diff --git a/tools/qfcc/include/image.h b/tools/qfcc/include/image.h
index 5e615ff20..f21f8027a 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/include/image.h
+++ b/tools/qfcc/include/image.h
@@ -73,5 +73,8 @@ const type_t *sampler_type (const type_t *type);
 
 bool is_image (const type_t *type) __attribute__((pure));
 bool is_sampled_image (const type_t *type) __attribute__((pure));
+bool image_type_promotes (const type_t *dst, const type_t *src) __attribute__((pure));
+bool image_type_demotes (const type_t *dst, const type_t *src) __attribute__((pure));
+bool image_type_assignable (const type_t *dst, const type_t *src) __attribute__((pure));
 
 #endif//__image_h
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/glsl-builtins.c b/tools/qfcc/source/glsl-builtins.c
index c6779f21e..a3aab6e42 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/glsl-builtins.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/glsl-builtins.c
@@ -1050,10 +1050,10 @@ SRC_LINE
 "#define uint unsigned"                                                 "\n"
 "#define readonly"                                                      "\n"
 "#define writeonly"                                                     "\n"
-"#define __image(t,...) @image(t __VA_OPT__(,) __VA_ARGS__)"            "\n"
-"#define _image(d,...) __image(float, d __VA_OPT__(,) __VA_ARGS__), \\" "\n"
-"                      __image(int, d __VA_OPT__(,) __VA_ARGS__),   \\" "\n"
-"                      __image(uint, d __VA_OPT__(,) __VA_ARGS__)"      "\n"
+"#define __image(...) @image(__VA_ARGS__ __VA_OPT__(,) Storage)"        "\n"
+"#define _image(...) __image(float __VA_OPT__(,) __VA_ARGS__), \\"      "\n"
+"                    __image(int __VA_OPT__(,) __VA_ARGS__),   \\"      "\n"
+"                    __image(uint __VA_OPT__(,) __VA_ARGS__)"           "\n"
 "#define gvec4 @vector(gimage.sample_type, 4)"                          "\n"
 "#define gvec4MS @vector(gimageMS.sample_type, 4)"                      "\n"
 "#define IMAGE_PARAMS gimage image, gimage.image_coord P"               "\n"
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/image.c b/tools/qfcc/source/image.c
index 93b0fdabf..aee396fe4 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/image.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/image.c
@@ -268,6 +268,9 @@ create_image_type (image_t *image, const type_t *htype)
 
 	type_t type = {
 		.type = ev_int,
+		.alignment = 1,
+		.width = 1,
+		.columns = 1,
 		.meta = ty_handle,
 		.handle.type = htype,
 		.handle.extra = index,
@@ -407,14 +410,78 @@ sampler_type (const type_t *type)
 	return create_image_type (&image, &type_sampled_image);
 }
 
-bool is_image (const type_t *type)
+bool
+is_image (const type_t *type)
 {
 	type = unalias_type (type);
 	return is_handle (type) && type->handle.type == &type_image;
 }
 
