diff --git a/tinygrad/codegen/__init__.py b/tinygrad/codegen/__init__.py
index 0e5681c6d6..3f147d74ba 100644
--- a/tinygrad/codegen/__init__.py
+++ b/tinygrad/codegen/__init__.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ from tinygrad.codegen.late.expander import expander, pm_pre_expander, pm_group_f
 from tinygrad.codegen.late.devectorizer import load_store_folding, load_store_indexing, devectorize, pm_reduce, \
   ReduceContext, correct_load_store, pm_render, pm_add_loads, pm_make_images
 from tinygrad.codegen.opt.postrange import apply_opts
-from tinygrad.codegen.late.gater import pm_move_gates_from_index
+from tinygrad.codegen.late.gater import pm_image_index, pm_move_gates_from_index
 from tinygrad.codegen.simplify import pm_simplify_ranges, pm_flatten_range, pm_split_ranges, pm_load_collapse
 from tinygrad.schedule.rangeify import pm_add_buffers_local, rangeify_codegen, pm_mops, pm_syntactic_sugar, pm_store_ranges
 from tinygrad.codegen.late.linearizer import CFGContext, pm_split_ends, pm_add_control_flow, linearize
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ def full_rewrite_to_sink(ast:UOp, ren:Renderer, optimize:bool=True) -> UOp:
   else: pm_devectorize = sym+load_store_folding+correct_load_store+load_store_indexing
   if DEVECTORIZE >= 0: sink = graph_rewrite(sink, pm_devectorize, ctx=ren, name="devectorize")
 
+  # convert image linear offsets to image coordinates before symbolic/index dtype cleanup
+  sink = graph_rewrite(sink, pm_image_index, name="image indexing")
+
   # lower the index dtype to a concrete int
   sink = graph_rewrite(sink, pm_lower_index_dtype+load_store_indexing+gep_pushing, name="lower all index dtypes")
   sink = graph_rewrite(sink, symbolic, name="post index symbolic")
diff --git a/tinygrad/codegen/late/devectorizer.py b/tinygrad/codegen/late/devectorizer.py
index 4d079ef992..8c494f4f5e 100644
--- a/tinygrad/codegen/late/devectorizer.py
+++ b/tinygrad/codegen/late/devectorizer.py
@@ -207,28 +207,9 @@ def split_load_store(ctx:Renderer|None, ls:UOp, idx:UOp):
   if len(ret) <= 1: return None
   return UOp(Ops.VCAT, ls.dtype, tuple(ret)) if ls.op is Ops.LOAD else UOp.group(*ret)
 
-def get_image_idx(idx:UOp, width:int):
-  x, valid = idx.src[1].get_idx(), idx.src[1].get_valid()
-  idx_x, idx_y = (x // 4) % width, x // (4*width)
-  return idx.replace(src=(idx.src[0], idx_x.valid(valid), idx_y.valid(valid)))
-
-def image_fixup(ls:UOp):
-  # normal image load or store, with the CAST from expand_index
-  if isinstance(dt:=ls.src[0].src[0].dtype, ImageDType) and ls.src[0].op is Ops.CAST:
-    assert ls.src[0].dtype.count == 4, "image must be casted to 4"
-    return ls.replace(src=(get_image_idx(ls.src[0].src[0], dt.shape[1]),)+ls.src[1:])
-
-  # this is an unprocessed image without a cast, we should just make it a buffer
-  if isinstance(dt, ImageDType) and len(ls.src[0].src) != 3:
-    off = ls.src[0].src[1]
-    idx = ls.src[0].src[0].replace(dtype=(new_dt:=dtypes.half if dt.itemsize == 2 else dtypes.float).ptr(dt.size)).index(off)
-    return ls.replace(src=(idx,), dtype=new_dt).cast(dtypes.float) if ls.op is Ops.LOAD else ls.replace(src=(idx, ls.src[1].cast(new_dt)))
-
 correct_load_store = PatternMatcher([
   # split LOAD/STORE
   (UPat((Ops.LOAD, Ops.STORE), src=(UPat(Ops.INDEX, name="idx").cast(),), name="ls", allow_any_len=True), split_load_store),
-  # image indexing, including unfoldable images
-  (UPat((Ops.LOAD, Ops.STORE), name="ls"), image_fixup),
 ])
 
