageViewerFile::setPaused(bool paused)
-{
-    if (!m_movie || m_isPaused == paused)
-        return;
-    m_isPaused = paused;
-    m_movie->setPaused(paused);
-    emit isPausedChanged(m_isPaused);
+    return m_movie;
 }
 
 QGraphicsItem *ImageViewerFile::createGraphicsItem() const
@@ -221,16 +201,13 @@ ImageViewerFile::ImageType ImageViewerFile::type() const
 
 void ImageViewerFile::updateVisibility()
 {
-    if (!m_movie || m_isPaused)
+    if (!m_movie || m_movie->state() != QMovie::Running)
         return;
-    bool visible = false;
-    for (Core::IEditor *editor : Core::DocumentModel::editorsForDocument(this)) {
-        if (editor->widget()->isVisible()) {
-            visible = true;
-            break;
-        }
-    }
-    m_movie->setPaused(!visible);
+    const bool anyVisible = Utils::anyOf(Core::DocumentModel::editorsForDocument(this),
+                                           [] (Core::IEditor *editor)
+                                           { return editor->widget()->isVisible(); });
+    if (!anyVisible)
+        m_movie->setPaused(true);
 }
 
 void ImageViewerFile::cleanUp()
diff --git a/src/plugins/imageviewer/imageviewerfile.h b/src/plugins/imageviewer/imageviewerfile.h
index fc1c73f8de8..26ed01a94fe 100644
--- a/src/plugins/imageviewer/imageviewerfile.h
+++ b/src/plugins/imageviewer/imageviewerfile.h
@@ -6,9 +6,10 @@
 
 #include <coreplugin/idocument.h>
 
+#include <QMovie>
+
 QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
 class QGraphicsItem;
-class QMovie;
 class QPixmap;
 
 #ifndef QT_NO_SVG
@@ -40,8 +41,7 @@ public:
     ReloadBehavior reloadBehavior(ChangeTrigger state, ChangeType type) const override;
     bool reload(QString *errorString, ReloadFlag flag, ChangeType type) override;
 
-    bool isPaused() const;
-    void setPaused(bool paused);
+    QMovie *movie() const;
 
     QGraphicsItem *createGraphicsItem() const;
     ImageType type() const;
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public:
 signals:
     void openFinished(bool success);
     void imageSizeChanged(const QSize &size);
-    void isPausedChanged(bool paused);
+    void movieStateChanged();
 
 private:
     void cleanUp();
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ private:
 #endif
     QMovie *m_movie = nullptr;
     QPixmap *m_pixmap = nullptr;
-    bool m_isPaused = false;
 };
 
 } // ImageViewer::Internal