diff --git a/docs/graphics-protocol.rst b/docs/graphics-protocol.rst
index c977a569f..be45e6e73 100644
--- a/docs/graphics-protocol.rst
+++ b/docs/graphics-protocol.rst
@@ -201,7 +201,11 @@ Value of `t`          Meaning
 ==================    ============
 ``d``                 Direct (the data is transmitted within the escape code itself)
 ``f``                 A simple file
-``t``                 A temporary file, the terminal emulator will delete the file after reading the pixel data
+``t``                 A temporary file, the terminal emulator will delete the file after reading the pixel data. For security reasons
+                      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.
 ``s``                 A `POSIX shared memory object <http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/shm_overview.7.html>`_.
                       The terminal emulator will delete it after reading the pixel data
 ==================    ============
diff --git a/kitty/boss.py b/kitty/boss.py
index 311deef7d..31dc70c59 100644
--- a/kitty/boss.py
+++ b/kitty/boss.py
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ from .rgb import Color, color_from_int
 from .session import create_session
 from .tabs import SpecialWindow, SpecialWindowInstance, TabManager
 from .utils import (
-    get_editor, get_primary_selection, log_error, open_url, parse_address_spec,
-    remove_socket_file, safe_print, set_primary_selection, single_instance,
-    startup_notification_handler
+    get_editor, get_primary_selection, is_path_in_temp_dir, log_error,
+    open_url, parse_address_spec, remove_socket_file, safe_print,
+    set_primary_selection, single_instance, startup_notification_handler
 )
 
 
@@ -959,3 +959,7 @@ class Boss:
         for tm in self.all_tab_managers:
             tm.tab_bar.patch_colors(spec)
         patch_global_colors(spec, configured)
+
+    def safe_delete_temp_file(self, path):
+        if is_path_in_temp_dir(path):
+            os.remove(path)
diff --git a/kitty/graphics.c b/kitty/graphics.c
index ffc97b475..098e1b472 100644
--- a/kitty/graphics.c
+++ b/kitty/graphics.c
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ handle_add_command(GraphicsManager *self, const GraphicsCommand *g, const uint8_
             if (fd == -1) ABRT(EBADF, "Failed to open file %s for graphics transmission with error: [%d] %s", fname, errno, strerror(errno));
             img->data_loaded = mmap_img_file(self, img, fd, g->data_sz, g->data_offset);
             close(fd);
-            if (tt == 't') unlink(fname);
+            if (tt == 't') { call_boss(safe_delete_temp_file, "s", fname); }
             else if (tt == 's') shm_unlink(fname);
             break;
         default:
diff --git a/kitty/utils.py b/kitty/utils.py
index c9ed2ab56..aa17d202c 100644
--- a/kitty/utils.py
+++ b/kitty/utils.py
@@ -432,3 +432,20 @@ def get_editor():
         ans = shlex.split(ans)
         get_editor.ans = ans
     return ans
+
+
+def is_path_in_temp_dir(path):
+    if not path:
+        return False
+
+    def abspath(x):
+        if x:
+            return os.path.abspath(os.path.realpath(x))
+
+    import tempfile
+    path = abspath(path)
+    candidates = frozenset(map(abspath, ('/tmp', '/dev/shm', os.environ.get('TMPDIR', None), tempfile.gettempdir())))
+    for q in candidates:
+        if q and path.startswith(q):
+            return True
+    return False
diff --git a/kitty_tests/datatypes.py b/kitty_tests/datatypes.py
index a474869f0..a506a8dca 100644
--- a/kitty_tests/datatypes.py
+++ b/kitty_tests/datatypes.py
@@ -2,13 +2,16 @@
 # vim:fileencoding=utf-8
 # License: GPL v3 Copyright: 2016, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
 
+import os
+import tempfile
+
 from kitty.config import build_ansi_color_table, defaults
 from kitty.fast_data_types import (
     REVERSE, ColorProfile, Cursor as C, HistoryBuf, LineBuf,
-    parse_input_from_terminal, wcswidth, wcwidth, truncate_point_for_length
+    parse_input_from_terminal, truncate_point_for_length, wcswidth, wcwidth
 )
 from kitty.rgb import to_color
-from kitty.utils import sanitize_title
+from kitty.utils import is_path_in_temp_dir, sanitize_title
 
 from . import BaseTest, filled_cursor, filled_history_buf, filled_line_buf
 
@@ -384,6 +387,12 @@ class TestDataTypes(BaseTest):
         tp('a\033', '_', 'x\033', '\\b', text='a b', apc='x')
         tp('a\033_', 'x', '\033', '\\', 'b', text='a b', apc='x')
 
+        for prefix in ('/tmp', tempfile.gettempdir()):
+            for path in ('a.png', 'x/b.jpg', 'y/../c.jpg'):
+                self.assertTrue(is_path_in_temp_dir(os.path.join(prefix, path)))
+        for path in ('/home/xy/d.png', '/tmp/../home/x.jpg'):
+            self.assertFalse(is_path_in_temp_dir(os.path.join(path)))
+
     def test_color_profile(self):
         c = ColorProfile()
         c.update_ansi_color_table(build_ansi_color_table())