diff --git a/invokeai/app/api/routers/images.py b/invokeai/app/api/routers/images.py
index 9c55ff6531..84d4a5d27f 100644
--- a/invokeai/app/api/routers/images.py
+++ b/invokeai/app/api/routers/images.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from fastapi import BackgroundTasks, Body, HTTPException, Path, Query, Request,
 from fastapi.responses import FileResponse
 from fastapi.routing import APIRouter
 from PIL import Image
-from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
+from pydantic import BaseModel, Field, JsonValue
 
 from invokeai.app.invocations.fields import MetadataField
 from invokeai.app.services.image_records.image_records_common import ImageCategory, ImageRecordChanges, ResourceOrigin
@@ -41,14 +41,17 @@ async def upload_image(
     board_id: Optional[str] = Query(default=None, description="The board to add this image to, if any"),
     session_id: Optional[str] = Query(default=None, description="The session ID associated with this upload, if any"),
     crop_visible: Optional[bool] = Query(default=False, description="Whether to crop the image"),
+    metadata: Optional[JsonValue] = Body(
+        default=None, description="The metadata to associate with the image", embed=True
+    ),
 ) -> ImageDTO:
     """Uploads an image"""
     if not file.content_type or not file.content_type.startswith("image"):
         raise HTTPException(status_code=415, detail="Not an image")
 
-    metadata = None
-    workflow = None
-    graph = None
+    _metadata = None
+    _workflow = None
+    _graph = None
 
     contents = await file.read()
     try:
@@ -62,9 +65,9 @@ async def upload_image(
 
     # TODO: retain non-invokeai metadata on upload?
     # attempt to parse metadata from image
-    metadata_raw = pil_image.info.get("invokeai_metadata", None)
+    metadata_raw = metadata if isinstance(metadata, str) else pil_image.info.get("invokeai_metadata", None)
     if isinstance(metadata_raw, str):
-        metadata = metadata_raw
+        _metadata = metadata_raw
     else:
         ApiDependencies.invoker.services.logger.warn("Failed to parse metadata for uploaded image")
         pass
@@ -72,7 +75,7 @@ async def upload_image(
     # attempt to parse workflow from image
     workflow_raw = pil_image.info.get("invokeai_workflow", None)
     if isinstance(workflow_raw, str):
-        workflow = workflow_raw
+        _workflow = workflow_raw
     else:
         ApiDependencies.invoker.services.logger.warn("Failed to parse workflow for uploaded image")
         pass
@@ -80,7 +83,7 @@ async def upload_image(
     # attempt to extract graph from image
     graph_raw = pil_image.info.get("invokeai_graph", None)
     if isinstance(graph_raw, str):
-        graph = graph_raw
+        _graph = graph_raw
     else:
         ApiDependencies.invoker.services.logger.warn("Failed to parse graph for uploaded image")
         pass
@@ -92,9 +95,9 @@ async def upload_image(
             image_category=image_category,
             session_id=session_id,
             board_id=board_id,
-            metadata=metadata,
-            workflow=workflow,
-            graph=graph,
+            metadata=_metadata,
+            workflow=_workflow,
+            graph=_graph,
             is_intermediate=is_intermediate,
         )