 # *** uop expander ***
diff --git a/tinygrad/codegen/late/gater.py b/tinygrad/codegen/late/gater.py
index 1bab753cb8..2321b973c4 100644
--- a/tinygrad/codegen/late/gater.py
+++ b/tinygrad/codegen/late/gater.py
@@ -14,6 +14,37 @@ def image_coords_to_int(idx:UOp, buf:UOp, x:UOp, y:UOp):
   if not isinstance(buf.dtype, ImageDType) or (x.dtype != dtypes.long and y.dtype != dtypes.long): return None
   return idx.replace(src=(buf, x.cast(dtypes.int) if x.dtype == dtypes.long else x, y.cast(dtypes.int) if y.dtype == dtypes.long else y))
 
+def index_and_valid(idx:UOp) -> tuple[UOp, UOp]:
+  if idx.dtype.scalar() is dtypes.weakint: return idx.get_idx(), idx.get_valid()
+  if idx.op is Ops.WHERE and idx.src[2].arg is Invalid: return idx.src[1], idx.src[0]
+  return idx, UOp.const(dtypes.bool, idx.arg is not Invalid)
+
+def valid_idx(idx:UOp, valid:UOp) -> UOp:
+  return idx if valid.op is Ops.CONST and valid.arg is True else valid.where(idx, idx.const_like(Invalid))
+
+def get_image_idx(idx:UOp, width:int) -> UOp:
+  x, valid = index_and_valid(idx.src[1])
+  idx_x, idx_y = (x.gep(0), x.gep(1)) if x.dtype.count == 2 else ((x // 4) % width, x // (4*width))
+  return idx.replace(src=(idx.src[0], valid_idx(idx_x, valid), valid_idx(idx_y, valid)))
+
+def image_fixup(ls:UOp):
+  # normal image load/store from split_load_store: casted linear offset -> image x/y coordinates
+  if ls.src[0].op is Ops.CAST and (cast_idx:=ls.src[0].src[0]).op is Ops.INDEX and isinstance(dt:=cast_idx.src[0].dtype, ImageDType):
+    assert ls.src[0].dtype.count == 4, "image must be casted to 4"
+    return ls.replace(src=(cast_idx if len(cast_idx.src) == 3 else get_image_idx(cast_idx, dt.shape[1]),)+ls.src[1:])
+
+  if ls.src[0].op is not Ops.INDEX or not isinstance(dt:=ls.src[0].src[0].dtype, ImageDType) or len(ls.src[0].src) == 3: return None
+  off, _ = index_and_valid(ls.src[0].src[1])
+  if off.dtype.count == 2: return ls.replace(src=(get_image_idx(ls.src[0], dt.shape[1]),)+ls.src[1:])
+
+  # this is an unprocessed image without a cast, we should just make it a buffer
+  idx = ls.src[0].src[0].replace(dtype=(new_dt:=dtypes.half if dt.itemsize == 2 else dtypes.float).ptr(dt.size)).index(ls.src[0].src[1])
+  return ls.replace(src=(idx,), dtype=new_dt).cast(dtypes.float) if ls.op is Ops.LOAD else ls.replace(src=(idx, ls.src[1].cast(new_dt)))
+
+pm_image_index = PatternMatcher([
+  (UPat((Ops.LOAD, Ops.STORE), name="ls"), image_fixup),
+])
+
 pm_move_gates_from_index = PatternMatcher([
   # here we create the alt value for load to be 0s and remove the where Invalid
   (UPat.var("buf").index(UPat.var("gate").where(UPat.var("idx"), UPat(arg=Invalid))).or_casted(name="cast").load(name="l"),