diff --git a/pillar/api/file_storage/__init__.py b/pillar/api/file_storage/__init__.py
index 30c8f40c..13457afe 100644
--- a/pillar/api/file_storage/__init__.py
+++ b/pillar/api/file_storage/__init__.py
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ def process_file(bucket: Bucket,
                     file_id, status, r)
 
 
-def generate_link(backend, file_path: str, project_id=None, is_public=False) -> str:
+def generate_link(backend, file_path: str, project_id: str=None, is_public=False) -> str:
     """Hook to check the backend of a file resource, to build an appropriate link
     that can be used by the client to retrieve the actual file.
     """
diff --git a/pillar/celery/search_index_tasks.py b/pillar/celery/search_index_tasks.py
index 09370b4c..d0d838df 100644
--- a/pillar/celery/search_index_tasks.py
+++ b/pillar/celery/search_index_tasks.py
@@ -29,21 +29,25 @@ def _get_node_from_id(node_id: str):
 
 
 def _handle_picture(node: dict, to_index: dict):
-    """
-    add picture fields to be indexed
-    """
+    """Add picture URL in-place to the to-be-indexed node."""
 
-    if not node.get('picture'):
+    picture_id = node.get('picture')
+    if not picture_id:
         return
 
     files_collection = current_app.data.driver.db['files']
-    lookup = {'_id': ObjectId(node['picture'])}
+    lookup = {'_id': ObjectId(picture_id)}
     picture = files_collection.find_one(lookup)
 
     for item in picture.get('variations', []):
         if item['size'] != 't':
             continue
-        to_index['picture'] = item['link']
+
+        link = generate_link(picture['backend'],
+                             item['file_path'],
+                             str(picture['project']),
+                             is_public=True)
+        to_index['picture'] = link
         break
 
 
diff --git a/pillar/cli/elastic.py b/pillar/cli/elastic.py
index b7237b2c..106d99fa 100644
--- a/pillar/cli/elastic.py
+++ b/pillar/cli/elastic.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ name_to_task = {
     'nodes': index.ResetNodeIndex,
     'users': index.ResetUserIndex,
 }
-REINDEX_THREAD_COUNT = 3
+REINDEX_THREAD_COUNT = 5
 
 
 @manager_elastic.option('indices', nargs='*')