diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 0845b98315c1..4421f13b7a83 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -4679,6 +4679,7 @@ version = "1.37.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "async-trait",
+ "base64 0.22.1",
  "chrono",
  "fs-err",
  "futures",
@@ -4693,6 +4694,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "sec1",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
+ "tempfile",
  "test-case",
  "thiserror 1.0.69",
  "tokio",
diff --git a/crates/goose-providers/Cargo.toml b/crates/goose-providers/Cargo.toml
index 348bfa476e67..e53c11b69058 100644
--- a/crates/goose-providers/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/goose-providers/Cargo.toml
@@ -40,3 +40,7 @@ fs-err = { version = "3.1", default-features = false }
 futures = { workspace = true }
 uuid = { workspace = true, features = ["v4"] }
 utoipa.workspace = true
+base64.workspace = true
+
+[dev-dependencies]
+tempfile.workspace = true
diff --git a/crates/goose-providers/src/image.rs b/crates/goose-providers/src/image.rs
index 8c2e2df18c75..9b04063b4e91 100644
--- a/crates/goose-providers/src/image.rs
+++ b/crates/goose-providers/src/image.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
+use crate::errors::ProviderError;
+use base64::Engine;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use serde_json::{json, Value};
+use std::io::Read;
+use std::path::Path;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub enum ImageFormat {
@@ -26,6 +30,78 @@ pub fn convert_image(data: &str, mime_type: &str, image_format: &ImageFormat) ->
     }
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct EncodedImage {
+    pub mime_type: String,
+    pub data: String,
+}
+
+fn is_image_file(path: &Path) -> bool {
+    if let Ok(mut file) = std::fs::File::open(path) {
+        let mut buffer = [0u8; 8];
+        if file.read(&mut buffer).is_ok() {
+            return matches!(
+                &buffer[0..4],
+                [0x89, 0x50, 0x4E, 0x47] | [0xFF, 0xD8, 0xFF, _] | [0x47, 0x49, 0x46, 0x38]
+            );
+        }
+    }
+    false
+}
+
+pub fn detect_image_path(text: &str) -> Option<&str> {
+    let extensions = [".png", ".jpg", ".jpeg"];
+
+    for word in text.split_whitespace() {
+        if extensions
+            .iter()
+            .any(|ext| word.to_lowercase().ends_with(ext))
+        {
+            let path = Path::new(word);
+            if path.is_absolute() && path.is_file() && is_image_file(path) {
+                return Some(word);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    None
+}
+
+pub fn load_image_file(path: &str) -> Result<EncodedImage, ProviderError> {
+    let path = Path::new(path);
+
+    if !is_image_file(path) {
+        return Err(ProviderError::RequestFailed(
+            "File is not a valid image".to_string(),
+        ));
+    }
+
+    let bytes = std::fs::read(path).map_err(|error| {
+        ProviderError::RequestFailed(format!("Failed to read image file: {error}"))
+    })?;
+
+    let mime_type = match path.extension().and_then(|extension| extension.to_str()) {
+        Some(extension) => match extension.to_lowercase().as_str() {
+            "png" => "image/png",
+            "jpg" | "jpeg" => "image/jpeg",
+            _ => {
+                return Err(ProviderError::RequestFailed(
+                    "Unsupported image format".to_string(),
+                ))
+            }
+        },
+        None => {
+            return Err(ProviderError::RequestFailed(
+                "Unknown image format".to_string(),
+            ))
+        }
+    };
+
+    Ok(EncodedImage {
+        mime_type: mime_type.to_string(),
+        data: base64::prelude::BASE64_STANDARD.encode(&bytes),
+    })
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
@@ -38,6 +114,77 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(decoded, ImageFormat::OpenAi);
     }
 
