diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 041207024..bbfe554be 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ Detailed list of changes
 
 - Text rendering: Use sRGB correct linear gamma blending for nicer font rendering and better color accuracy with transparent windows. See the option :opt:`text_composition_strategy` for details. The obsolete :opt:`macos_thicken_font` will make the font too thick and needs to be removed manually if it is configured. (:pull:`5969`)
 
+- icat kitten: Support display of images inside tmux (:pull:`5664`)
+
 - Graphics protocol: Add support for displaying images inside programs that do not support the protocol such as vim and tmux (:pull:`5664`)
 
 - Fix a regression in 0.27.0 that broke ``kitty @ set-font-size 0`` (:iss:`5992`)
diff --git a/tools/cmd/icat/main.go b/tools/cmd/icat/main.go
index 3a4aa566f..301d3a49b 100644
--- a/tools/cmd/icat/main.go
+++ b/tools/cmd/icat/main.go
@@ -190,7 +190,17 @@ func main(cmd *cli.Command, o *Options, args []string) (rc int, err error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if opts.TransferMode == "detect" || opts.DetectSupport {
+	passthrough_mode := no_passthrough
+	switch opts.Passthrough {
+	case "tmux":
+		passthrough_mode = tmux_passthrough
+	case "detect":
+		if tui.TmuxSocketAddress() != "" {
+			passthrough_mode = tmux_passthrough
+		}
+	}
+
+	if passthrough_mode == no_passthrough && (opts.TransferMode == "detect" || opts.DetectSupport) {
 		memory, files, direct, err := DetectSupport(time.Duration(opts.DetectionTimeout * float64(time.Second)))
 		if err != nil {
 			return 1, err
@@ -210,6 +220,12 @@ func main(cmd *cli.Command, o *Options, args []string) (rc int, err error) {
 			transfer_by_file = unsupported
 		}
 	}
+	if passthrough_mode != no_passthrough {
+		// tmux doesnt allow responses from the terminal so we cant detect if memory or file based transferring is supported
+		transfer_by_memory = unsupported
+		transfer_by_file = unsupported
+		transfer_by_stream = supported
+	}
 	if opts.DetectSupport {
 		if transfer_by_memory == supported {
 			print_error("memory")
@@ -221,9 +237,13 @@ func main(cmd *cli.Command, o *Options, args []string) (rc int, err error) {
 		return 0, nil
 	}
 	use_unicode_placeholder := opts.UnicodePlaceholder
+	if passthrough_mode != no_passthrough {
+		use_unicode_placeholder = true
+	}
 	for num_of_items > 0 {
 		imgd := <-output_channel
 		imgd.use_unicode_placeholder = use_unicode_placeholder
+		imgd.passthrough_mode = passthrough_mode
 		num_of_items--
 		if imgd.err != nil {
 			print_error("Failed to process \x1b[31m%s\x1b[39m: %s\r\n", imgd.source_name, imgd.err)
diff --git a/tools/cmd/icat/process_images.go b/tools/cmd/icat/process_images.go
index af7323fa0..553ae470f 100644
--- a/tools/cmd/icat/process_images.go
+++ b/tools/cmd/icat/process_images.go
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ type image_data struct {
 	move_to                           struct{ x, y int }
 	width_cells, height_cells         int
 	use_unicode_placeholder           bool
+	passthrough_mode                  passthrough_type
 
 	// for error reporting
 	err         error
diff --git a/tools/cmd/icat/transmit.go b/tools/cmd/icat/transmit.go
index 38f04d3a6..a7ea13e32 100644
--- a/tools/cmd/icat/transmit.go
+++ b/tools/cmd/icat/transmit.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
+	"kitty/tools/tui"
 	"kitty/tools/tui/graphics"
 	"kitty/tools/tui/loop"
 	"kitty/tools/utils"
@@ -25,8 +26,26 @@ import (
 
