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 03b41659..37ac57c5 100644
--- a/client/src/components/menubar/index.js
+++ b/client/src/components/menubar/index.js
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ import { getEmbSubsetView } from "../../util/stateManager/viewStackHelpers";
     subsetPossible,
     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,
@@ -206,6 +208,8 @@ class MenuBar extends React.PureComponent {
       colorAccessor,
       subsetPossible,
       subsetResetPossible,
+      imageUnderlay,
+      layoutChoice,
     } = this.props;
     const { pendingClipPercentiles } = this.state;
 
@@ -268,6 +272,29 @@ class MenuBar extends React.PureComponent {
             disabled={!isColoredByCategorical}
           />
         </Tooltip>
+        {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
             content={selectionTooltip}
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";
 
diff --git a/client/src/reducers/imageUnderlay.js b/client/src/reducers/imageUnderlay.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dc082be5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/reducers/imageUnderlay.js
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+const imageUnderlay = (state = { isActive: false }, action) => {
+  switch (action.type) {
+    case "toggle image underlay":
+      return {
+        ...state,
+        isActive: !state.isActive,
+      };
+
+    default:
+      return state;
+  }
+};
+
+export default imageUnderlay;
diff --git a/client/src/reducers/index.js b/client/src/reducers/index.js
index 05da1b88..a940329c 100644
--- a/client/src/reducers/index.js
+++ b/client/src/reducers/index.js
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import genesetsUI from "./genesetsUI";
 import autosave from "./autosave";
 import centroidLabels from "./centroidLabels";
 import pointDialation from "./pointDilation";
+import imageUnderlay from "./imageUnderlay";
 import { gcMiddleware as annoMatrixGC } from "../annoMatrix";
 
 import undoableConfig from "./undoableConfig";
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ const Reducer = undoable(
     ["differential", differential],
     ["spatial", spatial],
     ["centroidLabels", centroidLabels],
+    ["imageUnderlay", imageUnderlay],
     ["pointDilation", pointDialation],
     ["autosave", autosave],
   ]),