diff --git a/client/src/components/embedding/index.js b/client/src/components/embedding/index.js
index a36d3256..7522017a 100644
--- a/client/src/components/embedding/index.js
+++ b/client/src/components/embedding/index.js
@@ -16,10 +16,11 @@ import actions from "../../actions";
 import { getDiscreteCellEmbeddingRowIndex } from "../../util/stateManager/viewStackHelpers";
 
 @connect((state) => ({
-    layoutChoice: state.layoutChoice, // TODO: really should clean up naming, s/layout/embedding/g
-    schema: state.annoMatrix?.schema,
-    crossfilter: state.obsCrossfilter,
-  }))
+  imageUnderlay: state.imageUnderlay,
+  layoutChoice: state.layoutChoice, // TODO: really should clean up naming, s/layout/embedding/g
+  schema: state.annoMatrix?.schema,
+  crossfilter: state.obsCrossfilter,
+}))
 class Embedding extends React.PureComponent {
   constructor(props) {
     super(props);
@@ -27,8 +28,18 @@ class Embedding extends React.PureComponent {
   }
 
   handleLayoutChoiceChange = (e) => {
-    const { dispatch } = this.props;
+    const { dispatch, imageUnderlay } = this.props;
     dispatch(actions.layoutChoiceAction(e.currentTarget.value));
+
+    // if we just switched off spatial, if the image is on, turn it off
+    if (
+      imageUnderlay.isActive &&
+      e.target.value !== globals.spatialEmbeddingKeyword
+    ) {
+      dispatch({
+        type: "toggle image underlay",
+      });
+    }
   };
 
   render() {
diff --git a/client/src/components/menubar/index.js b/client/src/components/menubar/index.js
index 02fcad09..37ac57c5 100644
--- a/client/src/components/menubar/index.js
+++ b/client/src/components/menubar/index.js
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import { getEmbSubsetView } from "../../util/stateManager/viewStackHelpers";
     subsetResetPossible,
     graphInteractionMode: state.controls.graphInteractionMode,
     imageUnderlay: state.imageUnderlay,
+    layoutChoice: state.layoutChoice, // TODO: really should clean up naming, s/layout/embedding/g
     clipPercentileMin: Math.round(100 * (annoMatrix?.clipRange?.[0] ?? 0)),
     clipPercentileMax: Math.round(100 * (annoMatrix?.clipRange?.[1] ?? 1)),
     userDefinedGenes: state.controls.userDefinedGenes,
@@ -208,6 +209,7 @@ class MenuBar extends React.PureComponent {
       subsetPossible,
       subsetResetPossible,
       imageUnderlay,
+      layoutChoice,
     } = this.props;
     const { pendingClipPercentiles } = this.state;
 
@@ -270,26 +272,28 @@ class MenuBar extends React.PureComponent {
             disabled={!isColoredByCategorical}
           />
         </Tooltip>
-        <ButtonGroup className={styles.menubarButton}>
-          <Tooltip
-            content={"Toggle image"}
-            position="bottom"
-            hoverOpenDelay={globals.tooltipHoverOpenDelay}
-          >
-            <AnchorButton
-              type="button"
-              data-testid="toggle-image-underlay"
-              icon={"media"}
-              intent={imageUnderlay.isActive ? "primary" : "none"}
-              active={imageUnderlay.isActive}
-              onClick={() => {
-                dispatch({
-                  type: "toggle image underlay",
-                });
-              }}
-            />
-          </Tooltip>
-        </ButtonGroup>
+        {layoutChoice?.available?.includes(globals.spatialEmbeddingKeyword) && (
+          <ButtonGroup className={styles.menubarButton}>
+            <Tooltip
+              content={"Toggle image"}
+              position="bottom"
+              hoverOpenDelay={globals.tooltipHoverOpenDelay}
+            >
+              <AnchorButton
+                type="button"
+                data-testid="toggle-image-underlay"
+                icon={"media"}
+                intent={imageUnderlay.isActive ? "primary" : "none"}
+                active={imageUnderlay.isActive}
+                onClick={() => {
+                  dispatch({
+                    type: "toggle image underlay",
+                  });
+                }}
+              />
+            </Tooltip>
+          </ButtonGroup>
+        )}
 
         <ButtonGroup className={styles.menubarButton}>
           <Tooltip
diff --git a/client/src/globals.js b/client/src/globals.js
index 05845540..c47ac418 100644
--- a/client/src/globals.js
+++ b/client/src/globals.js
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ import { Colors } from "@blueprintjs/core";
 import { dispatchNetworkErrorMessageToUser } from "./util/actionHelpers";
 import ENV_DEFAULT from "../../environment.default.json";
 
+// visium embedding word, spatial image underlay
+export const spatialEmbeddingKeyword = "spatial";
+
 /* overflow category values are created  using this string */
 export const overflowCategoryLabel = ": all other labels";