diff --git a/invokeai/frontend/web/src/app/types/invokeai.ts b/invokeai/frontend/web/src/app/types/invokeai.ts
index a39ed2ca7b2..8b247327c70 100644
--- a/invokeai/frontend/web/src/app/types/invokeai.ts
+++ b/invokeai/frontend/web/src/app/types/invokeai.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ export type AppConfig = {
    * Whether or not we should update image urls when image loading errors
    */
   shouldUpdateImagesOnConnect: boolean;
+  shouldFetchMetadataFromApi: boolean;
   disabledTabs: InvokeTabName[];
   disabledFeatures: AppFeature[];
   disabledSDFeatures: SDFeature[];
diff --git a/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/gallery/components/CurrentImage/CurrentImageButtons.tsx b/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/gallery/components/CurrentImage/CurrentImageButtons.tsx
index 846cf5a6f00..e5f0bc54f59 100644
--- a/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/gallery/components/CurrentImage/CurrentImageButtons.tsx
+++ b/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/gallery/components/CurrentImage/CurrentImageButtons.tsx
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import {
   setShouldShowImageDetails,
   setShouldShowProgressInViewer,
 } from 'features/ui/store/uiSlice';
-import { memo, useCallback } from 'react';
+import { memo, useCallback, useMemo } from 'react';
 import { useHotkeys } from 'react-hotkeys-hook';
 import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
 import {
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ import SingleSelectionMenuItems from '../ImageContextMenu/SingleSelectionMenuIte
 
 const currentImageButtonsSelector = createSelector(
   [stateSelector, activeTabNameSelector],
-  ({ gallery, system, ui }, activeTabName) => {
+  ({ gallery, system, ui, config }, activeTabName) => {
     const { isProcessing, isConnected, shouldConfirmOnDelete, progressImage } =
       system;
 
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ const currentImageButtonsSelector = createSelector(
       shouldShowProgressInViewer,
     } = ui;
 
+    const { shouldFetchMetadataFromApi } = config;
+
     const lastSelectedImage = gallery.selection[gallery.selection.length - 1];
 
     return {
@@ -72,6 +74,7 @@ const currentImageButtonsSelector = createSelector(
       shouldHidePreview,
       shouldShowProgressInViewer,
       lastSelectedImage,
+      shouldFetchMetadataFromApi,
     };
   },
   {
@@ -92,6 +95,7 @@ const CurrentImageButtons = (props: CurrentImageButtonsProps) => {
     shouldShowImageDetails,
     lastSelectedImage,
     shouldShowProgressInViewer,
+    shouldFetchMetadataFromApi,
   } = useAppSelector(currentImageButtonsSelector);
 
   const isUpscalingEnabled = useFeatureStatus('upscaling').isFeatureEnabled;
@@ -106,8 +110,16 @@ const CurrentImageButtons = (props: CurrentImageButtonsProps) => {
     lastSelectedImage?.image_name ?? skipToken
   );
 
+  const getMetadataArg = useMemo(() => {
+    if (lastSelectedImage) {
+      return { image: lastSelectedImage, shouldFetchMetadataFromApi };
+    } else {
+      return skipToken;
+    }
+  }, [lastSelectedImage, shouldFetchMetadataFromApi]);
+
   const { metadata, workflow, isLoading } = useGetImageMetadataFromFileQuery(
-    lastSelectedImage ?? skipToken,
+    getMetadataArg,
     {
       selectFromResult: (res) => ({
         isLoading: res.isFetching,
diff --git a/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/gallery/components/ImageContextMenu/SingleSelectionMenuItems.tsx b/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/gallery/components/ImageContextMenu/SingleSelectionMenuItems.tsx
index 90272a3a860..46c84e85ce7 100644
--- a/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/gallery/components/ImageContextMenu/SingleSelectionMenuItems.tsx
+++ b/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/gallery/components/ImageContextMenu/SingleSelectionMenuItems.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Flex, MenuItem, Spinner } from '@chakra-ui/react';
 import { useAppToaster } from 'app/components/Toaster';
-import { useAppDispatch } from 'app/store/storeHooks';
+import { useAppDispatch, useAppSelector } from 'app/store/storeHooks';
 import { setInitialCanvasImage } from 'features/canvas/store/canvasSlice';
 import {
   imagesToChangeSelected,
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import {
 import { ImageDTO } from 'services/api/types';
 import { sentImageToCanvas, sentImageToImg2Img } from '../../store/actions';
 import { workflowLoadRequested } from 'features/nodes/store/actions';
+import { configSelector } from '../../../system/store/configSelectors';
 
 type SingleSelectionMenuItemsProps = {
   imageDTO: ImageDTO;
@@ -48,9 +49,10 @@ const SingleSelectionMenuItems = (props: SingleSelectionMenuItemsProps) => {
   const toaster = useAppToaster();
 
   const isCanvasEnabled = useFeatureStatus('unifiedCanvas').isFeatureEnabled;
+  const { shouldFetchMetadataFromApi } = useAppSelector(configSelector);
 
   const { metadata, workflow, isLoading } = useGetImageMetadataFromFileQuery(
-    imageDTO,
+    { image: imageDTO, shouldFetchMetadataFromApi },
     {
       selectFromResult: (res) => ({
         isLoading: res.isFetching,
diff --git a/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/gallery/components/ImageMetadataViewer/ImageMetadataViewer.tsx b/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/gallery/components/ImageMetadataViewer/ImageMetadataViewer.tsx
index ca3eab2dba8..bec51256574 100644
--- a/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/gallery/components/ImageMetadataViewer/ImageMetadataViewer.tsx
+++ b/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/gallery/components/ImageMetadataViewer/ImageMetadataViewer.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ import { useGetImageMetadataFromFileQuery } from 'services/api/endpoints/images'
 import { ImageDTO } from 'services/api/types';
 import DataViewer from './DataViewer';
 import ImageMetadataActions from './ImageMetadataActions';
+import { useAppSelector } from '../../../../app/store/storeHooks';
+import { configSelector } from '../../../system/store/configSelectors';
 
 type ImageMetadataViewerProps = {
   image: ImageDTO;
@@ -27,12 +29,17 @@ const ImageMetadataViewer = ({ image }: ImageMetadataViewerProps) => {
   //   dispatch(setShouldShowImageDetails(false));
   // });
 