 var _ = fmt.Print
 
-func gc_for_image(imgd *image_data, frame_num int, frame *image_frame) *graphics.GraphicsCommand {
+type passthrough_type int
+
+const (
+	no_passthrough passthrough_type = iota
+	tmux_passthrough
+)
+
+func new_graphics_command(imgd *image_data) *graphics.GraphicsCommand {
 	gc := graphics.GraphicsCommand{}
+	switch imgd.passthrough_mode {
+	case tmux_passthrough:
+		gc.WrapPrefix = "\033Ptmux;"
+		gc.WrapSuffix = "\033\\"
+		gc.EncodeSerializedDataFunc = func(x string) string { return strings.ReplaceAll(x, "\033", "\033\033") }
+	}
+	return &gc
+}
+
+func gc_for_image(imgd *image_data, frame_num int, frame *image_frame) *graphics.GraphicsCommand {
+	gc := new_graphics_command(imgd)
 	gc.SetDataWidth(uint64(frame.width)).SetDataHeight(uint64(frame.height))
 	gc.SetQuiet(graphics.GRT_quiet_silent)
 	gc.SetFormat(frame.transmission_format)
@@ -63,7 +82,7 @@ func gc_for_image(imgd *image_data, frame_num int, frame *image_frame) *graphics
 		}
 		gc.SetLeftEdge(uint64(frame.left)).SetTopEdge(uint64(frame.top))
 	}
-	return &gc
+	return gc
 }
 
 func transmit_shm(imgd *image_data, frame_num int, frame *image_frame) (err error) {
@@ -315,6 +334,13 @@ func transmit_image(imgd *image_data) {
 		imgd.err = fmt.Errorf("Image too large to be displayed using Unicode placeholders. Maximum size is %dx%d cells", len(images.NumberToDiacritic), len(images.NumberToDiacritic))
 		return
 	}
+	switch imgd.passthrough_mode {
+	case tmux_passthrough:
+		imgd.err = tui.TmuxAllowPassthrough()
+		if imgd.err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+	}
 	fmt.Print("\r")
 	if !imgd.use_unicode_placeholder {
 		if imgd.move_x_by > 0 {
@@ -324,7 +350,7 @@ func transmit_image(imgd *image_data) {
 			fmt.Printf(loop.MoveCursorToTemplate, imgd.move_to.y, imgd.move_to.x)
 		}
 	}
-	frame_control_cmd := graphics.GraphicsCommand{}
+	frame_control_cmd := new_graphics_command(imgd)
 	frame_control_cmd.SetAction(graphics.GRT_action_animate)
 	if imgd.image_id != 0 {
 		frame_control_cmd.SetImageId(imgd.image_id)
diff --git a/tools/tui/graphics/command.go b/tools/tui/graphics/command.go
index 6fa9f1efb..8c4473402 100644
--- a/tools/tui/graphics/command.go
+++ b/tools/tui/graphics/command.go
@@ -467,6 +467,9 @@ type GraphicsCommand struct {
 
 	z int32
 
+	WrapPrefix, WrapSuffix   string
+	EncodeSerializedDataFunc func(string) string
+
 	response_message string
 }
 
@@ -515,24 +518,39 @@ func (self GraphicsCommand) String() string {
 	return "GraphicsCommand(" + strings.Join(self.serialize_non_default_fields(), ", ") + ")"
 }
 
-func (self *GraphicsCommand) WriteMetadata(o io.StringWriter) (err error) {
-	items := self.serialize_non_default_fields()
-	_, err = o.WriteString(strings.Join(items, ","))
-	return
-}
-
 func (self *GraphicsCommand) serialize_to(buf io.StringWriter, chunk string) (err error) {
-	ws := func(s string) {
-		_, err = buf.WriteString(s)
+	var ws func(string)
+	if self.EncodeSerializedDataFunc == nil {
+		ws = func(s string) {
+			_, err = buf.WriteString(s)
+		}
+	} else {
+		ws = func(s string) {
+			_, err = buf.WriteString(self.EncodeSerializedDataFunc(s))
+		}
+	}
+	if self.WrapPrefix != "" {
+		_, err = buf.WriteString(self.WrapPrefix)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if self.WrapSuffix != "" {
+			defer func() {
+				if err == nil {
+					_, err = buf.WriteString(self.WrapSuffix)
+				}
+			}()
+		}
 	}
 	ws("\033_G")
 	if err == nil {
-		err = self.WriteMetadata(buf)
+		items := self.serialize_non_default_fields()
+		ws(strings.Join(items, ","))
 		if err == nil {
 			if len(chunk) > 0 {
 				ws(";")
 				if err == nil {
-					_, err = buf.WriteString(chunk)
+					ws(chunk)
 				}
 			}
 			if err == nil {
@@ -593,7 +611,9 @@ func (self *GraphicsCommand) WriteWithPayloadTo(o io.StringWriter, payload []byt
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		gc = GraphicsCommand{q: self.q, a: self.a}
+		gc = GraphicsCommand{
+			q: self.q, a: self.a, WrapPrefix: self.WrapPrefix, WrapSuffix: self.WrapSuffix,
+			EncodeSerializedDataFunc: self.EncodeSerializedDataFunc}
 	}
 	return
 }