diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 5de00cf16..0515b3d5a 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -4,13 +4,14 @@ go 1.19
 
 require (
 	github.com/ALTree/bigfloat v0.0.0-20220102081255-38c8b72a9924
+	github.com/disintegration/imaging v1.6.2
 	github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.8
 	github.com/google/uuid v1.3.0
 	github.com/jamesruan/go-rfc1924 v0.0.0-20170108144916-2767ca7c638f
 	github.com/seancfoley/ipaddress-go v1.2.1
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20220924013350-4ba4fb4dd9e7
 	golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20220921164117-439092de6870
-	golang.org/x/image v0.0.0-20220902085622-e7cb96979f69
+	golang.org/x/image v0.2.0
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220919091848-fb04ddd9f9c8
 )
 
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 526c5e2d7..9a5160664 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 github.com/ALTree/bigfloat v0.0.0-20220102081255-38c8b72a9924 h1:DG4UyTVIujioxwJc8Zj8Nabz1L1wTgQ/xNBSQDfdP3I=
 github.com/ALTree/bigfloat v0.0.0-20220102081255-38c8b72a9924/go.mod h1:+NaH2gLeY6RPBPPQf4aRotPPStg+eXc8f9ZaE4vRfD4=
+github.com/disintegration/imaging v1.6.2 h1:w1LecBlG2Lnp8B3jk5zSuNqd7b4DXhcjwek1ei82L+c=
+github.com/disintegration/imaging v1.6.2/go.mod h1:44/5580QXChDfwIclfc/PCwrr44amcmDAg8hxG0Ewe4=
 github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.8 h1:e6P7q2lk1O+qJJb4BtCQXlK8vWEO8V1ZeuEdJNOqZyg=
 github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.8/go.mod h1:17dUlkBOakJ0+DkrSSNjCkIjxS6bF9zb3elmeNGIjoY=
 github.com/google/uuid v1.3.0 h1:t6JiXgmwXMjEs8VusXIJk2BXHsn+wx8BZdTaoZ5fu7I=
@@ -10,13 +12,36 @@ github.com/seancfoley/bintree v1.1.0 h1:6J0rj9hLNLIcWSsfYdZ4ZHkMHokaK/PHkak8qyBO
 github.com/seancfoley/bintree v1.1.0/go.mod h1:CtE6qO6/n9H3V2CAGEC0lpaYr6/OijhNaMG/dt7P70c=
 github.com/seancfoley/ipaddress-go v1.2.1 h1:yEZxnyC6NQEDDPflyQm4KkWozffx1vHWsx+knKBr/n0=
 github.com/seancfoley/ipaddress-go v1.2.1/go.mod h1:/UEVHyrBg1ASVap2ffdY2cq5UMYIX9f3QW3uWSVqpbo=
+github.com/yuin/goldmark v1.4.13/go.mod h1:6yULJ656Px+3vBD8DxQVa3kxgyrAnzto9xy5taEt/CY=
+golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20190308221718-c2843e01d9a2/go.mod h1:djNgcEr1/C05ACkg1iLfiJU5Ep61QUkGW8qpdssI0+w=
+golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20210921155107-089bfa567519/go.mod h1:GvvjBRRGRdwPK5ydBHafDWAxML/pGHZbMvKqRZ5+Abc=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20220924013350-4ba4fb4dd9e7 h1:WJywXQVIb56P2kAvXeMGTIgQ1ZHQxR60+F9dLsodECc=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20220924013350-4ba4fb4dd9e7/go.mod h1:IxCIyHEi3zRg3s0A5j5BB6A9Jmi73HwBIUl50j+osU4=
 golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20220921164117-439092de6870 h1:j8b6j9gzSigH28O5SjSpQSSh9lFd6f5D/q0aHjNTulc=
 golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20220921164117-439092de6870/go.mod h1:cyybsKvd6eL0RnXn6p/Grxp8F5bW7iYuBgsNCOHpMYE=
-golang.org/x/image v0.0.0-20220902085622-e7cb96979f69 h1:Lj6HJGCSn5AjxRAH2+r35Mir4icalbqku+CLUtjnvXY=
-golang.org/x/image v0.0.0-20220902085622-e7cb96979f69/go.mod h1:doUCurBvlfPMKfmIpRIywoHmhN3VyhnoFDbvIEWF4hY=
+golang.org/x/image v0.0.0-20191009234506-e7c1f5e7dbb8/go.mod h1:FeLwcggjj3mMvU+oOTbSwawSJRM1uh48EjtB4UJZlP0=
+golang.org/x/image v0.2.0 h1:/DcQ0w3VHKCC5p0/P2B0JpAZ9Z++V2KOo2fyU89CXBQ=
+golang.org/x/image v0.2.0/go.mod h1:la7oBXb9w3YFjBqaAwtynVioc1ZvOnNteUNrifGNmAI=
+golang.org/x/mod v0.6.0-dev.0.20220419223038-86c51ed26bb4/go.mod h1:jJ57K6gSWd91VN4djpZkiMVwK6gcyfeH4XE8wZrZaV4=
+golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20190620200207-3b0461eec859/go.mod h1:z5CRVTTTmAJ677TzLLGU+0bjPO0LkuOLi4/5GtJWs/s=
+golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20210226172049-e18ecbb05110/go.mod h1:m0MpNAwzfU5UDzcl9v0D8zg8gWTRqZa9RBIspLL5mdg=
+golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20220722155237-a158d28d115b/go.mod h1:XRhObCWvk6IyKnWLug+ECip1KBveYUHfp+8e9klMJ9c=
+golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20190423024810-112230192c58/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
+golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20220722155255-886fb9371eb4/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190215142949-d0b11bdaac8a/go.mod h1:STP8DvDyc/dI5b8T5hshtkjS+E42TnysNCUPdjciGhY=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20201119102817-f84b799fce68/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20210615035016-665e8c7367d1/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220520151302-bc2c85ada10a/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220722155257-8c9f86f7a55f/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220919091848-fb04ddd9f9c8 h1:h+EGohizhe9XlX18rfpa8k8RAc5XyaeamM+0VHRd4lc=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220919091848-fb04ddd9f9c8/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
+golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20201126162022-7de9c90e9dd1/go.mod h1:bj7SfCRtBDWHUb9snDiAeCFNEtKQo2Wmx5Cou7ajbmo=
+golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20210927222741-03fcf44c2211/go.mod h1:jbD1KX2456YbFQfuXm/mYQcufACuNUgVhRMnK/tPxf8=
+golang.org/x/text v0.3.0/go.mod h1:NqM8EUOU14njkJ3fqMW+pc6Ldnwhi/IjpwHt7yyuwOQ=
+golang.org/x/text v0.3.3/go.mod h1:5Zoc/QRtKVWzQhOtBMvqHzDpF6irO9z98xDceosuGiQ=
 golang.org/x/text v0.3.7/go.mod h1:u+2+/6zg+i71rQMx5EYifcz6MCKuco9NR6JIITiCfzQ=
+golang.org/x/text v0.5.0/go.mod h1:mrYo+phRRbMaCq/xk9113O4dZlRixOauAjOtrjsXDZ8=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20180917221912-90fa682c2a6e/go.mod h1:n7NCudcB/nEzxVGmLbDWY5pfWTLqBcC2KZ6jyYvM4mQ=
+golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20191119224855-298f0cb1881e/go.mod h1:b+2E5dAYhXwXZwtnZ6UAqBI28+e2cm9otk0dWdXHAEo=
+golang.org/x/tools v0.1.12/go.mod h1:hNGJHUnrk76NpqgfD5Aqm5Crs+Hm0VOH/i9J2+nxYbc=
+golang.org/x/xerrors v0.0.0-20190717185122-a985d3407aa7/go.mod h1:I/5z698sn9Ka8TeJc9MKroUUfqBBauWjQqLJ2OPfmY0=
diff --git a/tools/cmd/icat/main.go b/tools/cmd/icat/main.go
index 4d36ebb05..50b0272c9 100644
--- a/tools/cmd/icat/main.go
+++ b/tools/cmd/icat/main.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package icat
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"image/color"
 	"os"
 	"runtime"
 	"strconv"
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ var opts *Options
 var lp *loop.Loop
 var place *Place
 var z_index int32
-var remove_alpha *style.RGBA
+var remove_alpha *color.NRGBA
 var flip, flop bool
 
 type transfer_mode int
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ func parse_background() (err error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Invalid value for --background: %w", err)
 	}
-	remove_alpha = &col
+	remove_alpha = &color.NRGBA{col.Red, col.Green, col.Blue, 255}
 	return
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/cmd/icat/native.go b/tools/cmd/icat/native.go
index fecec2348..433149e08 100644
--- a/tools/cmd/icat/native.go
+++ b/tools/cmd/icat/native.go
@@ -5,28 +5,73 @@ package icat
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"image"
+	"kitty/tools/utils"
+	"kitty/tools/utils/shm"
 
