diff --git a/app/components/file_attachment_list/__snapshots__/file_attachment_list.test.js.snap b/app/components/file_attachment_list/__snapshots__/file_attachment_list.test.js.snap
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f943040a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/components/file_attachment_list/__snapshots__/file_attachment_list.test.js.snap
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+// Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
+
+exports[`PostAttachmentOpenGraph should match snapshot with a single image file 1`] = `
+<ScrollView
+  horizontal={true}
+  scrollEnabled={false}
+  style={
+    Array [
+      undefined,
+    ]
+  }
+>
+  <FileAttachment
+    canDownloadFiles={true}
+    deviceWidth={660}
+    file={
+      Object {
+        "caption": "image.png",
+        "data": Object {
+          "create_at": 1546893090093,
+          "delete_at": 0,
+          "extension": "png",
+          "has_preview_image": true,
+          "height": 171,
+          "id": "fileId",
+          "mime_type": "image/png",
+          "name": "image.png",
+          "post_id": "postId",
+          "size": 14894,
+          "update_at": 1546893090093,
+          "user_id": "userId",
+          "width": 425,
+        },
+      }
+    }
+    id="fileId"
+    index={0}
+    onCaptureRef={[Function]}
+    onPreviewPress={[Function]}
+    theme={
+      Object {
+        "awayIndicator": "#ffbc42",
+        "buttonBg": "#166de0",
+        "buttonColor": "#ffffff",
+        "centerChannelBg": "#ffffff",
+        "centerChannelColor": "#3d3c40",
+        "codeTheme": "github",
+        "dndIndicator": "#f74343",
+        "errorTextColor": "#fd5960",
+        "linkColor": "#2389d7",
+        "mentionBj": "#ffffff",
+        "mentionColor": "#145dbf",
+        "mentionHighlightBg": "#ffe577",
+        "mentionHighlightLink": "#166de0",
+        "newMessageSeparator": "#ff8800",
+        "onlineIndicator": "#06d6a0",
+        "sidebarBg": "#145dbf",
+        "sidebarHeaderBg": "#1153ab",
+        "sidebarHeaderTextColor": "#ffffff",
+        "sidebarText": "#ffffff",
+        "sidebarTextActiveBorder": "#579eff",
+        "sidebarTextActiveColor": "#ffffff",
+        "sidebarTextHoverBg": "#4578bf",
+        "sidebarUnreadText": "#ffffff",
+        "type": "Mattermost",
+      }
+    }
+  />
+</ScrollView>
+`;
diff --git a/app/components/file_attachment_list/file_attachment_list.js b/app/components/file_attachment_list/file_attachment_list.js
index 5b6117a97..c8a129330 100644
--- a/app/components/file_attachment_list/file_attachment_list.js
+++ b/app/components/file_attachment_list/file_attachment_list.js
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import {
 } from 'react-native';
 
 import {Client4} from 'mattermost-redux/client';
-import {RequestStatus} from 'mattermost-redux/constants';
 
 import {isDocument, isGif, isVideo} from 'app/utils/file';
 import {getCacheFile} from 'app/utils/image_cache_manager';
@@ -33,7 +32,10 @@ export default class FileAttachmentList extends Component {
         onLongPress: PropTypes.func,
         postId: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
         theme: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
-        filesForPostRequest: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
+    };
+
+    static defaultProps = {
+        files: [],
     };
 
     constructor(props) {
@@ -42,15 +44,19 @@ export default class FileAttachmentList extends Component {
         this.items = [];
         this.previewItems = [];
 
+        this.state = {
+            loadingFiles: props.files.length === 0,
+        };
+
         this.buildGalleryFiles(props).then((results) => {
             this.galleryFiles = results;
         });
     }
 
     componentDidMount() {
-        const {files, postId} = this.props;
-        if (!files || !files.length) {
-            this.props.actions.loadFilesForPostIfNecessary(postId);
+        const {files} = this.props;
+        if (files.length === 0) {
+            this.loadFilesForPost();
         }
     }
 
@@ -60,15 +66,19 @@ export default class FileAttachmentList extends Component {
                 this.galleryFiles = results;
             });
         }
+        if (!this.state.loadingFiles && nextProps.files.length === 0) {
+            this.setState({
+                loadingFiles: true,
+            });
+            this.loadFilesForPost();
+        }
     }
 
