diff --git a/system/src/Grav/Common/Media/Factories/LocalMediaFactory.php b/system/src/Grav/Common/Media/Factories/LocalMediaFactory.php
index 417836d21..b567f2b8f 100644
--- a/system/src/Grav/Common/Media/Factories/LocalMediaFactory.php
+++ b/system/src/Grav/Common/Media/Factories/LocalMediaFactory.php
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ namespace Grav\Common\Media\Factories;
 use Grav\Common\Media\Interfaces\MediaCollectionInterface;
 use Grav\Common\Media\Interfaces\MediaFactoryInterface;
 use Grav\Common\Page\Media;
+use Grav\Common\Utils;
+use RuntimeException;
 
 /**
  *
@@ -38,4 +40,40 @@ class LocalMediaFactory implements MediaFactoryInterface
 
         return new Media($path, $order, $load);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @param string $type
+     * @param string $path
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function readFile(string $type, string $path): string
+    {
+        $filepath = GRAV_WEBROOT . '/' . $path;
+
+        error_clear_last();
+        $contents = @file_get_contents($filepath);
+        if (false === $contents) {
+            throw new RuntimeException('Reading media file failed: ' . (error_get_last()['message'] ?? sprintf('Cannot read %s', Utils::basename($filepath))));
+        }
+
+        return $contents;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param string $type
+     * @param string $path
+     * @return resource
+     */
+    public function readStream(string $type, string $path)
+    {
+        $filepath = GRAV_WEBROOT . '/' . $path;
+
+        error_clear_last();
+        $contents = @fopen($filepath, 'rb');
+        if (false === $contents) {
+            throw new RuntimeException('Reading media file failed: ' . (error_get_last()['message'] ?? sprintf('Cannot open %s', Utils::basename($filepath))));
+        }
+
+        return $contents;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/system/src/Grav/Common/Media/Factories/MediaFactory.php b/system/src/Grav/Common/Media/Factories/MediaFactory.php
index 21e449d1b..dbd5eda30 100644
--- a/system/src/Grav/Common/Media/Factories/MediaFactory.php
+++ b/system/src/Grav/Common/Media/Factories/MediaFactory.php
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ use Grav\Common\Grav;
 use Grav\Common\Media\Events\MediaEventSubscriber;
 use Grav\Common\Media\Interfaces\MediaCollectionInterface;
 use Grav\Common\Media\Interfaces\MediaFactoryInterface;
+use RuntimeException;
 use Symfony\Component\EventDispatcher\EventDispatcher;
 
 /**
@@ -96,4 +97,48 @@ final class MediaFactory implements MediaFactoryInterface
 
         return null;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @param string $uri
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function readFile(string $uri): string
+    {
+        if (preg_match('{^(?:media-([^:]+)://)?(.*)$}', $uri, $matches)) {
+            $type = str_replace('-', '_', $matches[1]);
+            $filepath = $matches[2];
+        } else {
+            $type = 'local';
+            $filepath = $uri;
+        }
+
+        $factory = $this->collectionTypes[$type] ?? null;
+        if ($factory) {
+            return $factory->readFile($type, $filepath);
+        }
+
+        throw new RuntimeException(sprintf('Reading media file failed: type %s does not exist', $type), 500);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param string $uri
+     * @return resource
+     */
+    public function readStream(string $uri)
+    {
+        if (preg_match('{^(?:media-([^:]+)://)?(.*)$}', $uri, $matches)) {
+            $type = str_replace('-', '_', $matches[1]);
+            $filepath = $matches[2];
+        } else {
+            $type = 'local';
+            $filepath = $uri;
+        }
+
+        $factory = $this->collectionTypes[$type] ?? null;
+        if ($factory) {
+            return $factory->readStream($type, $filepath);
+        }
+
+        throw new RuntimeException(sprintf('Reading media file failed: type %s does not exist', $type), 500);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/system/src/Grav/Common/Media/Traits/ImageMediaTrait.php b/system/src/Grav/Common/Media/Traits/ImageMediaTrait.php
index 947ad0377..40f03433a 100644
--- a/system/src/Grav/Common/Media/Traits/ImageMediaTrait.php
+++ b/system/src/Grav/Common/Media/Traits/ImageMediaTrait.php
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ use Grav\Framework\File\Formatter\JsonFormatter;
 use Grav\Framework\File\JsonFile;
 use Grav\Framework\Image\Adapter\GdAdapter;
 use Grav\Framework\Image\Image;
+use Grav\Framework\Psr7\Response;
+use Psr\Http\Message\ResponseInterface;
 use RocketTheme\Toolbox\ResourceLocator\UniformResourceLocator;
 use RuntimeException;
 use function func_num_args;
@@ -58,6 +60,70 @@ trait ImageMediaTrait
     /** @var string */
     protected $sizes = '100vw';
 
