diff --git a/codex-rs/Cargo.lock b/codex-rs/Cargo.lock
index cb4cd68d81..4086ce753a 100644
--- a/codex-rs/Cargo.lock
+++ b/codex-rs/Cargo.lock
@@ -994,6 +994,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "tui-markdown",
  "unicode-segmentation",
  "unicode-width 0.1.14",
+ "url",
  "uuid",
  "vt100",
 ]
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/Cargo.toml b/codex-rs/tui/Cargo.toml
index 6d69e97e73..8e5fdf1ae4 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/Cargo.toml
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/Cargo.toml
@@ -40,7 +40,10 @@ codex-login = { path = "../login" }
 codex-ollama = { path = "../ollama" }
 codex-protocol = { path = "../protocol" }
 color-eyre = "0.6.3"
-crossterm = { version = "0.28.1", features = ["bracketed-paste", "event-stream"] }
+crossterm = { version = "0.28.1", features = [
+    "bracketed-paste",
+    "event-stream",
+] }
 diffy = "0.4.2"
 image = { version = "^0.25.6", default-features = false, features = [
     "jpeg",
@@ -82,6 +85,7 @@ tui-input = "0.14.0"
 tui-markdown = "0.3.3"
 unicode-segmentation = "1.12.0"
 unicode-width = "0.1"
+url = "2"
 uuid = "1"
 
 [target.'cfg(unix)'.dependencies]
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/chat_composer.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/chat_composer.rs
index 909ecbc0d9..8be594531c 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/chat_composer.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/chat_composer.rs
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ use crate::slash_command::SlashCommand;
 
 use crate::app_event::AppEvent;
 use crate::app_event_sender::AppEventSender;
+use crate::bottom_pane::string_utils::get_img_format_label;
+use crate::bottom_pane::string_utils::normalize_pasted_path;
 use crate::bottom_pane::textarea::TextArea;
 use crate::bottom_pane::textarea::TextAreaState;
 use codex_file_search::FileMatch;
@@ -199,6 +201,8 @@ impl ChatComposer {
             let placeholder = format!("[Pasted Content {char_count} chars]");
             self.textarea.insert_element(&placeholder);
             self.pending_pastes.push((placeholder, pasted));
+        } else if self.handle_paste_image_path(pasted.clone()) {
+            self.textarea.insert_str(" ");
         } else {
             self.textarea.insert_str(&pasted);
         }
@@ -207,6 +211,25 @@ impl ChatComposer {
         true
     }
 
+    pub fn handle_paste_image_path(&mut self, pasted: String) -> bool {
+        let Some(path_buf) = normalize_pasted_path(&pasted) else {
+            return false;
+        };
+
+        match image::image_dimensions(&path_buf) {
+            Ok((w, h)) => {
+                tracing::info!("OK: {pasted}");
+                let format_label = get_img_format_label(path_buf.clone());
+                self.attach_image(path_buf, w, h, &format_label);
+                true
+            }
+            Err(err) => {
+                tracing::info!("ERR: {err}");
+                false
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     pub fn attach_image(&mut self, path: PathBuf, width: u32, height: u32, format_label: &str) {
         let placeholder = format!("[image {width}x{height} {format_label}]");
         // Insert as an element to match large paste placeholder behavior:
@@ -625,13 +648,6 @@ impl ChatComposer {
                 }
                 self.pending_pastes.clear();
 
