diff --git a/src/app/mod.rs b/src/app/mod.rs
index f2a43f2..496479c 100644
--- a/src/app/mod.rs
+++ b/src/app/mod.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use std::{
     env,
     path::{Path, PathBuf},
     process,
+    sync::Arc,
 };
 
 use iced::{
@@ -11,16 +12,23 @@ use iced::{
     keyboard, theme, widget, window,
 };
 use ignore::{WalkBuilder, types::TypesBuilder};
+use image::ImageError;
 use rayon::iter::{ParallelBridge, ParallelIterator};
 use rfd::AsyncFileDialog;
 
-use crate::{SUPPORTED_TYPES, app::maybe_image::MaybeImage};
+use crate::{
+    SUPPORTED_TYPES,
+    app::maybe_image::{MaybeImage, handle_from_image},
+    utils,
+};
 
 mod maybe_image;
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 enum Message {
     LoadImage(PathBuf),
+    ImageLoaded(Result<(PathBuf, widget::image::Handle), Arc<ImageError>>),
+
     UnloadImage(PathBuf),
 
     OpenImage(PathBuf),
@@ -58,10 +66,34 @@ impl State {
     fn update(&mut self, message: Message) -> Task<Message> {
         match message {
             Message::LoadImage(path) => {
-                self.images.entry(path.clone()).and_modify(|e| {
-                    *e = MaybeImage::Loaded(widget::image::Handle::from_path(path))
+                let path_clone = path.clone();
+
+                let (task, handle) = Task::perform(
+                    async {
+                        utils::load_image(&path)
+                            .map(|img| (path, handle_from_image(img)))
+                            .map_err(Arc::new)
+                    },
+                    Message::ImageLoaded,
+                )
+                .abortable();
+
+                self.images.entry(path_clone).and_modify(|e| {
+                    *e = MaybeImage::Loading(handle);
                 });
+
+                return task;
             }
+            Message::ImageLoaded(result) => {
+                self.error = result.as_ref().err().map(|e| e.to_string());
+
+                if let Ok((path, handle)) = result {
+                    self.images
+                        .entry(path)
+                        .and_modify(|e| *e = MaybeImage::Loaded(handle));
+                }
+            }
+
             Message::UnloadImage(path) => {
                 self.images.entry(path).and_modify(MaybeImage::unload);
             }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 8a836ad..96bfe83 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 mod app;
+mod utils;
 
 const SUPPORTED_TYPES: &[&str; 20] = &[
     "*.png", "*.PNG", "*.jpg", "*.JPG", "*.jpeg", "*.JPEG", "*.avif", "*.jxl", "*.bmp", "*.exr",
diff --git a/src/utils.rs b/src/utils.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9baabee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+use std::path::Path;
+
+use image::{DynamicImage, ImageReader, ImageResult};
+
+pub fn load_image(path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> ImageResult<DynamicImage> {
+    Ok(DynamicImage::from_decoder(
+        ImageReader::open(path)?.into_decoder()?,
+    )?)
+}