-	"golang.org/x/image/draw"
+	"github.com/disintegration/imaging"
 )
 
 var _ = fmt.Print
 
+func add_frame(imgd *image_data, img image.Image) {
+	if flip {
+		img = imaging.FlipV(img)
+	}
+	if flop {
+		img = imaging.FlipH(img)
+	}
+	b := img.Bounds()
+	f := image_frame{width: b.Dx(), height: b.Dy()}
+	has_non_black_background := remove_alpha != nil && (remove_alpha.R != 0 || remove_alpha.G != 0 || remove_alpha.B != 0)
+	var rgba *image.NRGBA
+	m, err := shm.CreateTemp("icat-*", uint64(f.width*f.height*4))
+	if err != nil {
+		if has_non_black_background {
+			rgba = imaging.New(b.Dx(), b.Dy(), remove_alpha)
+		} else {
+			rgba = image.NewNRGBA(image.Rect(0, 0, f.width, f.height))
+		}
+	} else {
+		rgba = &image.NRGBA{
+			Pix:    m.Slice(),
+			Stride: 4 * f.width,
+			Rect:   image.Rect(0, 0, f.width, f.height),
+		}
+		f.shm = m
+		if has_non_black_background {
+			utils.Memset(m.Slice(), remove_alpha.R, remove_alpha.G, remove_alpha.B, remove_alpha.A)
+		} else {
+			utils.Memset(m.Slice())
+		}
+	}
+	imaging.PasteCenter(rgba, img)
+	imgd.format_uppercase = "RGBA"
+	f.in_memory_bytes = rgba.Pix
+	imgd.frames = append(imgd.frames, &f)
+}
+
+func load_one_frame_image(imgd *image_data, src *opened_input) (image.Image, error) {
+	img, err := imaging.Decode(src.file, imaging.AutoOrientation(true))
+	src.Rewind()
+	if err == nil {
+		// reset the sizes as we read EXIF tags here which could have rotated the image
+		imgd.canvas_width = img.Bounds().Dx()
+		imgd.canvas_height = img.Bounds().Dy()
+		set_basic_metadata(imgd)
+	}
+	return img, err
+}
+
 func render_image_with_go(imgd *image_data, src *opened_input) (err error) {
 	switch imgd.format_uppercase {
 	case "GIF":
 		return fmt.Errorf("TODO: implement GIF decoding")
 	default:
-		img, _, err := image.Decode(src.file)
+		img, err := load_one_frame_image(imgd, src)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		b := img.Bounds()
-		rgba := image.NewNRGBA(image.Rect(0, 0, b.Dx(), b.Dy()))
-		draw.Draw(rgba, rgba.Bounds(), img, b.Min, draw.Src)
-		imgd.format_uppercase = "RGBA"
-		f := image_frame{width: b.Dx(), height: b.Dy()}
-		f.in_memory_bytes = rgba.Pix
-		imgd.frames = append(imgd.frames, &f)
+		add_frame(imgd, img)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/tools/cmd/icat/process_images.go b/tools/cmd/icat/process_images.go
index 40e752df2..c7030b2ea 100644
--- a/tools/cmd/icat/process_images.go
+++ b/tools/cmd/icat/process_images.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 
 	"kitty/tools/tty"
 	"kitty/tools/utils"
+	"kitty/tools/utils/shm"
 )
 
 var _ = fmt.Print
@@ -137,6 +138,7 @@ func (self *opened_input) Release() {
 
 type image_frame struct {
 	filename              string
+	shm                   shm.MMap
 	in_memory_bytes       []byte
 	filename_is_temporary bool
 	width, height         int
@@ -156,15 +158,16 @@ type image_data struct {
 }
 