-                // Strip image placeholders from the submitted text; images are retrieved via take_recent_submission_images()
-                for img in &self.attached_images {
-                    if text.contains(&img.placeholder) {
-                        text = text.replace(&img.placeholder, "");
-                    }
-                }
-
                 text = text.trim().to_string();
                 if !text.is_empty() {
                     self.history.record_local_submission(&text);
@@ -1583,7 +1599,7 @@ mod tests {
         let (result, _) =
             composer.handle_key_event(KeyEvent::new(KeyCode::Enter, KeyModifiers::NONE));
         match result {
-            InputResult::Submitted(text) => assert_eq!(text, "hi"),
+            InputResult::Submitted(text) => assert_eq!(text, "[image 32x16 PNG] hi"),
             _ => panic!("expected Submitted"),
         }
         let imgs = composer.take_recent_submission_images();
@@ -1601,7 +1617,7 @@ mod tests {
         let (result, _) =
             composer.handle_key_event(KeyEvent::new(KeyCode::Enter, KeyModifiers::NONE));
         match result {
-            InputResult::Submitted(text) => assert!(text.is_empty()),
+            InputResult::Submitted(text) => assert_eq!(text, "[image 10x5 PNG]"),
             _ => panic!("expected Submitted"),
         }
         let imgs = composer.take_recent_submission_images();
@@ -1677,4 +1693,31 @@ mod tests {
             "one image mapping remains"
         );
     }
+    
+    #[test]
+    fn pasting_filepath_attaches_image() {
+        use image::ImageBuffer;
+        use image::Rgba;
+        use std::fs;
+        use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+        let tmp_path: PathBuf = std::env::temp_dir().join("codex_tui_test_paste_image.png");
+        let img: ImageBuffer<Rgba<u8>, Vec<u8>> =
+            ImageBuffer::from_fn(3, 2, |_x, _y| Rgba([1, 2, 3, 255]));
+        img.save(&tmp_path).expect("failed to write temp png");
+
+        let (tx, _rx) = std::sync::mpsc::channel();
+        let sender = AppEventSender::new(tx);
+        let mut composer =
+            ChatComposer::new(true, sender, false, "Ask Codex to do anything".to_string());
+
+        let needs_redraw = composer.handle_paste(tmp_path.to_string_lossy().to_string());
+        assert!(needs_redraw);
+        assert!(composer.textarea.text().starts_with("[image 3x2 PNG] "));
+
+        let imgs = composer.take_recent_submission_images();
+        assert_eq!(imgs, vec![tmp_path.clone()]);
+
+        let _ = fs::remove_file(tmp_path);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/mod.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/mod.rs
index 04f5d4b9bf..b7bcbea478 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/mod.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/mod.rs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ mod popup_consts;
 mod scroll_state;
 mod selection_popup_common;
 mod status_indicator_view;
+mod string_utils;
 mod textarea;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/string_utils.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/string_utils.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..63fb1541a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/string_utils.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+pub fn normalize_pasted_path(pasted: &str) -> Option<PathBuf> {
+    // file:// URL → filesystem path
+    if let Ok(url) = url::Url::parse(pasted) {
+        if url.scheme() == "file" {
+            return url.to_file_path().ok();
+        }
+    }
+
+    // shell-escaped single path → unescaped
+    let parts: Vec<String> = shlex::Shlex::new(pasted).collect();
+    if parts.len() == 1 {
+        return parts.into_iter().next().map(PathBuf::from);
+    }
+
+    None
+}
+
+pub fn get_img_format_label(path: PathBuf) -> String {
+    match path
+        .extension()
+        .and_then(|e| e.to_str())
+        .map(|s| s.to_ascii_lowercase())
+    {
+        Some(ext) if ext == "png" => "PNG",
+        Some(ext) if ext == "jpg" || ext == "jpeg" => "JPEG",
+        _ => "IMG",
+    }
+    .into()
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn normalize_file_url() {
+        let input = "file:///tmp/example.png";
+        let result = normalize_pasted_path(input).expect("should parse file URL");
+        assert_eq!(result, PathBuf::from("/tmp/example.png"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn normalize_shell_escaped_single_path() {
+        let input = "/home/user/My\\ File.png";
+        let result = normalize_pasted_path(input).expect("should unescape shell-escaped path");
+        assert_eq!(result, PathBuf::from("/home/user/My File.png"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn normalize_simple_quoted_path_fallback() {
+        let input = "\"/home/user/My File.png\"";
+        let result = normalize_pasted_path(input).expect("should trim simple quotes");
+        assert_eq!(result, PathBuf::from("/home/user/My File.png"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn normalize_single_quoted_unix_path() {
+        let input = "'/home/user/My File.png'";
+        let result = normalize_pasted_path(input).expect("should trim single quotes via shlex");
+        assert_eq!(result, PathBuf::from("/home/user/My File.png"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn normalize_single_quoted_windows_path() {
+        let input = r"'C:\Users\Alice\My File.jpeg'";
+        let result =
+            normalize_pasted_path(input).expect("should trim single quotes on windows path");
+        assert_eq!(result, PathBuf::from(r"C:\Users\Alice\My File.jpeg"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn normalize_multiple_tokens_returns_none() {
+        // Two tokens after shell splitting → not a single path
+        let input = "/home/user/a\\ b.png /home/user/c.png";
+        let result = normalize_pasted_path(input);
+        assert!(result.is_none());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn img_format_label_png_jpeg_unknown() {
+        assert_eq!(get_img_format_label(PathBuf::from("/a/b/c.PNG")), "PNG");
+        assert_eq!(get_img_format_label(PathBuf::from("/a/b/c.jpg")), "JPEG");
+        assert_eq!(get_img_format_label(PathBuf::from("/a/b/c.JPEG")), "JPEG");
+        assert_eq!(get_img_format_label(PathBuf::from("/a/b/c")), "IMG");
+        assert_eq!(get_img_format_label(PathBuf::from("/a/b/c.webp")), "IMG");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn img_format_label_with_windows_style_paths() {
+        assert_eq!(get_img_format_label(PathBuf::from(r"C:\a\b\c.PNG")), "PNG");
+        assert_eq!(
+            get_img_format_label(PathBuf::from(r"C:\a\b\c.jpeg")),
+            "JPEG"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(get_img_format_label(PathBuf::from(r"C:\a\b\noext")), "IMG");
+    }
+}