diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 831291a8a..fd3a64f1a 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ Detailed list of changes
 
 - A new option :opt:`modify_font` to adjust various font metrics like underlines, cell sizes etc. (:pull:`5265`)
 
+- Graphics protocol: Only delete temp files if they have the string
+  :code:`tty-graphics-protocol` in their file paths. This prevents deletion of arbitrary files in :file:`/tmp`.
+
 - Deprecate the ``adjust_baseline``, ``adjust_line_height`` and ``adjust_column_width`` options in favor of :opt:`modify_font`
 
 - Wayland: Fix a regression in the previous release that caused mouse cursor
diff --git a/docs/graphics-protocol.rst b/docs/graphics-protocol.rst
index 43adb68d4..fe39cefb3 100644
--- a/docs/graphics-protocol.rst
+++ b/docs/graphics-protocol.rst
@@ -237,7 +237,8 @@ Value of `t`          Meaning
                       the terminal emulator should only delete the file if it
                       is in a known temporary directory, such as :file:`/tmp`,
                       :file:`/dev/shm`, :file:`TMPDIR env var if present` and any platform
-                      specific temporary directories.
+                      specific temporary directories and the file has the
+                      string :code:`tty-graphics-protocol` in its full file path.
 ``s``                 A *shared memory object*, which on POSIX systems is a
                       `POSIX shared memory object <https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/functions/shm_open.html>`_
                       and on Windows is a
diff --git a/kittens/icat/main.py b/kittens/icat/main.py
index 4b46f947e..6e25473de 100644
--- a/kittens/icat/main.py
+++ b/kittens/icat/main.py
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ def process(path: str, args: IcatCLIOptions, parsed_opts: ParsedOpts, is_tempfil
         else:
             import struct
             use_number = max(1, struct.unpack('@I', os.urandom(4))[0])
-            with NamedTemporaryFile() as f:
+            with NamedTemporaryFile(prefix='tty-graphics-protocol-') as f:
                 prefix = f.name
             frame_data = render_image(
                 path, prefix, m, available_width, available_height, args.scale_up,
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ def detect_support(wait_for: float = 10, silent: bool = False) -> bool:
             parse_responses()
             return 1 not in responses or 2 not in responses
 
-        with NamedTemporaryFile() as f:
+        with NamedTemporaryFile(prefix='tty-graphics-protocol') as f:
             f.write(b'abcd')
             f.flush()
             gc = GraphicsCommand()
@@ -472,13 +472,13 @@ def process_single_item(
     file_removed = False
     try:
         if isinstance(item, bytes):
-            with NamedTemporaryFile(prefix='stdin-image-data-', delete=False) as tf:
+            with NamedTemporaryFile(prefix='tty-graphics-protocol-', delete=False) as tf:
                 tf.write(item)
             item = tf.name
             is_tempfile = True
         if url_pat is not None and url_pat.match(item) is not None:
             from urllib.request import urlretrieve
-            with NamedTemporaryFile(prefix='url-image-data-', delete=False) as tf:
+            with NamedTemporaryFile(prefix='tty-graphics-protocol-', delete=False) as tf:
                 try:
                     with socket_timeout(30):
                         urlretrieve(item, filename=tf.name)
diff --git a/kittens/tui/images.py b/kittens/tui/images.py
index c3c714c28..57b90a6c4 100644
--- a/kittens/tui/images.py
+++ b/kittens/tui/images.py
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ def render_as_single_image(
     remove_alpha: str = '', flip: bool = False, flop: bool = False,
 ) -> Tuple[str, int, int]:
     import tempfile
-    fd, output = tempfile.mkstemp(prefix='icat-', suffix=f'.{m.mode}', dir=tdir)
+    fd, output = tempfile.mkstemp(prefix='tty-graphics-protocol-', suffix=f'.{m.mode}', dir=tdir)
     os.close(fd)
     result = render_image(
         path, output, m, available_width, available_height, scale_up,
diff --git a/kitty/graphics.c b/kitty/graphics.c
index 3b151dd35..f6dd42e5e 100644
--- a/kitty/graphics.c
+++ b/kitty/graphics.c
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ load_image_data(GraphicsManager *self, Image *img, const GraphicsCommand *g, con
             if (fd == -1) ABRT("EBADF", "Failed to open file for graphics transmission with error: [%d] %s", errno, strerror(errno));
             load_data->loading_completed_successfully = mmap_img_file(self, fd, g->data_sz, g->data_offset);
             safe_close(fd, __FILE__, __LINE__);
-            if (transmission_type == 't') {
+            if (transmission_type == 't' && strstr(fname, "tty-graphics-protocol") != NULL) {
                 if (global_state.boss) { call_boss(safe_delete_temp_file, "s", fname); }
                 else unlink(fname);
             }
diff --git a/kitty_tests/graphics.py b/kitty_tests/graphics.py
index 9293492b5..73136fd7b 100644
--- a/kitty_tests/graphics.py
+++ b/kitty_tests/graphics.py
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ class TestGraphics(BaseTest):
         self.ae(img['data'], random_data)
 
         # Test loading from file
-        f = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile()
+        f = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(prefix='tty-graphics-protocol-')
         f.write(random_data), f.flush()
         sl(f.name, s=24, v=32, t='f', expecting_data=random_data)
         self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(f.name))