diff --git a/src/openhuman/inference/provider/claude_code/input_builder.rs b/src/openhuman/inference/provider/claude_code/input_builder.rs
index 462c0d670c..f59a223c93 100644
--- a/src/openhuman/inference/provider/claude_code/input_builder.rs
+++ b/src/openhuman/inference/provider/claude_code/input_builder.rs
@@ -11,13 +11,21 @@
 //! - On a `--resume` of an existing CC session: claude already has prior
 //!   turns server-side; we only send the last user turn.
 
+use base64::Engine as _;
 use serde_json::{json, Value};
 
 use crate::openhuman::agent::messages::ChatMessage;
+use crate::openhuman::agent::multimodal::{parse_image_markers, rehydrate_image_placeholders};
 
 /// Build the bytes to write to claude's stdin. Returns an empty `Vec`
 /// when there is nothing to send (caller should abort).
 pub fn build_stdin(messages: &[ChatMessage], is_new_session: bool) -> Vec<u8> {
+    // Resolve any `[Image: … #att:<id>]` placeholders to on-disk `[IMAGE:<path>]`
+    // markers so pasted images can be inlined below. No-op for messages that
+    // carry no image placeholder, so plain text turns are unaffected.
+    let rehydrated = rehydrate_image_placeholders(messages);
+    let messages: &[ChatMessage] = &rehydrated;
+
     let mut out = String::new();
     let to_emit: Vec<&ChatMessage> = if is_new_session {
         messages.iter().filter(|m| m.role != "system").collect()
@@ -44,7 +52,7 @@ pub fn build_stdin(messages: &[ChatMessage], is_new_session: bool) -> Vec<u8> {
             "type": "user",
             "message": {
                 "role": role,
-                "content": [{"type": "text", "text": msg.content}],
+                "content": content_blocks(&msg.content),
             },
         });
         push_json_line(&mut out, &line);
@@ -53,6 +61,67 @@ pub fn build_stdin(messages: &[ChatMessage], is_new_session: bool) -> Vec<u8> {
     out.into_bytes()
 }
 
+/// Split a message's text into stream-json content blocks: the prose as a
+/// `text` block, plus one native `image` block per `[IMAGE:<ref>]` marker (the
+/// `claude` CLI + Opus are vision-capable). An image that cannot be read
+/// degrades to a short text note rather than being silently dropped.
+fn content_blocks(raw: &str) -> Vec<Value> {
+    let (text, image_refs) = parse_image_markers(raw);
+    let mut blocks: Vec<Value> = Vec::new();
+    if !text.is_empty() {
+        blocks.push(json!({"type": "text", "text": text}));
+    }
+    for reference in &image_refs {
+        match image_block(reference) {
+            Some(block) => blocks.push(block),
+            None => blocks.push(json!({
+                "type": "text",
+                "text": "[an attached image could not be read]"
+            })),
+        }
+    }
+    if blocks.is_empty() {
+        // Preserve prior behaviour for a genuinely empty message.
+        blocks.push(json!({"type": "text", "text": raw}));
+    }
+    blocks
+}
+
+/// Build an Anthropic `image` content block from an `[IMAGE:<ref>]` reference.
+/// `<ref>` is either a `data:` URI (inline base64) or an on-disk file path (a
+/// rehydrated attachment). Returns `None` when the ref cannot be resolved.
+fn image_block(reference: &str) -> Option<Value> {
+    let (media_type, data_b64) = if let Some(rest) = reference.strip_prefix("data:") {
+        let (mime, data) = rest.split_once(";base64,")?;
+        (mime.to_string(), data.to_string())
+    } else {
+        let bytes = std::fs::read(reference).ok()?;
+        (
+            media_type_from_path(reference),
+            base64::engine::general_purpose::STANDARD.encode(bytes),
+        )
+    };
+    Some(json!({
+        "type": "image",
+        "source": {"type": "base64", "media_type": media_type, "data": data_b64},
+    }))
+}
+
+/// Best-effort media type from a file extension. Claude accepts jpeg/png/gif/webp.
+fn media_type_from_path(path: &str) -> String {
+    let lower = path.to_ascii_lowercase();
+    if lower.ends_with(".png") {
+        "image/png"
+    } else if lower.ends_with(".gif") {
+        "image/gif"
+    } else if lower.ends_with(".webp") {
+        "image/webp"
+    } else {
+        "image/jpeg"
+    }
+    .to_string()
+}
+
 fn push_json_line(buf: &mut String, v: &Value) {
     buf.push_str(&serde_json::to_string(v).unwrap_or_default());
     buf.push('\n');
@@ -107,4 +176,27 @@ mod tests {
         let bytes = build_stdin(&[], true);
         assert!(bytes.is_empty());
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn user_message_with_image_marker_emits_native_image_block() {
+        // A rehydrated / inline data-URI marker becomes a real image block, and
+        // the surrounding prose stays a text block. Regression for pasted images
+        // being dropped on the way to the claude-code brain.
+        let m = ChatMessage::user("look at this [IMAGE:data:image/png;base64,QUJD]");
+        let s = String::from_utf8(build_stdin(&[m], true)).unwrap();
+        assert!(s.contains("\"type\":\"image\""), "image block emitted: {s}");
+        assert!(s.contains("\"media_type\":\"image/png\""), "{s}");
+        assert!(s.contains("\"data\":\"QUJD\""), "base64 payload preserved: {s}");
+        assert!(s.contains("\"text\":\"look at this\""), "prose kept: {s}");
+        assert!(!s.contains("[IMAGE:"), "raw marker stripped: {s}");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn plain_text_still_single_text_block() {
+        // serde_json sorts object keys, so the block serializes as
+        // {"text":"hi","type":"text"} — a single text block, no image blocks.
+        let s = String::from_utf8(build_stdin(&[ChatMessage::user("hi")], true)).unwrap();
+        assert!(s.contains("\"content\":[{\"text\":\"hi\",\"type\":\"text\"}]"), "{s}");
+        assert!(!s.contains("\"type\":\"image\""), "no image block for plain text: {s}");
+    }
 }