diff --git a/kitty/graphics.c b/kitty/graphics.c
index 72a1593e5..0bd114623 100644
--- a/kitty/graphics.c
+++ b/kitty/graphics.c
@@ -312,6 +312,7 @@ handle_add_command(GraphicsManager *self, const GraphicsCommand *g, const uint8_
         }
     }
     int fd;
+    static char fname[2056] = {0};
     switch(tt) {
         case 'd':  // direct
             if (g->payload_sz >= img->load_data.buf_capacity - img->load_data.buf_used) {
@@ -324,15 +325,17 @@ handle_add_command(GraphicsManager *self, const GraphicsCommand *g, const uint8_
         case 'f': // file
         case 't': // temporary file
         case 's': // POSIX shared memory
-            if (tt == 's') fd = shm_open((const char*)payload, O_RDONLY, 0);
-            else fd = open((const char*)payload, O_CLOEXEC | O_RDONLY);
+            if (g->payload_sz > 2048) ABRT(EINVAL, "Filename too long");
+            snprintf(fname, sizeof(fname)/sizeof(fname[0]), "%.*s", (int)g->payload_sz, payload);
+            if (tt == 's') fd = shm_open(fname, O_RDONLY, 0);
+            else fd = open(fname, O_CLOEXEC | O_RDONLY);
             if (fd == -1) {
-                ABRT(EBADF, "Failed to open file for graphics transmission with error: [%d] %s", errno, strerror(errno));
+                ABRT(EBADF, "Failed to open file %s for graphics transmission with error: [%d] %s", fname, errno, strerror(errno));
             }
             img->load_data.fd = fd;
             img->data_loaded = mmap_img_file(self, img);
-            if (tt == 't') unlink((const char*)payload);
-            else if (tt == 's') shm_unlink((const char*)payload);
+            if (tt == 't') unlink(fname);
+            else if (tt == 's') shm_unlink(fname);
             break;
         default:
             ABRT(EINVAL, "Unknown transmission type: %c", g->transmission_type);
diff --git a/kitty_tests/graphics.py b/kitty_tests/graphics.py
index 5414168f2..bc8259433 100644
--- a/kitty_tests/graphics.py
+++ b/kitty_tests/graphics.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 # License: GPL v3 Copyright: 2016, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
 
 import os
+import tempfile
 import zlib
 from base64 import standard_b64encode
 
@@ -45,14 +46,14 @@ class TestGraphics(BaseTest):
             return res.decode('ascii').partition(';')[2].partition(':')[0].partition('\033')[0]
 
         def sl(payload, **kw):
-            pc = kw.pop('payload_check', None)
             if isinstance(payload, str):
                 payload = payload.encode('utf-8')
+            data = kw.pop('expecting_data', payload)
             cid = kw.setdefault('i', 1)
             self.ae('OK', l(payload, **kw))
             img = g.image_for_client_id(cid)
             self.ae(img['client_id'], cid)
-            self.ae(img['data'], payload if pc is None else pc)
+            self.ae(img['data'], data)
             if 's' in kw:
                 self.ae((kw['s'], kw['v']), (img['width'], img['height']))
             self.ae(img['is_4byte_aligned'], kw.get('f') != 24)
@@ -74,4 +75,14 @@ class TestGraphics(BaseTest):
 
         # Test compression
         random_data = os.urandom(3 * 1024)
-        sl(zlib.compress(random_data), s=24, v=32, o='z', payload_check=random_data)
+        compressed_random_data = zlib.compress(random_data)
+        sl(compressed_random_data, s=24, v=32, o='z', expecting_data=random_data)
+
+        # Test loading from file
+        f = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile()
+        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))
+        f.seek(0), f.truncate(), f.write(compressed_random_data), f.flush()
+        sl(f.name, s=24, v=32, t='t', o='z', expecting_data=random_data)
+        self.assertRaises(FileNotFoundError, f.close)  # check that file was deleted