-bool is_sampled_image (const type_t *type)
+bool
+is_sampled_image (const type_t *type)
 {
 	type = unalias_type (type);
 	return is_handle (type) && type->handle.type == &type_sampled_image;
 }
+
+bool
+image_type_promotes (const type_t *dst, const type_t *src)
+{
+	//FIXME which is demote and which is promote?
+	if (!is_image (dst) && !is_sampled_image (dst)
+		&& !is_image (src) && !is_sampled_image (src)) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	if (dst->handle.type != src->handle.type) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	auto dst_image = imageset.a[dst->handle.extra];
+	auto src_image = imageset.a[src->handle.extra];
+	// ignore sampled, format, and id
+	dst_image.format = 0;
+	src_image.format = 0;
+	dst_image.id = 0;
+	src_image.id = 0;
+	return memcmp (&dst_image, &src_image, sizeof (dst_image)) == 0;
+}
+
+bool
+image_type_demotes (const type_t *dst, const type_t *src)
+{
+	//FIXME which is demote and which is promote?
+	if (!is_image (dst) && !is_sampled_image (dst)
+		&& !is_image (src) && !is_sampled_image (src)) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	if (dst->handle.type != src->handle.type) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	auto dst_image = imageset.a[dst->handle.extra];
+	auto src_image = imageset.a[src->handle.extra];
+	// ignore format and id
+	dst_image.format = 0;
+	src_image.format = 0;
+	dst_image.id = 0;
+	src_image.id = 0;
+	return memcmp (&dst_image, &src_image, sizeof (dst_image)) == 0;
+}
+
+bool
+image_type_assignable (const type_t *dst, const type_t *src)
+{
+	if (!is_image (dst) && !is_sampled_image (dst)
+		&& !is_image (src) && !is_sampled_image (src)) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	if (dst->handle.type != src->handle.type) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	auto dst_image = imageset.a[dst->handle.extra];
+	auto src_image = imageset.a[src->handle.extra];
+	// ignore format and id
+	dst_image.format = 0;
+	src_image.format = 0;
+	dst_image.id = 0;
+	src_image.id = 0;
+	return memcmp (&dst_image, &src_image, sizeof (dst_image)) == 0;
+}
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/stub.c b/tools/qfcc/source/stub.c
index f09e24394..2b348eedd 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/stub.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/stub.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include "tools/qfcc/include/defspace.h"
 #include "tools/qfcc/include/emit.h"
 #include "tools/qfcc/include/expr.h"
+#include "tools/qfcc/include/image.h"
 #include "tools/qfcc/include/obj_file.h"
 #include "tools/qfcc/include/obj_type.h"
 #include "tools/qfcc/include/options.h"
@@ -72,3 +73,8 @@ void dump_dot_type (void *_t, const char *filename){}
 char *fubar;
 const char *file_basename(const char *p, int keepdot) { return fubar;}
 __attribute__((const)) const type_t *get_type (const expr_t *e) {return nullptr;}
+bool is_image (const type_t *type){return type->type;}
+bool is_sampled_image (const type_t *type){return type->type;}
+bool image_type_demotes (const type_t *dst, const type_t *src){return dst->type;}
+bool image_type_promotes (const type_t *dst, const type_t *src){return dst->type;}
+bool image_type_assignable (const type_t *dst, const type_t *src){return dst->type;}
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/type.c b/tools/qfcc/source/type.c
index 003b9833e..ce0915928 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/type.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/type.c
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
 #include "tools/qfcc/include/diagnostic.h"
 #include "tools/qfcc/include/expr.h"
 #include "tools/qfcc/include/function.h"
+#include "tools/qfcc/include/image.h"
 #include "tools/qfcc/include/obj_type.h"
 #include "tools/qfcc/include/options.h"
 #include "tools/qfcc/include/qfcc.h"
@@ -1726,6 +1727,10 @@ type_assignable (const type_t *dst, const type_t *src)
 		if (is_algebra (dst) || is_algebra (src)) {
 			return algebra_type_assignable (dst, src);
 		}
+		if ((is_image (dst) || is_sampled_image (dst))
+			&& (is_image (src) || is_sampled_image (src))) {
+			return image_type_assignable (dst, src);
+		}
 		if (is_scalar (dst) && is_scalar (src)) {
 			return true;
 		}
@@ -1792,6 +1797,10 @@ type_promotes (const type_t *dst, const type_t *src)
 
 	dst = unalias_type (dst);
 	src = unalias_type (src);
+	if ((is_image (dst) || is_sampled_image (dst))
+		&& (is_image (src) || is_sampled_image (src))) {
+		return image_type_promotes (dst, src);
+	}
 	if (!is_math (dst) || !is_math (src)) {
 		return false;
 	}
@@ -1836,6 +1845,10 @@ type_demotes (const type_t *dst, const type_t *src)
 
 	dst = unalias_type (dst);
 	src = unalias_type (src);
+	if ((is_image (dst) || is_sampled_image (dst))
+		&& (is_image (src) || is_sampled_image (src))) {
+		return image_type_demotes (dst, src);
+	}
 	if (!is_math (dst) || !is_math (src)) {
 		return false;
 	}