+    /**
+     * @param string $path
+     * @return array|null
+     */
+    protected static function createImageFromCache(string $path): ?array
+    {
+        $filepath = GRAV_WEBROOT . $path;
+        $cachepath = "{$filepath}.json";
+        $file = static::getCacheMetaFile($cachepath);
+        if (!$file->exists()) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        $data = $file->load();
+        $format = $data['extra']['format'] ?? 'jpg';
+        $mime = $data['extra']['mime'] ?? '';
+        $quality = $data['extra']['quality'] ?? 80;
+        $mediaUri = $data['extra']['media-uri'] ?? null;
+
+        $mediaFactory = Grav::instance()['media_factory'];
+
+        $fileData = $mediaFactory->readFile($mediaUri);
+        $adapter = GdAdapter::createFromString($fileData);
+
+        $image = Image::createFromArray($data);
+
+        $image->setAdapter($adapter);
+        $filepath = $image->save($filepath, $format, $quality);
+        $image->freeAdapter();
+
+        $time = filemtime($filepath);
+        $size = filesize($filepath);
+
+        return [$filepath, $mime, $time, $size];
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param string $path
+     * @return ResponseInterface
+     */
+    public static function createImageResponseFromCache(string $path): ResponseInterface
+    {
+        [$filepath, $mime, $time, $size] = static::createImageFromCache($path);
+        if (is_file($filepath)) {
+            $code = 200;
+        } else {
+            $code = 404;
+            // TODO: customizable 404 image?
+            $filepath = GRAV_WEBROOT . '/system/images/media/thumb-jpg.png';
+            $mime = 'image/png';
+            $time = filemtime($filepath);
+            $size = filesize($filepath);
+        }
+
+        $body = fopen($filepath, 'rb');
+        $headers = [
+            'Content-Type' => $mime,
+            'Last-Modified' => gmdate('D, d M Y H:i:s', $time) . ' GMT',
+            'ETag' => sprintf('%x-%x', $size, $time)
+        ];
+
+        return new Response($code, $headers, $body);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Also unset the image on destruct.
      */
@@ -599,9 +665,12 @@ trait ImageMediaTrait
             $format = $extension;
         }
 
+
         $image = $this->image;
         $image->extra['format'] = $format;
         $image->extra['quality'] = $quality;
+        $image->extra['media-uri'] = $this->getMedia()->getMediaUri($this->filename);
+        $image->extra['mime'] = $this->mime;
 
         $data = $image->jsonSerialize();
         $hash = $data['hash'];
@@ -618,14 +687,15 @@ trait ImageMediaTrait
         $imageFile = '/' . $locator->getResource($imageFile, false);
         $cacheFile = $locator->getResource($cacheFile, true);
 
-        $file = $this->getCacheMetaFile($cacheFile);
+        $file = static::getCacheMetaFile($cacheFile);
         if (!$file->exists()) {
             $file->save($data);
         } else {
             $file->touch();
         }
 
