diff --git a/fiftyone/core/labels.py b/fiftyone/core/labels.py
index 81a2994820..db87423006 100644
--- a/fiftyone/core/labels.py
+++ b/fiftyone/core/labels.py
@@ -401,18 +401,75 @@ class Detection(_HasAttributesDict, _HasID, Label):
         mask (None): an instance segmentation mask for the detection within
             its bounding box, which should be a 2D binary or 0/1 integer numpy
             array
+        mask_path (None):  the absolute path to the instance segmentation image
+            on disk
         confidence (None): a confidence in ``[0, 1]`` for the detection
         index (None): an index for the object
         attributes ({}): a dict mapping attribute names to :class:`Attribute`
             instances
     """
 
+    _MEDIA_FIELD = "mask_path"
+
     label = fof.StringField()
     bounding_box = fof.ListField(fof.FloatField())
     mask = fof.ArrayField()
+    mask_path = fof.StringField()
     confidence = fof.FloatField()
     index = fof.IntField()
 
+    @property
+    def has_mask(self):
+        """Whether this instance has a mask."""
+        return self.mask is not None or self.mask_path is not None
+
+    def get_mask(self):
+        """Returns the segmentation mask for this instance.
+
+        Returns:
+            a numpy array, or ``None``
+        """
+        if self.mask is not None:
+            return self.mask
+
+        if self.mask_path is not None:
+            return _read_mask(self.mask_path)
+
+        return None
+
+    def import_mask(self, update=False):
+        """Imports this instance's mask from disk to its :attr:`mask`
+        attribute.
+
+        Args:
+            outpath: the path to write the map
+            update (False): whether to clear this instance's :attr:`mask_path`
+                attribute after importing
+        """
+        if self.mask_path is not None:
+            self.mask = _read_mask(self.mask_path)
+
+            if update:
+                self.mask_path = None
+
+    def export_mask(self, outpath, update=False):
+        """Exports this instance's mask to the given path.
+
+        Args:
+            outpath: the path to write the mask
+            update (False): whether to clear this instance's :attr:`mask`
+                attribute and set its :attr:`mask_path` attribute when
+                exporting in-database segmentations
+        """
+        if self.mask_path is not None:
+            etau.copy_file(self.mask_path, outpath)
+        else:
+            _write_mask(self.mask, outpath)
+
+            if update:
+                self.mask = None
+                self.mask_path = outpath
+
     def to_polyline(self, tolerance=2, filled=True):
         """Returns a :class:`Polyline` representation of this instance.
 
@@ -467,7 +524,8 @@ def to_segmentation(self, mask=None, frame_size=None, target=255):
         Returns:
             a :class:`Segmentation`
         """
-        if self.mask is None:
+        mask = self.get_mask()
+        if mask is None:
             raise ValueError(
                 "Only detections with their `mask` attributes populated can "
                 "be converted to segmentations"
diff --git a/fiftyone/utils/coco.py b/fiftyone/utils/coco.py
index 76a4fd494b..4d079db105 100644
--- a/fiftyone/utils/coco.py
+++ b/fiftyone/utils/coco.py
@@ -1299,7 +1299,7 @@ def from_label(
             x, y, w, h = label.bounding_box
             bbox = [x * width, y * height, w * width, h * height]
 
-            if label.mask is not None:
+            if label.has_mask() is not None:
                 segmentation = _instance_to_coco_segmentation(
                     label, frame_size, iscrowd=iscrowd, tolerance=tolerance
                 )
@@ -2110,7 +2110,7 @@ def _coco_objects_to_detections(
         )
 
         if detection is not None and (
-            not load_segmentations or detection.mask is not None
+            not load_segmentations or detection.has_mask() is not None
         ):
             detections.append(detection)
 
diff --git a/fiftyone/utils/cvat.py b/fiftyone/utils/cvat.py
index c30b6811dd..f546909543 100644
--- a/fiftyone/utils/cvat.py
+++ b/fiftyone/utils/cvat.py
@@ -6400,7 +6400,7 @@ def _create_detection_shapes(
                     }
                 )
             elif label_type in ("instance", "instances"):
-                if det.mask is None:
+                if det.has_mask() is None:
                     continue
 
                 polygon = det.to_polyline()
diff --git a/fiftyone/utils/eta.py b/fiftyone/utils/eta.py
index a71ba42277..237001f503 100644
--- a/fiftyone/utils/eta.py
+++ b/fiftyone/utils/eta.py
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ def to_detected_object(detection, name=None, extra_attrs=True):
     bry = tly + h
     bounding_box = etag.BoundingBox.from_coords(tlx, tly, brx, bry)
 
-    mask = detection.mask
+    mask = detection.get_mask()
     confidence = detection.confidence
 
     attrs = _to_eta_attributes(detection, extra_attrs=extra_attrs)