diff --git a/src/components/img/img.ts b/src/components/img/img.ts
index 808d925f66..dc1b3b697e 100644
--- a/src/components/img/img.ts
+++ b/src/components/img/img.ts
@@ -189,8 +189,14 @@ export class Img implements OnDestroy {
       // update to the new src
       this._src = newSrc;
 
-      // reset any existing datauri we might be holding onto
-      this._tmpDataUri = null;
+      if (newSrc.indexOf('data:') === 0) {
+        // they're using an actual datauri already
+        this._tmpDataUri = newSrc;
+
+      } else {
+        // reset any existing datauri we might be holding onto
+        this._tmpDataUri = null;
+      }
 
       // run update to kick off requests or render if everything is good
       this.update();
diff --git a/src/components/img/test/basic/main.html b/src/components/img/test/basic/main.html
index 8c971d6e8d..116e10eaa3 100644
--- a/src/components/img/test/basic/main.html
+++ b/src/components/img/test/basic/main.html
@@ -51,6 +51,20 @@
 
     </ion-item>
 
+    <ion-item>
+
+      <ion-avatar item-left>
+        <ion-img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=="></ion-img>
+      </ion-avatar>
+
+      Datauri
+
+      <ion-thumbnail item-right>
+        <ion-img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=="></ion-img>
+      </ion-thumbnail>
+
+    </ion-item>
+
     <ion-item>
 
       <ion-thumbnail item-left>
diff --git a/src/components/img/test/img.spec.ts b/src/components/img/test/img.spec.ts
index e4a6945a09..2223fe6d82 100644
--- a/src/components/img/test/img.spec.ts
+++ b/src/components/img/test/img.spec.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,14 @@ describe('Img', () => {
       expect(img._tmpDataUri).toEqual(null);
     });
 
+    it('should set datauri src', () => {
+      spyOn(img, 'update');
+      img.src = 'data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==';
+      expect(img.src).toEqual('data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==');
+      expect(img._tmpDataUri).toEqual(`data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==`);
+      expect(img.update).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
     it('should set src', () => {
       spyOn(img, 'update');
       img.src = 'image.jpg';