 func set_basic_metadata(imgd *image_data) {
-	imgd.frames = make([]*image_frame, 0, 32)
+	if imgd.frames == nil {
+		imgd.frames = make([]*image_frame, 0, 32)
+	}
 	imgd.available_width = int(screen_size.WidthPx)
 	imgd.available_height = 10 * imgd.canvas_height
 	if place != nil {
 		imgd.available_width = place.width * int(screen_size.CellWidth)
 		imgd.available_height = place.height * int(screen_size.CellHeight)
 	}
-	imgd.needs_scaling = imgd.canvas_width > imgd.available_width || imgd.canvas_height > imgd.available_height
-	imgd.needs_scaling = imgd.needs_scaling || opts.ScaleUp
+	imgd.needs_scaling = imgd.canvas_width > imgd.available_width || imgd.canvas_height > imgd.available_height || opts.ScaleUp
 	imgd.needs_conversion = imgd.needs_scaling || remove_alpha != nil || flip || flop || imgd.format_uppercase != "PNG"
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/cmd/icat/transmit.go b/tools/cmd/icat/transmit.go
index c6e0b3132..30490109e 100644
--- a/tools/cmd/icat/transmit.go
+++ b/tools/cmd/icat/transmit.go
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ func transmit_shm(imgd *image_data, frame_num int, frame *image_frame) (err erro
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to create a SHM file for transmission: %w", err)
 		}
-		defer mmap.Close()
 		dest := mmap.Slice()
 		for len(dest) > 0 {
 			n, err := f.Read(dest)
@@ -69,18 +68,23 @@ func transmit_shm(imgd *image_data, frame_num int, frame *image_frame) (err erro
 			}
 		}
 	} else {
-		data_size = int64(len(frame.in_memory_bytes))
-		mmap, err = shm.CreateTemp("icat-*", uint64(data_size))
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to create a SHM file for transmission: %w", err)
+		if frame.shm == nil {
+			data_size = int64(len(frame.in_memory_bytes))
+			mmap, err = shm.CreateTemp("icat-*", uint64(data_size))
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Failed to create a SHM file for transmission: %w", err)
+			}
+			copy(mmap.Slice(), frame.in_memory_bytes)
+		} else {
+			mmap = frame.shm
+			frame.shm = nil
 		}
-		defer mmap.Close()
-		copy(mmap.Slice(), frame.in_memory_bytes)
 	}
 	gc := gc_for_image(imgd, frame_num, frame)
 	gc.SetTransmission(graphics.GRT_transmission_sharedmem)
 	gc.SetDataSize(uint64(data_size))
 	gc.WriteWithPayloadToLoop(lp, utils.UnsafeStringToBytes(mmap.Name()))
+	mmap.Close()
 
 	return nil
 }
@@ -97,18 +101,24 @@ func transmit_file(imgd *image_data, frame_num int, frame *image_frame) (err err
 		}
 		frame.filename = "" // so it isnt deleted in cleanup
 	} else {
-		f, err := graphics.CreateTempInRAM()
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to create a temp file for image data transmission: %w", err)
-		}
-		data_size = len(frame.in_memory_bytes)
-		_, err = bytes.NewBuffer(frame.in_memory_bytes).WriteTo(f)
-		f.Close()
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to write image data to temp file for transmission: %w", err)
-		}
 		is_temp = true
-		fname = f.Name()
+		if frame.shm != nil && frame.shm.FileSystemName() != "" {
+			fname = frame.shm.FileSystemName()
+			frame.shm.Close()
+			frame.shm = nil
+		} else {
+			f, err := graphics.CreateTempInRAM()
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Failed to create a temp file for image data transmission: %w", err)
+			}
+			data_size = len(frame.in_memory_bytes)
+			_, err = bytes.NewBuffer(frame.in_memory_bytes).WriteTo(f)
+			f.Close()
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Failed to write image data to temp file for transmission: %w", err)
+			}
+			fname = f.Name()
+		}
 	}
 	gc := gc_for_image(imgd, frame_num, frame)
 	if is_temp {
@@ -148,6 +158,11 @@ func transmit_image(imgd *image_data) {
 				os.Remove(frame.filename)
 				frame.filename = ""
 			}
+			if frame.shm != nil {
+				frame.shm.Unlink()
+				frame.shm.Close()
+				frame.shm = nil
+			}
 			frame.in_memory_bytes = nil
 		}
 	}()
diff --git a/tools/utils/misc.go b/tools/utils/misc.go
index 545d2a8b1..5a107cb57 100644
--- a/tools/utils/misc.go
+++ b/tools/utils/misc.go
@@ -110,3 +110,27 @@ func Values[M ~map[K]V, K comparable, V any](m M) []V {
 	}
 	return r
 }
+
+func Memset[T any](dest []T, pattern ...T) []T {
+	if len(pattern) == 0 {
+		var zero T
+		switch any(zero).(type) {
+		case byte: // special case this as the compiler can generate efficient code for memset of a byte slice to zero
+			bd := any(dest).([]byte)
+			for i := range bd {
+				bd[i] = 0
+			}
+		default:
+			for i := range dest {
+				dest[i] = zero
+			}
+		}
+		return dest
+	}
+	bp := copy(dest, pattern)
+	for bp < len(dest) {
+		copy(dest[bp:], dest[:bp])
+		bp *= 2
+	}
+	return dest
+}