+    fn write_file(path: &std::path::Path, data: &[u8]) {
+        std::fs::write(path, data).unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn detects_absolute_image_paths() {
+        let temp_dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let png_path = temp_dir.path().join("test.png");
+        let png_data = [
+            0x89, 0x50, 0x4E, 0x47, 0x0D, 0x0A, 0x1A, 0x0A, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0D,
+        ];
+        write_file(&png_path, &png_data);
+        let png_path_str = png_path.to_str().unwrap();
+
+        let fake_png_path = temp_dir.path().join("fake.png");
+        write_file(&fake_png_path, b"not a real png");
+
+        let text = format!("Here is an image {png_path_str}");
+        assert_eq!(detect_image_path(&text), Some(png_path_str));
+
+        let text = format!("Here is a fake image {}", fake_png_path.to_str().unwrap());
+        assert_eq!(detect_image_path(&text), None);
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            detect_image_path("Here is a fake.png that doesn't exist"),
+            None
+        );
+        assert_eq!(detect_image_path("Here is a file.txt"), None);
+        assert_eq!(detect_image_path("Here is a relative/path/image.png"), None);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn loads_supported_image_files() {
+        let temp_dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let png_path = temp_dir.path().join("test.png");
+        let png_data = [
+            0x89, 0x50, 0x4E, 0x47, 0x0D, 0x0A, 0x1A, 0x0A, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0D,
+        ];
+        write_file(&png_path, &png_data);
+
+        let image = load_image_file(png_path.to_str().unwrap()).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(image.mime_type, "image/png");
+        assert!(!image.data.is_empty());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn rejects_invalid_or_unsupported_image_files() {
+        let temp_dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let fake_png_path = temp_dir.path().join("fake.png");
+        write_file(&fake_png_path, b"not a real png");
+        let result = load_image_file(fake_png_path.to_str().unwrap());
+        assert!(result.is_err());
+        assert!(result
+            .unwrap_err()
+            .to_string()
+            .contains("not a valid image"));
+
+        let result = load_image_file("nonexistent.png");
+        assert!(result.is_err());
+
+        let gif_path = temp_dir.path().join("test.gif");
+        let gif_data = [0x47, 0x49, 0x46, 0x38, 0x39, 0x61];
+        write_file(&gif_path, &gif_data);
+        let result = load_image_file(gif_path.to_str().unwrap());
+        assert!(result.is_err());
+        assert!(result
+            .unwrap_err()
+            .to_string()
+            .contains("Unsupported image format"));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn converts_image_to_openai_payload() {
         assert_eq!(
diff --git a/crates/goose/src/providers/utils.rs b/crates/goose/src/providers/utils.rs
index 568690639d9f..9cc5e4de969d 100644
--- a/crates/goose/src/providers/utils.rs
+++ b/crates/goose/src/providers/utils.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ use super::base::Usage;
 use crate::config::paths::Paths;
 use crate::providers::errors::ProviderError;
 use anyhow::Result;
-use base64::Engine;
 pub use goose_providers::function_name::{is_valid_function_name, sanitize_function_name};
 pub use goose_providers::google_response::{handle_response_google_compat, is_google_model};
 pub use goose_providers::image::ImageFormat;
@@ -17,97 +16,20 @@ pub use goose_types::{
 use rmcp::model::{AnnotateAble, ImageContent, RawImageContent};
 use serde::Serialize;
 use serde_json::Value;
-use std::io::Read;
-use std::path::Path;
 
 /// Convert an image content into an image json based on format
 pub fn convert_image(image: &ImageContent, image_format: &ImageFormat) -> Value {
     goose_providers::image::convert_image(&image.data, &image.mime_type, image_format)
 }
 
-/// Check if a file is actually an image by examining its magic bytes
-fn is_image_file(path: &Path) -> bool {
-    if let Ok(mut file) = std::fs::File::open(path) {
-        let mut buffer = [0u8; 8]; // Large enough for most image magic numbers
-        if file.read(&mut buffer).is_ok() {
-            // Check magic numbers for common image formats
-            return match &buffer[0..4] {
-                // PNG: 89 50 4E 47
-                [0x89, 0x50, 0x4E, 0x47] => true,
-                // JPEG: FF D8 FF
-                [0xFF, 0xD8, 0xFF, _] => true,
-                // GIF: 47 49 46 38
-                [0x47, 0x49, 0x46, 0x38] => true,
-                _ => false,
-            };
-        }
-    }
-    false
-}
-
-/// Detect if a string contains a path to an image file
-pub fn detect_image_path(text: &str) -> Option<&str> {
-    // Basic image file extension check
-    let extensions = [".png", ".jpg", ".jpeg"];
-
-    // Find any word that ends with an image extension
-    for word in text.split_whitespace() {
-        if extensions
-            .iter()
-            .any(|ext| word.to_lowercase().ends_with(ext))
-        {
-            let path = Path::new(word);
-            // Check if it's an absolute path and file exists
-            if path.is_absolute() && path.is_file() {
-                // Verify it's actually an image file
-                if is_image_file(path) {
-                    return Some(word);
-                }
-            }
-        }
-    }
-    None
-}
+pub use goose_providers::image::detect_image_path;
 
 /// Convert a local image file to base64 encoded ImageContent
 pub fn load_image_file(path: &str) -> Result<ImageContent, ProviderError> {
-    let path = Path::new(path);
-
-    // Verify it's an image before proceeding
-    if !is_image_file(path) {
-        return Err(ProviderError::RequestFailed(
-            "File is not a valid image".to_string(),
-        ));
-    }
-
-    // Read the file
-    let bytes = std::fs::read(path)
-        .map_err(|e| ProviderError::RequestFailed(format!("Failed to read image file: {}", e)))?;
-
-    // Detect mime type from extension
-    let mime_type = match path.extension().and_then(|e| e.to_str()) {
-        Some(ext) => match ext.to_lowercase().as_str() {
-            "png" => "image/png",
-            "jpg" | "jpeg" => "image/jpeg",
-            _ => {
-                return Err(ProviderError::RequestFailed(
-                    "Unsupported image format".to_string(),
-                ))
-            }
-        },
-        None => {
-            return Err(ProviderError::RequestFailed(
-                "Unknown image format".to_string(),
-            ))
-        }
-    };
-
-    // Convert to base64
-    let data = base64::prelude::BASE64_STANDARD.encode(&bytes);
-
+    let image = goose_providers::image::load_image_file(path)?;
     Ok(RawImageContent {
-        mime_type: mime_type.to_string(),
-        data,
+        mime_type: image.mime_type,
+        data: image.data,
         meta: None,
     }
     .no_annotation())