diff --git a/api_routes.py b/api_routes.py
index 40815ab..69d984d 100644
--- a/api_routes.py
+++ b/api_routes.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any
 
 from fastapi import HTTPException, Query
+from fastapi.responses import FileResponse
 from nicegui import app
 
 from db import ProjectDB
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ def register_api_routes(db: ProjectDB) -> None:
     app.add_api_route("/api/projects/{name}/files/{file_name}/sequences", _list_sequences, methods=["GET"])
     app.add_api_route("/api/projects/{name}/files/{file_name}/data", _get_data, methods=["GET"])
     app.add_api_route("/api/projects/{name}/files/{file_name}/keys", _get_keys, methods=["GET"])
+    app.add_api_route("/api/image-preview", _serve_image, methods=["GET"])
 
 
 def _get_db() -> ProjectDB:
@@ -102,3 +104,10 @@ def _get_keys(name: str, file_name: str, seq: int = Query(default=1)) -> dict[st
     logger.info("API _get_keys %s/%s seq=%d (%d keys): %.3fs",
                  name, file_name, seq, len(keys), time.perf_counter() - t0)
     return {"keys": keys, "types": types, "total_sequences": total}
+
+
+def _serve_image(path: str = Query(...)) -> FileResponse:
+    p = Path(path)
+    if not p.exists() or not p.is_file():
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="Image not found")
+    return FileResponse(str(p))
diff --git a/tab_batch_ng.py b/tab_batch_ng.py
index b4a0398..40fc8dd 100644
--- a/tab_batch_ng.py
+++ b/tab_batch_ng.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import math
 import random
 import time
 from pathlib import Path
+from urllib.parse import quote
 
 from nicegui import ui
 
@@ -571,9 +572,10 @@ def _render_sequence_card(i, seq, batch_list, data, file_path, state,
                         img_path = Path(seq.get(img_key, '')) if seq.get(img_key) else None
                         if (img_path and img_path.exists() and
                                 img_path.suffix.lower() in IMAGE_EXTENSIONS):
+                            img_url = f'/api/image-preview?path={quote(str(img_path))}'
                             with ui.dialog() as img_dlg, ui.card().style('max-width:90vw'):
-                                ui.image(str(img_path)).style('max-width:80vw; max-height:80vh')
-                            ui.image(str(img_path)).style(
+                                ui.image(img_url).style('max-width:80vw; max-height:80vh')
+                            ui.image(img_url).style(
                                 'width:36px; height:36px; object-fit:cover;'
                                 ' border-radius:4px; cursor:pointer; flex-shrink:0'
                             ).on('click', img_dlg.open)