diff --git a/static/js/contentCollection.js b/static/js/contentCollection.js
index 36a555b..78fe19e 100644
--- a/static/js/contentCollection.js
+++ b/static/js/contentCollection.js
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 'use strict';
 
+const {_handleNewLines, _isValid} = require('ep_image_upload/static/js/toolbar');
+
 // When an image is detected give it a lineAttribute
 // of Image with the URL to the iamge
 exports.collectContentImage = (hookName, {node, state: {lineAttributes}, tname}) => {
   if (tname === 'div' || tname === 'p') delete lineAttributes.img;
   if (tname !== 'img') return;
-  lineAttributes.img =
+
+  const imageData =
       // Client-side. This will also be used for server-side HTML imports once jsdom adds support
       // for HTMLImageElement.currentSrc.
       node.currentSrc ||
@@ -13,6 +16,66 @@ exports.collectContentImage = (hookName, {node, state: {lineAttributes}, tname})
       node.src ||
       // Server-side HTML imports using cheerio (Etherpad <= v1.8.14).
       (node.attribs && node.attribs.src);
+
+  if (typeof window !== 'undefined' && clientVars.ep_image_upload.storageType !== 'base64') {
+    delete lineAttributes.img;
+
+    const padeditor = require('ep_etherpad-lite/static/js/pad_editor').padeditor;
+    const formData = new FormData();
+
+    const match = imageData.match(/data:(?<mime>[^;]+);base64,(?<data>.*)/);
+    if (!match || !match.groups.data || !match.groups.mime) return;
+
+    // decode from internal base64 rep
+    const decodedData = Uint8Array.from(window.atob(match.groups.data), c => c.charCodeAt(0));
+
+    // check if size is within limits and mime type is supported
+    if (!_isValid({size: decodedData.length, type: match.groups.mime})) return;
+
+    const blob = new Blob([decodedData], {type: match.groups.mime});
+
+    formData.append('file', blob, 'image.png');
+    $('#imageUploadModalLoader').show();
+    $.ajax({
+      type: 'POST',
+      url: `${clientVars.padId}/pluginfw/ep_image_upload/upload`,
+      xhr: () => {
+        const myXhr = $.ajaxSettings.xhr();
+        return myXhr;
+      },
+      success: (data) => {
+        $('#imageUploadModalLoader').hide();
+        padeditor.ace.callWithAce((ace) => {
+          const imageLineNr = _handleNewLines(ace);
+          ace.ace_addImage(imageLineNr, data);
+          ace.ace_doReturnKey();
+        }, 'img', true);
+      },
+      error: (error) => {
+        let errorResponse;
+        try {
+          errorResponse = JSON.parse(error.responseText.trim());
+          if (errorResponse.type) {
+            errorResponse.message = window._(`ep_image_upload.error.${errorResponse.type}`);
+          }
+        } catch (err) {
+          errorResponse = {message: error.responseText};
+        }
+
+        $('#imageUploadModalLoader').hide();
+        $('#imageUploadModalError .error').html(errorResponse.message);
+        $('#imageUploadModalError').show();
+      },
+      async: true,
+      data: formData,
+      cache: false,
+      contentType: false,
+      processData: false,
+      timeout: 20000,
+    });
+  } else {
+    lineAttributes.img = imageData;
+  }
 };
 
 exports.collectContentPre = (name, context) => {
diff --git a/static/js/toolbar.js b/static/js/toolbar.js
index 57293af..49fd0d1 100644
--- a/static/js/toolbar.js
+++ b/static/js/toolbar.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 'use strict';
 
-const _handleNewLines = (ace) => {
+exports._handleNewLines = (ace) => {
   const rep = ace.ace_getRep();
   const lineNumber = rep.selStart[0];
   const curLine = rep.lines.atIndex(lineNumber);
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const _handleNewLines = (ace) => {
   return lineNumber;
 };
 
-const _isValid = (file) => {
+exports._isValid = (file) => {
   const mimedb = clientVars.ep_image_upload.mimeTypes;
   const mimeType = mimedb[file.type];
   let validMime = null;
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ exports.postToolbarInit = (hook, context) => {
       }
       const file = files[0];
 
-      if (!_isValid(file)) {
+      if (!exports._isValid(file)) {
         return;
       }
       if (clientVars.ep_image_upload.storageType === 'base64') {
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ exports.postToolbarInit = (hook, context) => {
         reader.onload = () => {
           const data = reader.result;
           context.ace.callWithAce((ace) => {
-            const imageLineNr = _handleNewLines(ace);
+            const imageLineNr = exports._handleNewLines(ace);
             ace.ace_addImage(imageLineNr, data);
             ace.ace_doReturnKey();
           }, 'img', true);
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ exports.postToolbarInit = (hook, context) => {
           success: (data) => {
             $('#imageUploadModalLoader').hide();
             context.ace.callWithAce((ace) => {
-              const imageLineNr = _handleNewLines(ace);
+              const imageLineNr = exports._handleNewLines(ace);
               ace.ace_addImage(imageLineNr, data);
               ace.ace_doReturnKey();
             }, 'img', true);