diff --git a/dash_3d_viewer/slicer.py b/dash_3d_viewer/slicer.py
index d367ed4..1938e02 100644
--- a/dash_3d_viewer/slicer.py
+++ b/dash_3d_viewer/slicer.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import numpy as np
-from plotly.graph_objects import Figure
+from plotly.graph_objects import Figure, Image
 from dash import Dash
 from dash.dependencies import Input, Output, State
 from dash_core_components import Graph, Slider, Store
@@ -29,44 +29,39 @@ def __init__(self, app, volume, axis=0, id=None):
         self._id = id
 
         # Get the slice size (width, height), and max index
-        arr_shape = list(volume.shape)
-        arr_shape.pop(self._axis)
-        slice_size = list(reversed(arr_shape))
+        # arr_shape = list(volume.shape)
+        # arr_shape.pop(self._axis)
+        # slice_size = list(reversed(arr_shape))
         self._max_index = self._volume.shape[self._axis] - 1
 
+        # Prep low-res slices
+        thumbnails = [
+            img_array_to_uri(self._slice(i), (32, 32))
+            for i in range(self._max_index + 1)
+        ]
+
+        # Create a placeholder trace
+        # todo: can add "%{z[0]}", but that would be the scaled value ...
+        trace = Image(source="", hovertemplate="(%{x}, %{y})<extra></extra>")
         # Create the figure object
-        fig = Figure()
+        fig = Figure(data=[trace])
         fig.update_layout(
             template=None,
             margin=dict(l=0, r=0, b=0, t=0, pad=4),
         )
         fig.update_xaxes(
+            # range=(0, slice_size[0]),
             showgrid=False,
-            range=(0, slice_size[0]),
             showticklabels=False,
             zeroline=False,
         )
         fig.update_yaxes(
+            # range=(slice_size[1], 0),  # todo: allow flipping x or y
             showgrid=False,
             scaleanchor="x",
-            range=(slice_size[1], 0),  # todo: allow flipping x or y
             showticklabels=False,
             zeroline=False,
         )
-        # Add an empty layout image that we can populate from JS.
-        fig.add_layout_image(
-            dict(
-                source="",
-                xref="x",
-                yref="y",
-                x=0,
-                y=0,
-                sizex=slice_size[0],
-                sizey=slice_size[1],
-                sizing="contain",
-                layer="below",
-            )
-        )
         # Wrap the figure in a graph
         # todo: or should the user provide this?
         self.graph = Graph(
@@ -88,6 +83,7 @@ def __init__(self, app, volume, axis=0, id=None):
             Store(id=self._subid("slice-index"), data=volume.shape[self._axis] // 2),
             Store(id=self._subid("_requested-slice-index"), data=0),
             Store(id=self._subid("_slice-data"), data=""),
+            Store(id=self._subid("_slice-data-lowres"), data=thumbnails),
         ]
 
         self._create_server_callbacks(app)
@@ -101,7 +97,8 @@ def _slice(self, index):
         """Sample a slice from the volume."""
         indices = [slice(None), slice(None), slice(None)]
         indices[self._axis] = index
-        return self._volume[tuple(indices)]
+        im = self._volume[tuple(indices)]
+        return (im.astype(np.float32) * (255 / im.max())).astype(np.uint8)
 
     def _create_server_callbacks(self, app):
         """Create the callbacks that run server-side."""
@@ -112,7 +109,6 @@ def _create_server_callbacks(self, app):
         )
         def upload_requested_slice(slice_index):
             slice = self._slice(slice_index)
-            slice = (slice.astype(np.float32) * (255 / slice.max())).astype(np.uint8)
             return [slice_index, img_array_to_uri(slice)]
 
     def _create_client_callbacks(self, app):
@@ -158,7 +154,7 @@ def _create_client_callbacks(self, app):
 
         app.clientside_callback(
             """
-        function handle_incoming_slice(index, index_and_data, ori_figure) {
+        function handle_incoming_slice(index, index_and_data, ori_figure, lowres) {
             let new_index = index_and_data[0];
             let new_data = index_and_data[1];
             // Store data in cache
@@ -167,17 +163,18 @@ def _create_client_callbacks(self, app):
             slice_cache[new_index] = new_data;
             // Get the data we need *now*
             let data = slice_cache[index];
+            //slice_cache[new_index] = undefined;  // todo: disabled cache for now!
             // Maybe we do not need an update
             if (!data) {
-                return window.dash_clientside.no_update;
+                data = lowres[index];
             }
-            if (data == ori_figure.layout.images[0].source) {
+            if (data == ori_figure.data[0].source) {
                 return window.dash_clientside.no_update;
             }
             // Otherwise, perform update
             console.log("updating figure");
             let figure = {...ori_figure};
-            figure.layout.images[0].source = data;
+            figure.data[0].source = data;
             return figure;
         }
         """.replace(
@@ -188,5 +185,8 @@ def _create_client_callbacks(self, app):
                 Input(self._subid("slice-index"), "data"),
                 Input(self._subid("_slice-data"), "data"),
             ],
-            [State(self._subid("graph"), "figure")],
+            [
+                State(self._subid("graph"), "figure"),
+                State(self._subid("_slice-data-lowres"), "data"),
+            ],
         )
diff --git a/dash_3d_viewer/utils.py b/dash_3d_viewer/utils.py
index 61846e1..68ab52c 100644
--- a/dash_3d_viewer/utils.py
+++ b/dash_3d_viewer/utils.py
@@ -1,19 +1,25 @@
+import io
 import random
+import base64
 
 import PIL.Image
 import skimage
-from plotly.utils import ImageUriValidator
 
 
 def gen_random_id(n=6):
     return "".join(random.choice("abcdefghijklmnopqrtsuvwxyz") for i in range(n))
 
 
-def img_array_to_uri(img_array):
+def img_array_to_uri(img_array, new_size=None):
     img_array = skimage.util.img_as_ubyte(img_array)
     # todo: leverage this Plotly util once it becomes part of the public API (also drops the Pillow dependency)
     # from plotly.express._imshow import _array_to_b64str
     # return _array_to_b64str(img_array)
     img_pil = PIL.Image.fromarray(img_array)
-    uri = ImageUriValidator.pil_image_to_uri(img_pil)
-    return uri
+    if new_size:
+        img_pil.thumbnail(new_size)
+    # The below was taken from plotly.utils.ImageUriValidator.pil_image_to_uri()
+    f = io.BytesIO()
+    img_pil.save(f, format="PNG")
+    base64_str = base64.b64encode(f.getvalue()).decode()
+    return "data:image/png;base64," + base64_str