-        return $this->generateCacheImage(GRAV_WEBROOT . $imageFile);
+        return GRAV_WEBROOT . $imageFile;
+        //return $this->generateCacheImage(GRAV_WEBROOT . $imageFile);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -663,7 +733,7 @@ trait ImageMediaTrait
      * @param string $filepath
      * @return JsonFile
      */
-    protected function getCacheMetaFile(string $filepath): JsonFile
+    protected static function getCacheMetaFile(string $filepath): JsonFile
     {
         $formatter = new JsonFormatter(['encode_options' => JSON_PRETTY_PRINT]);
 
diff --git a/system/src/Grav/Common/Page/Medium/AbstractMedia.php b/system/src/Grav/Common/Page/Medium/AbstractMedia.php
index 99c47c112..1d3dd4f36 100644
--- a/system/src/Grav/Common/Page/Medium/AbstractMedia.php
+++ b/system/src/Grav/Common/Page/Medium/AbstractMedia.php
@@ -112,6 +112,18 @@ abstract class AbstractMedia implements ExportInterface, MediaCollectionInterfac
      */
     abstract public function getUrl(string $filename): string;
 
+    /**
+     * @param string $filename
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function getMediaUri(string $filename): string
+    {
+        $schema = 'media-' . str_replace('_', '-', $this->getName());
+        $path = $this->getRealPath($filename);
+
+        return "{$schema}://{$path}";
+    }
+
     /**
      * @return bool
      */
diff --git a/system/src/Grav/Common/Page/Medium/ImageMedium.php b/system/src/Grav/Common/Page/Medium/ImageMedium.php
index 6b31450d3..1d69c81ad 100644
--- a/system/src/Grav/Common/Page/Medium/ImageMedium.php
+++ b/system/src/Grav/Common/Page/Medium/ImageMedium.php
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ use Grav\Common\Config\Config;
 use Grav\Common\Data\Blueprint;
 use Grav\Common\Media\Interfaces\ImageManipulateInterface;
 use Grav\Common\Media\Interfaces\ImageMediaInterface;
-use Grav\Common\Media\Interfaces\MediaCollectionInterface;
 use Grav\Common\Media\Interfaces\MediaLinkInterface;
 use Grav\Common\Media\Traits\ImageLoadingTrait;
 use Grav\Common\Media\Traits\ImageMediaTrait;
diff --git a/system/src/Grav/Common/Processors/InitializeProcessor.php b/system/src/Grav/Common/Processors/InitializeProcessor.php
index 04e06edf3..3fec3db14 100644
--- a/system/src/Grav/Common/Processors/InitializeProcessor.php
+++ b/system/src/Grav/Common/Processors/InitializeProcessor.php
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ use Grav\Common\Config\Config;
 use Grav\Common\Debugger;
 use Grav\Common\Errors\Errors;
 use Grav\Common\Grav;
+use Grav\Common\Page\Medium\ImageMedium;
 use Grav\Common\Page\Pages;
 use Grav\Common\Plugins;
 use Grav\Common\Session;
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ use Psr\Http\Message\ResponseInterface;
 use Psr\Http\Message\ServerRequestInterface;
 use Psr\Http\Server\RequestHandlerInterface;
 use function defined;
+use function dirname;
 use function in_array;
 
 /**
@@ -98,6 +100,14 @@ class InitializeProcessor extends ProcessorBase
         // Load plugins.
         $this->initializePlugins();
 
+        // Image handling can return response right away.
+        $response = $this->handleImageRequest($request);
+        if ($response) {
+            $this->stopTimer('_init');
+
+            return $response;
+        }
+
         // Load pages.
         $this->initializePages($config);
 
@@ -331,6 +341,31 @@ class InitializeProcessor extends ProcessorBase
         return null;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @param ServerRequestInterface $request
+     * @return ResponseInterface|null
+     */
+    protected function handleImageRequest(ServerRequestInterface $request): ?ResponseInterface
+    {
+        // Handle clockwork API calls.
+        $uri = $request->getUri();
+        $server = $request->getServerParams();
+        $basePath = str_replace('\\', '/', dirname(parse_url($server['SCRIPT_NAME'], PHP_URL_PATH)));
+        if ($basePath === '/') {
+            $basePath = '';
+        }
+        $imagePath = $basePath . '/images/';
+        $path = $uri->getPath();
+
+        if (str_starts_with($path, $imagePath)) {
+            $path = mb_substr($path, mb_strlen($basePath));
+
+            return ImageMedium::createImageResponseFromCache($path);
+        }
+
+        return null;
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param Config $config
      */