diff --git a/tests/Jellyfin.Providers.Tests/Manager/ItemImageProviderTests.cs b/tests/Jellyfin.Providers.Tests/Manager/ItemImageProviderTests.cs
index 9aa9e2c32..af273390b 100644
--- a/tests/Jellyfin.Providers.Tests/Manager/ItemImageProviderTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Jellyfin.Providers.Tests/Manager/ItemImageProviderTests.cs
@@ -41,10 +41,7 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Providers.Tests.Manager
         [Fact]
         public void ValidateImages_EmptyItemEmptyProviders_NoChange()
         {
-            var itemImageProvider = GetItemImageProvider(null, null);
-            var changed = itemImageProvider.ValidateImages(new Video(), Enumerable.Empty<ILocalImageProvider>(), null);
-
-            Assert.False(changed);
+            ValidateImages_Test(ImageType.Primary, 0, true, 0, false, 0);
         }
 
         private static TheoryData<ImageType, int> GetImageTypesWithCount()
@@ -53,7 +50,6 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Providers.Tests.Manager
             {
                 // minimal test cases that hit different handling
                 { ImageType.Primary, 1 },
-                { ImageType.Backdrop, 1 },
                 { ImageType.Backdrop, 2 }
             };
 
@@ -64,43 +60,34 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Providers.Tests.Manager
         [MemberData(nameof(GetImageTypesWithCount))]
         public void ValidateImages_EmptyItemAndPopulatedProviders_AddsImages(ImageType imageType, int imageCount)
         {
-            // Has to exist for querying DateModified time on file, results stored but not checked so not populating
-            BaseItem.FileSystem = Mock.Of<IFileSystem>();
-
-            var item = new Video();
-            var imageProvider = GetImageProvider(imageType, imageCount, true);
-
-            var itemImageProvider = GetItemImageProvider(null, null);
-            var changed = itemImageProvider.ValidateImages(item, new[] { imageProvider }, null);
-
-            Assert.True(changed);
-            Assert.Equal(imageCount, item.GetImages(imageType).Count());
+            ValidateImages_Test(imageType, 0, true, imageCount, true, imageCount);
         }
 
         [Theory]
         [MemberData(nameof(GetImageTypesWithCount))]
         public void ValidateImages_PopulatedItemWithGoodPathsAndEmptyProviders_NoChange(ImageType imageType, int imageCount)
         {
-            var item = GetItemWithImages(imageType, imageCount, true);
-
-            var itemImageProvider = GetItemImageProvider(null, null);
-            var changed = itemImageProvider.ValidateImages(item, Enumerable.Empty<ILocalImageProvider>(), null);
-
-            Assert.False(changed);
-            Assert.Equal(imageCount, item.GetImages(imageType).Count());
+            ValidateImages_Test(imageType, imageCount, true, 0, false, imageCount);
         }
 
         [Theory]
         [MemberData(nameof(GetImageTypesWithCount))]
         public void ValidateImages_PopulatedItemWithBadPathsAndEmptyProviders_RemovesImage(ImageType imageType, int imageCount)
         {
-            var item = GetItemWithImages(imageType, imageCount, false);
+            ValidateImages_Test(imageType, imageCount, false, 0, true, 0);
+        }
+
+        private void ValidateImages_Test(ImageType imageType, int initialImageCount, bool initialPathsValid, int providerImageCount, bool expectedChange, int expectedImageCount)
+        {
+            var item = GetItemWithImages(imageType, initialImageCount, initialPathsValid);
+
+            var imageProvider = GetImageProvider(imageType, providerImageCount, true);
 
             var itemImageProvider = GetItemImageProvider(null, null);
-            var changed = itemImageProvider.ValidateImages(item, Enumerable.Empty<ILocalImageProvider>(), null);
+            var actualChange = itemImageProvider.ValidateImages(item, new[] { imageProvider }, null);
 
-            Assert.True(changed);
-            Assert.Empty(item.GetImages(imageType));
+            Assert.Equal(expectedChange, actualChange);
+            Assert.Equal(expectedImageCount, item.GetImages(imageType).Count());
         }
 
         [Fact]
@@ -137,41 +124,14 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Providers.Tests.Manager
         }
 
         [Theory]
-        [MemberData(nameof(GetImageTypesWithCount))]
-        public void MergeImages_PopulatedItemWithGoodPathsAndSameNewImages_NoChange(ImageType imageType, int imageCount)
+        [InlineData(ImageType.Primary, 1, false)]
+        [InlineData(ImageType.Backdrop, 2, false)]
+        [InlineData(ImageType.Primary, 1, true)]
+        [InlineData(ImageType.Backdrop, 2, true)]
+        public void MergeImages_PopulatedItemWithGoodPathsAndSameNewImages_ResetIfTimeChanges(ImageType imageType, int imageCount, bool updateTime)
         {
             var oldTime = new DateTime(1970, 1, 1);
-
-            // match update time with time added to item images (unix epoch)
-            var fileSystem = new Mock<IFileSystem>();
-            fileSystem.Setup(fs => fs.GetLastWriteTimeUtc(It.IsAny<FileSystemMetadata>()))
-                .Returns(oldTime);
-            BaseItem.FileSystem = fileSystem.Object;
-
-            // all valid paths - matching for strictly updating
-            var item = GetItemWithImages(imageType, imageCount, true);
-            // set size to non-zero to allow for updates to occur
-            foreach (var image in item.GetImages(imageType))
-            {
-                image.DateModified = oldTime;
-                image.Height = 1;
-                image.Width = 1;
-            }
-
-            var images = GetImages(imageType, imageCount, true);
-
-            var itemImageProvider = GetItemImageProvider(null, fileSystem);
-            var changed = itemImageProvider.MergeImages(item, images);
-
-            Assert.False(changed);
-        }
-
-        [Theory]
-        [MemberData(nameof(GetImageTypesWithCount))]
-        public void MergeImages_PopulatedItemWithGoodPathsAndSameNewImagesWithNewTimestamps_ResetsImageSizes(ImageType imageType, int imageCount)
-        {
-            var oldTime = new DateTime(1970, 1, 1);
-            var updatedTime = new DateTime(2021, 1, 1);
+            var updatedTime = updateTime ? new DateTime(2021, 1, 1) : oldTime;
 
             var fileSystem = new Mock<IFileSystem>();
             fileSystem.Setup(fs => fs.GetLastWriteTimeUtc(It.IsAny<FileSystemMetadata>()))
@@ -193,14 +153,21 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Providers.Tests.Manager
             var itemImageProvider = GetItemImageProvider(null, fileSystem);
             var changed = itemImageProvider.MergeImages(item, images);
 
-            Assert.True(changed);
-            // before and after paths are the same, verify updated by size reset to 0
-            Assert.Equal(imageCount, item.GetImages(imageType).Count());
-            foreach (var image in item.GetImages(imageType))
+            if (updateTime)
             {
-                Assert.Equal(updatedTime, image.DateModified);
-                Assert.Equal(0, image.Height);
-                Assert.Equal(0, image.Width);
+                Assert.True(changed);
+                // before and after paths are the same, verify updated by size reset to 0
+                Assert.Equal(imageCount, item.GetImages(imageType).Count());
+                foreach (var image in item.GetImages(imageType))
+                {
+                    Assert.Equal(updatedTime, image.DateModified);
+                    Assert.Equal(0, image.Height);
+                    Assert.Equal(0, image.Width);
+                }
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                Assert.False(changed);
             }
         }