diff --git a/tools/qfcc/include/glsl-lang.h b/tools/qfcc/include/glsl-lang.h
index f4424b604..8d5622753 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/include/glsl-lang.h
+++ b/tools/qfcc/include/glsl-lang.h
@@ -146,4 +146,7 @@ bool glsl_on_include (const char *name, rua_ctx_t *ctx);
 void glsl_include (int behavior, void *scanner);
 void glsl_multiview (int behavior, void *scanner);
 
+symbol_t *glsl_image_type (glsl_image_t *image, const type_t *htype,
+						   const char *name);
+
 #endif//__glsl_lang_h
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/glsl-layout.c b/tools/qfcc/source/glsl-layout.c
index f192bec5f..701e3a60c 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/glsl-layout.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/glsl-layout.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 # include "config.h"
 #endif
 
+#include <ctype.h>
 #include <strings.h>
 
 #include "QF/alloc.h"
@@ -182,10 +183,62 @@ glsl_layout_set (const layout_qual_t *qual, specifier_t spec,
 	set_attribute (&spec.sym->attributes, name, val);
 }
 
+static const type_t *
+set_image_format (const type_t *type, const char *format)
+{
+	bool reference = false;
+	unsigned tag = 0;
+	if (is_reference (type)) {
+		reference = true;
+		tag = type->fldptr.tag;
+		type = dereference_type (type);
+	}
+	bool array = false;
+	int count = 0;
+	if (is_array (type)) {
+		array = true;
+		count = type_count (type);
+		type = dereference_type (type);
+	}
+	if (is_array (type)) {
+		type = set_image_format (type, format);
+	} else {
+		if (!is_handle (type)
+			&& type->handle.type != &type_glsl_sampled_image
+			&& type->handle.type != &type_glsl_image) {
+			internal_error (0, "not an image type");
+		}
+		auto htype = type->handle.type;
+		auto image = glsl_imageset.a[type->handle.extra];
+		if (image.format == SpvImageFormatUnknown) {
+			image.format = spirv_enum_val ("ImageFormat", format);
+		} else {
+			error (0, "format already set");
+		}
+		int len = strlen (format);
+		char fmt[len + 1];
+		for (int i = 0; i < len + 1; i++) {
+			fmt[i] = tolower (format[i]);
+		}
+		auto sym = glsl_image_type (&image, htype, va (0, ".image:%s", fmt));
+		type = sym->type;
+	}
+	if (array) {
+		type = array_type (type, count);
+	}
+	if (reference) {
+		type = tagged_reference_type (tag, type);
+	}
+	return type;
+}
+
 static void
 glsl_layout_format (const layout_qual_t *qual, specifier_t spec,
 					const expr_t *qual_name)
 {
+	auto type = spec.sym->type;
+	type = set_image_format (type, qual->name);
+	spec.sym->type = type;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/glsl-parse.y b/tools/qfcc/source/glsl-parse.y
index e735316c7..9ca375cb1 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/glsl-parse.y
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/glsl-parse.y
@@ -1639,6 +1639,41 @@ image_property (const type_t *type, const attribute_t *attr)
 	return type->handle.type->property (type, attr);
 }
 
+symbol_t *
+glsl_image_type (glsl_image_t *image, const type_t *htype, const char *name)
+{
+	unsigned index = 0;
+	// slot 0 is never used
+	for (unsigned i = 1; i < glsl_imageset.size; i++) {
+		if (memcmp (&glsl_imageset.a[i], image, sizeof (*image)) == 0) {
+			index = i;
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+	if (!index) {
+		if (!glsl_imageset.size) {
+			DARRAY_APPEND (&glsl_imageset, (glsl_image_t) { } );
+		}
+		index = glsl_imageset.size;
+		DARRAY_APPEND (&glsl_imageset, *image);
+	}
+
+	auto sym = new_symbol (name);
+	sym = find_handle (sym, &type_int);
+	//FIXME the type isn't chained yet and so doesn't need to be const, but
+	// symbols keep the type in a const pointer.
+	auto t = (type_t *) sym->type;
+	if (t->handle.extra) {
+		internal_error (0, "image type handle already set");
+	}
+	t->handle.type = htype;
+	t->handle.extra = index;
+	t->property = image_property;
+	sym->type = find_type (sym->type);
+
+	return sym;
+}
+
 static symbol_t *
 glsl_parse_image (const char *token, rua_ctx_t *ctx)
 {
@@ -1733,36 +1768,7 @@ glsl_parse_image (const char *token, rua_ctx_t *ctx)
 		goto invalid;
 	}
 
-	unsigned index = 0;
-	// slot 0 is never used
-	for (unsigned i = 1; i < glsl_imageset.size; i++) {
-		if (memcmp (&glsl_imageset.a[i], &image, sizeof (image)) == 0) {
-			index = i;
-			break;
-		}
-	}
-	if (!index) {
-		if (!glsl_imageset.size) {
-			DARRAY_APPEND (&glsl_imageset, (glsl_image_t) { } );
-		}
-		index = glsl_imageset.size;
-		DARRAY_APPEND (&glsl_imageset, image);
-	}
-
-	auto sym = new_symbol (token);
-	sym = find_handle (sym, &type_int);
-	sym->type = find_type (sym->type);
-	//FIXME the type isn't chained yet and so doesn't need to be const, but
-	// symbols keep the type in a const pointer.
-	auto t = (type_t *) sym->type;
-	if (t->handle.extra) {
-		internal_error (0, "image type handle already set");
-	}
-	t->handle.type = type.htype;
-	t->handle.extra = index;
-	t->property = image_property;
-
-	return sym;
+	return glsl_image_type (&image, type.htype, token);
 invalid:
 	internal_error (0, "invalid image type: %s", token);
 }