-    componentDidUpdate() {
-        const {fileIds, files, filesForPostRequest, postId} = this.props;
-
-        // Fixes an issue where files weren't loading with optimistic post
-        if (!files.length && fileIds.length > 0 && filesForPostRequest.status !== RequestStatus.STARTED) {
-            this.props.actions.loadFilesForPostIfNecessary(postId);
-        }
+    loadFilesForPost = async () => {
+        await this.props.actions.loadFilesForPostIfNecessary(this.props.postId);
+        this.setState({
+            loadingFiles: false,
+        });
     }
 
     buildGalleryFiles = async (props) => {
diff --git a/app/components/file_attachment_list/file_attachment_list.test.js b/app/components/file_attachment_list/file_attachment_list.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..245e0bac1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/components/file_attachment_list/file_attachment_list.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2015-present Mattermost, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+// See LICENSE.txt for license information.
+import React from 'react';
+import {shallow} from 'enzyme';
+
+import FileAttachment from './file_attachment_list.js';
+import Preferences from 'mattermost-redux/constants/preferences';
+
+jest.mock('react-native-doc-viewer', () => ({
+    openDoc: jest.fn(),
+}));
+
+describe('PostAttachmentOpenGraph', () => {
+    const loadFilesForPostIfNecessary = jest.fn().mockImplementationOnce(() => Promise.resolve({data: {}}));
+
+    const baseProps = {
+        actions: {
+            loadFilesForPostIfNecessary,
+        },
+        canDownloadFiles: true,
+        deviceHeight: 680,
+        deviceWidth: 660,
+        fileIds: ['fileId'],
+        files: [{
+            create_at: 1546893090093,
+            delete_at: 0,
+            extension: 'png',
+            has_preview_image: true,
+            height: 171,
+            id: 'fileId',
+            mime_type: 'image/png',
+            name: 'image.png',
+            post_id: 'postId',
+            size: 14894,
+            update_at: 1546893090093,
+            user_id: 'userId',
+            width: 425,
+        }],
+        postId: 'postId',
+        theme: Preferences.THEMES.default,
+    };
+
+    test('should match snapshot with a single image file', () => {
+        const wrapper = shallow(
+            <FileAttachment {...baseProps}/>
+        );
+
+        expect(wrapper.getElement()).toMatchSnapshot();
+    });
+
+    test('should call loadFilesForPostIfNecessary when files does not exist', async () => {
+        const props = {
+            ...baseProps,
+            files: undefined,
+        };
+
+        const wrapper = shallow(
+            <FileAttachment {...props}/>
+        );
+        expect(wrapper.state('loadingFiles')).toBe(true);
+        expect(props.actions.loadFilesForPostIfNecessary).toHaveBeenCalledWith(props.postId);
+        await loadFilesForPostIfNecessary();
+        wrapper.setProps({files: baseProps.files});
+        expect(wrapper.state('loadingFiles')).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    test('should call loadFilesForPostIfNecessary on componentUpdate and when files does not exist', async () => {
+        const loadFilesForPostIfNecessaryMock = jest.fn().mockImplementationOnce(() => Promise.resolve({data: {}}));
+        const props = {
+            ...baseProps,
+            files: [],
+            actions: {
+                loadFilesForPostIfNecessary: loadFilesForPostIfNecessaryMock,
+            },
+        };
+
+        const wrapper = shallow(
+            <FileAttachment {...props}/>
+        );
+        expect(wrapper.state('loadingFiles')).toBe(true);
+        expect(props.actions.loadFilesForPostIfNecessary).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        expect(props.actions.loadFilesForPostIfNecessary).toHaveBeenCalledWith(props.postId);
+        await loadFilesForPostIfNecessaryMock();
+        expect(props.actions.loadFilesForPostIfNecessary).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+        expect(props.actions.loadFilesForPostIfNecessary).toHaveBeenCalledWith(props.postId);
+        await loadFilesForPostIfNecessaryMock();
+        wrapper.setProps({files: baseProps.files});
+        expect(wrapper.state('loadingFiles')).toBe(false);
+    });
+});
diff --git a/app/components/file_attachment_list/index.js b/app/components/file_attachment_list/index.js
index 8e055bad9..2230cd5df 100644
--- a/app/components/file_attachment_list/index.js
+++ b/app/components/file_attachment_list/index.js
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ function makeMapStateToProps() {
             canDownloadFiles: canDownloadFilesOnMobile(state),
             files: getFilesForPost(state, ownProps.postId),
             theme: getTheme(state),
-            filesForPostRequest: state.requests.files.getFilesForPost,
         };
     };
 }