diff --git a/screen.c b/screen.c
index 8bfb7071..a7a13af2 100644
--- a/screen.c
+++ b/screen.c
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ screen_init(struct screen *s, u_int sx, u_int sy, u_int hlimit)
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_SIXEL
 	TAILQ_INIT(&s->images);
+	TAILQ_INIT(&s->saved_images);
 #endif
 
 	s->write_list = NULL;
@@ -643,6 +644,10 @@ screen_alternate_on(struct screen *s, struct grid_cell *gc, int cursor)
 	}
 	memcpy(&s->saved_cell, gc, sizeof s->saved_cell);
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_SIXEL
+	TAILQ_CONCAT(&s->saved_images, &s->images, entry);
+#endif
+
 	grid_view_clear(s->grid, 0, 0, sx, sy, 8);
 
 	s->saved_flags = s->grid->flags;
@@ -697,6 +702,11 @@ screen_alternate_off(struct screen *s, struct grid_cell *gc, int cursor)
 	grid_destroy(s->saved_grid);
 	s->saved_grid = NULL;
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_SIXEL
+	image_free_all(s);
+	TAILQ_CONCAT(&s->images, &s->saved_images, entry);
+#endif
+
 	if (s->cx > screen_size_x(s) - 1)
 		s->cx = screen_size_x(s) - 1;
 	if (s->cy > screen_size_y(s) - 1)
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 414c2819..d7ea3aad 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -984,6 +984,7 @@ struct screen {
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_SIXEL
 	struct images			 images;
+	struct images			 saved_images;
 #endif
 
 	struct screen_write_cline	*write_list;