diff --git a/kitty/graphics.c b/kitty/graphics.c
index c06cfe695..ad5679448 100644
--- a/kitty/graphics.c
+++ b/kitty/graphics.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "png-reader.h"
 PyTypeObject GraphicsManager_Type;
 
+#define MAX_IMAGE_DIMENSION 10000u
 #define DEFAULT_STORAGE_LIMIT 320u * (1024u * 1024u)
 #define REPORT_ERROR(...) { log_error(__VA_ARGS__); }
 #define RAII_CoalescedFrameData(name, initializer) __attribute__((cleanup(cfd_free))) CoalescedFrameData name = initializer
@@ -380,7 +381,7 @@ png_error_handler(png_read_data *d UNUSED, const char *code, const char *msg) {
 static bool
 inflate_png(LoadData *load_data, uint8_t *buf, size_t bufsz) {
     png_read_data d = {.err_handler=png_error_handler};
-    inflate_png_inner(&d, buf, bufsz);
+    inflate_png_inner(&d, buf, bufsz, MAX_IMAGE_DIMENSION);
     if (d.ok) {
         free_load_data(load_data);
         load_data->buf = d.decompressed;
@@ -415,7 +416,7 @@ print_png_read_error(png_read_data *d, const char *code, const char* msg) {
 bool
 png_from_data(void *png_data, size_t png_data_sz, const char *path_for_error_messages, uint8_t** data, unsigned int* width, unsigned int* height, size_t* sz) {
     png_read_data d = {.err_handler=print_png_read_error};
-    inflate_png_inner(&d, png_data, png_data_sz);
+    inflate_png_inner(&d, png_data, png_data_sz, MAX_IMAGE_DIMENSION);
     if (!d.ok) {
         log_error("Failed to decode PNG image at: %s with error: %s", path_for_error_messages, d.error.used > 0 ? d.error.buf : "");
         free(d.decompressed); free(d.row_pointers); free(d.error.buf);
@@ -693,7 +694,6 @@ initialize_load_data(GraphicsManager *self, const GraphicsCommand *g, Image *img
     tt = g->transmission_type ? g->transmission_type : 'd'; \
     fmt = g->format ? g->format : RGBA; \
 }
-#define MAX_IMAGE_DIMENSION 10000u
 
 static void
 upload_to_gpu(GraphicsManager *self, Image *img, const bool is_opaque, const bool is_4byte_aligned, const uint8_t *data) {
diff --git a/kitty/png-reader.c b/kitty/png-reader.c
index 740d5eab0..4fcd2c6d4 100644
--- a/kitty/png-reader.c
+++ b/kitty/png-reader.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ read_png_warn_handler(png_structp UNUSED png_ptr, png_const_charp msg) {
 #define ABRT(code, msg) { if(d->err_handler) d->err_handler(d, #code, msg); goto err; }
 
 void
-inflate_png_inner(png_read_data *d, const uint8_t *buf, size_t bufsz) {
+inflate_png_inner(png_read_data *d, const uint8_t *buf, size_t bufsz, int max_image_dimension) {
     struct fake_file f = {.buf = buf, .sz = bufsz};
     png_structp png = NULL;
     png_infop info = NULL;
@@ -64,6 +64,10 @@ inflate_png_inner(png_read_data *d, const uint8_t *buf, size_t bufsz) {
     png_byte color_type, bit_depth;
     d->width      = png_get_image_width(png, info);
     d->height     = png_get_image_height(png, info);
+    // libpng uses too much memory for overly large images
+    if (d->width > max_image_dimension || d->height > max_image_dimension) {
+        ABRT(ENOMEM, "PNG image is too large");
+    }
     color_type = png_get_color_type(png, info);
     bit_depth  = png_get_bit_depth(png, info);
     double image_gamma;
@@ -208,7 +212,7 @@ load_png_data(PyObject *self UNUSED, PyObject *args) {
     const char *data;
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "s#", &data, &sz)) return NULL;
     png_read_data d = {.err_handler=png_error_handler};
-    inflate_png_inner(&d, (const uint8_t*)data, sz);
+    inflate_png_inner(&d, (const uint8_t*)data, sz, 10000);
     PyObject *ans = NULL;
     if (d.ok && !PyErr_Occurred()) {
         ans = Py_BuildValue("y#ii", d.decompressed, (int)d.sz, d.width, d.height);
diff --git a/kitty/png-reader.h b/kitty/png-reader.h
index 4d6175333..b0eeeb72d 100644
--- a/kitty/png-reader.h
+++ b/kitty/png-reader.h
@@ -27,5 +27,5 @@ typedef struct png_read_data {
     } error;
 } png_read_data;
 
-void inflate_png_inner(png_read_data *d, const uint8_t *buf, size_t bufsz);
+void inflate_png_inner(png_read_data *d, const uint8_t *buf, size_t bufsz, int max_image_dimension);
 const char* png_from_32bit_rgba(uint32_t *data, size_t width, size_t height, size_t *out_size, bool flip_vertically);