-  const { metadata, workflow } = useGetImageMetadataFromFileQuery(image, {
-    selectFromResult: (res) => ({
-      metadata: res?.currentData?.metadata,
-      workflow: res?.currentData?.workflow,
-    }),
-  });
+  const { shouldFetchMetadataFromApi } = useAppSelector(configSelector);
+
+  const { metadata, workflow } = useGetImageMetadataFromFileQuery(
+    { image, shouldFetchMetadataFromApi },
+    {
+      selectFromResult: (res) => ({
+        metadata: res?.currentData?.metadata,
+        workflow: res?.currentData?.workflow,
+      }),
+    }
+  );
 
   return (
     <Flex
diff --git a/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/system/store/configSlice.ts b/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/system/store/configSlice.ts
index 9bdc16ce77c..8ad0ee33e41 100644
--- a/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/system/store/configSlice.ts
+++ b/invokeai/frontend/web/src/features/system/store/configSlice.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { merge } from 'lodash-es';
 
 export const initialConfigState: AppConfig = {
   shouldUpdateImagesOnConnect: false,
+  shouldFetchMetadataFromApi: false,
   disabledTabs: [],
   disabledFeatures: ['lightbox', 'faceRestore', 'batches'],
   disabledSDFeatures: [
diff --git a/invokeai/frontend/web/src/services/api/endpoints/images.ts b/invokeai/frontend/web/src/services/api/endpoints/images.ts
index 6b048648158..4f4e3e13913 100644
--- a/invokeai/frontend/web/src/services/api/endpoints/images.ts
+++ b/invokeai/frontend/web/src/services/api/endpoints/images.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { EntityState, Update } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';
+import { fetchBaseQuery } from '@reduxjs/toolkit/dist/query';
 import { PatchCollection } from '@reduxjs/toolkit/dist/query/core/buildThunks';
 import {
   ASSETS_CATEGORIES,
@@ -6,9 +7,14 @@ import {
   IMAGE_CATEGORIES,
   IMAGE_LIMIT,
 } from 'features/gallery/store/types';
+import {
+  ImageMetadataAndWorkflow,
+  zCoreMetadata,
+} from 'features/nodes/types/types';
 import { getMetadataAndWorkflowFromImageBlob } from 'features/nodes/util/getMetadataAndWorkflowFromImageBlob';
 import { keyBy } from 'lodash-es';
 import { ApiFullTagDescription, LIST_TAG, api } from '..';
+import { $authToken, $projectId } from '../client';
 import { components, paths } from '../schema';
 import {
   DeleteBoardResult,
@@ -27,9 +33,6 @@ import {
   imagesSelectors,
 } from '../util';
 import { boardsApi } from './boards';
-import { ImageMetadataAndWorkflow } from 'features/nodes/types/types';
-import { fetchBaseQuery } from '@reduxjs/toolkit/dist/query';
-import { $authToken, $projectId } from '../client';
 
 export const imagesApi = api.injectEndpoints({
   endpoints: (build) => ({
@@ -117,8 +120,16 @@ export const imagesApi = api.injectEndpoints({
       ],
       keepUnusedDataFor: 86400, // 24 hours
     }),
-    getImageMetadataFromFile: build.query<ImageMetadataAndWorkflow, ImageDTO>({
-      queryFn: async (args: ImageDTO, api, extraOptions) => {
+    getImageMetadataFromFile: build.query<
+      ImageMetadataAndWorkflow,
+      { image: ImageDTO; shouldFetchMetadataFromApi: boolean }
+    >({
+      queryFn: async (
+        args: { image: ImageDTO; shouldFetchMetadataFromApi: boolean },
+        api,
+        extraOptions,
+        fetchWithBaseQuery
+      ) => {
         const authToken = $authToken.get();
         const projectId = $projectId.get();
         const customBaseQuery = fetchBaseQuery({
@@ -139,17 +150,35 @@ export const imagesApi = api.injectEndpoints({
         });
 
         const response = await customBaseQuery(
-          args.image_url,
+          args.image.image_url,
           api,
           extraOptions
         );
-        const data = await getMetadataAndWorkflowFromImageBlob(
+        const blobData = await getMetadataAndWorkflowFromImageBlob(
           response.data as Blob
         );
-        return { data };
+
+        let metadata = blobData.metadata;
+
+        if (args.shouldFetchMetadataFromApi) {
+          const metadataResponse = await fetchWithBaseQuery(
+            `images/i/${args.image.image_name}/metadata`
+          );
+          if (metadataResponse.data) {
+            const metadataResult = zCoreMetadata.safeParse(
+              // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+              (metadataResponse.data as any)?.metadata
+            );
+            if (metadataResult.success) {
+              metadata = metadataResult.data;
+            }
+          }
+        }
+
+        return { data: { ...blobData, metadata } };
       },
-      providesTags: (result, error, image_dto) => [
-        { type: 'ImageMetadataFromFile', id: image_dto.image_name },
+      providesTags: (result, error, { image }) => [
+        { type: 'ImageMetadataFromFile', id: image.image_name },
       ],
       keepUnusedDataFor: 86400, // 24 hours
     }),