diff --git a/includes/abstracts/abstract-wc-product.php b/includes/abstracts/abstract-wc-product.php
index 0713609b25b..0bdd4c0b775 100644
--- a/includes/abstracts/abstract-wc-product.php
+++ b/includes/abstracts/abstract-wc-product.php
@@ -1347,6 +1347,21 @@ class WC_Product {
 		) );
 	}
 
+    /**
+     * Gets the main product image ID.
+     * @return int
+     */
+    public function get_image_id() {
+    	if ( has_post_thumbnail( $this->id ) ) {
+			$image_id = get_post_thumbnail_id( $this->id );
+		} elseif ( ( $parent_id = wp_get_post_parent_id( $this->id ) ) && has_post_thumbnail( $parent_id ) ) {
+			$image_id = get_post_thumbnail_id( $parent_id );
+		} else {
+			$image_id = 0;
+		}
+		return $image_id;
+    }
+
 	/**
 	 * Returns the main product image
 	 *
diff --git a/includes/class-wc-product-variation.php b/includes/class-wc-product-variation.php
index d3eafa83984..28da811cc5b 100644
--- a/includes/class-wc-product-variation.php
+++ b/includes/class-wc-product-variation.php
@@ -321,6 +321,23 @@ class WC_Product_Variation extends WC_Product {
 		return apply_filters( 'woocommerce_get_variation_price_html', $price, $this );
 	}
 
+    /**
+     * Gets the main product image ID.
+     * @return int
+     */
+    public function get_image_id() {
+    	if ( $this->variation_id && has_post_thumbnail( $this->variation_id ) ) {
+			$image_id = get_post_thumbnail_id( $this->variation_id );
+		} elseif ( has_post_thumbnail( $this->id ) ) {
+			$image_id = get_post_thumbnail_id( $this->id );
+		} elseif ( ( $parent_id = wp_get_post_parent_id( $this->id ) ) && has_post_thumbnail( $parent_id ) ) {
+			$image_id = get_post_thumbnail_id( $parent_id );
+		} else {
+			$image_id = 0;
+		}
+		return $image_id;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Gets the main product image.
      *
@@ -329,10 +346,6 @@ class WC_Product_Variation extends WC_Product {
      * @return string
      */
     public function get_image( $size = 'shop_thumbnail', $attr = array() ) {
-    	global $woocommerce;
-
-    	$image = '';
-
     	if ( $this->variation_id && has_post_thumbnail( $this->variation_id ) ) {
 			$image = get_the_post_thumbnail( $this->variation_id, $size, $attr );
 		} elseif ( has_post_thumbnail( $this->id ) ) {
diff --git a/templates/emails/email-order-items.php b/templates/emails/email-order-items.php
index 82fa567a50a..b05f66a09ad 100644
--- a/templates/emails/email-order-items.php
+++ b/templates/emails/email-order-items.php
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ foreach ( $items as $item ) :
 
 			// Show title/image etc
 			if ( $show_image ) {
-				echo apply_filters( 'woocommerce_order_item_thumbnail', '<img src="' . current( wp_get_attachment_image_src( get_post_thumbnail_id( $_product->id ), 'thumbnail') ) .'" alt="' . __( 'Product Image', 'woocommerce' ) . '" height="' . esc_attr( $image_size[1] ) . '" width="' . esc_attr( $image_size[0] ) . '" style="vertical-align:middle; margin-right: 10px;" />', $item );
+				echo apply_filters( 'woocommerce_order_item_thumbnail', '<img src="' . ( $_product->get_image_id() ? current( wp_get_attachment_image_src( $_product->get_image_id(), 'thumbnail') ) : wc_placeholder_img_src() ) .'" alt="' . __( 'Product Image', 'woocommerce' ) . '" height="' . esc_attr( $image_size[1] ) . '" width="' . esc_attr( $image_size[0] ) . '" style="vertical-align:middle; margin-right: 10px;" />', $item );
 			}
 
 			// Product name