diff --git a/extensions/wikia/Recirculation/RailContentService.php b/extensions/wikia/Recirculation/RailContentService.php
index e90afdb47e71..66251861f4c2 100644
--- a/extensions/wikia/Recirculation/RailContentService.php
+++ b/extensions/wikia/Recirculation/RailContentService.php
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ public function renderRailModule() {
 			try {
 				$articles[$pageId]['thumbnail'] =
 					VignetteRequest::fromUrl( $article['thumbnail'] )
-						->zoomCrop()
+						->smart()
 						->width( static::RAIL_THUMBNAIL_WIDTH )
 						->height( static::RAIL_THUMBNAIL_HEIGHT )
 						->url();
diff --git a/extensions/wikia/Recirculation/js/recirculation.js b/extensions/wikia/Recirculation/js/recirculation.js
index 4e7cf4579552..1636eb443437 100644
--- a/extensions/wikia/Recirculation/js/recirculation.js
+++ b/extensions/wikia/Recirculation/js/recirculation.js
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ require([
 
 					if (sponsoredItem.thumbnailUrl && window.Vignette) {
 						sponsoredItem.thumbnailUrl = window.Vignette.getThumbURL(sponsoredItem.thumbnailUrl, {
-							mode: window.Vignette.mode.zoomCrop,
+							mode: window.Vignette.mode.smart,
 							height: 53,
 							width: 53
 						});
diff --git a/lib/Wikia/src/Vignette/UrlGenerator.php b/lib/Wikia/src/Vignette/UrlGenerator.php
index dc9cc997cba6..0a6e92c25d66 100644
--- a/lib/Wikia/src/Vignette/UrlGenerator.php
+++ b/lib/Wikia/src/Vignette/UrlGenerator.php
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ class UrlGenerator {
 	const MODE_WINDOW_CROP_FIXED = 'window-crop-fixed';
 	const MODE_ZOOM_CROP = 'zoom-crop';
 	const MODE_ZOOM_CROP_DOWN = 'zoom-crop-down';
+	const MODE_SMART = 'smart';
+
 
 	const IMAGE_TYPE_AVATAR = 'avatars';
 	const IMAGE_TYPE_IMAGES = 'images';
@@ -243,6 +245,10 @@ public function windowCropFixed() {
 		return $this->mode(self::MODE_WINDOW_CROP_FIXED);
 	}
 
+	public function smart() {
+		return $this->mode( self::MODE_SMART );
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Force the thumbnail request to replace the cached thumbnail.
 	 *
diff --git a/resources/wikia/libraries/vignette/vignette.js b/resources/wikia/libraries/vignette/vignette.js
index 1202bfe28af5..25309c6edfd7 100644
--- a/resources/wikia/libraries/vignette/vignette.js
+++ b/resources/wikia/libraries/vignette/vignette.js
@@ -291,6 +291,7 @@ var Vignette = (function () {
 		fixedAspectRatio: 'fixed-aspect-ratio',
 		fixedAspectRatioDown: 'fixed-aspect-ratio-down',
 		scaleToWidth: 'scale-to-width',
+		smart: 'smart',
 		thumbnail: 'thumbnail',
 		thumbnailDown: 'thumbnail-down',
 		topCrop: 'top-crop',