diff --git a/spec/chatbox.js b/spec/chatbox.js
index cf1833229..39b198f90 100644
--- a/spec/chatbox.js
+++ b/spec/chatbox.js
@@ -1612,8 +1612,8 @@
                         expect(view.sendMessage).toHaveBeenCalled();
                         var msg = $(view.el).find('.chat-content').find('.chat-message').last().find('.chat-msg-content');
                         expect(msg.html()).toEqual(
-                            '<a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="'+base_url+'/logo/conversejs.svg"><img src="' +
-                                message + '" class="chat-image"></a>');
+                            '<a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="'+base_url+'/logo/conversejs.svg"><img class="chat-image"'+
+                            ' src="' + message + '"></a>');
                         message += "?param1=val1&param2=val2";
                         test_utils.sendMessage(view, message);
                         return test_utils.waitUntil(function () {
@@ -1623,9 +1623,8 @@
                         expect(view.sendMessage).toHaveBeenCalled();
                         var msg = $(view.el).find('.chat-content').find('.chat-message').last().find('.chat-msg-content');
                         expect(msg.html()).toEqual(
-                            '<a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="'+base_url+'/logo/conversejs.svg?param1=val1&amp;param2=val2"><img src="'+
-                                message.replace(/&/g, '&amp;') +
-                                '" class="chat-image"></a>')
+                            '<a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="'+base_url+'/logo/conversejs.svg?param1=val1&amp;param2=val2"><img'+
+                            ' class="chat-image" src="'+message.replace(/&/g, '&amp;')+'"></a>')
 
                         // Test now with two images in one message
                         message += ' hello world '+base_url+"/logo/conversejs.svg";
@@ -1638,9 +1637,9 @@
                         var msg = $(view.el).find('.chat-content').find('.chat-message').last().find('.chat-msg-content');
                         expect(msg.html()).toEqual(
                             '<a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="'+base_url+'/logo/conversejs.svg?param1=val1&amp;param2=val2">'+
-                            '<img src="'+base_url+'/logo/conversejs.svg?param1=val1&amp;param2=val2" class="chat-image"></a> hello world '+
+                            '<img class="chat-image" src="'+base_url+'/logo/conversejs.svg?param1=val1&amp;param2=val2"></a> hello world '+
                             '<a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="'+base_url+'/logo/conversejs.svg">'+
-                            '<img src="'+base_url+'/logo/conversejs.svg" class="chat-image"></a>'
+                            '<img class="chat-image" src="'+base_url+'/logo/conversejs.svg"></a>'
                         )
                         done();
                     });
diff --git a/src/converse-chatview.js b/src/converse-chatview.js
index f62402c93..c05dc24ec 100644
--- a/src/converse-chatview.js
+++ b/src/converse-chatview.js
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@
                     msg_content.innerHTML = u.addEmoji(
                         _converse, emojione, u.addHyperlinks(xss.filterXSS(text, {'whiteList': {}}))
                     );
-                    u.renderImageURLs(msg_content);
+                    u.renderImageURLs(msg_content).then(this.scrollDown.bind(this));
                     return msg;
                 },
 
diff --git a/src/utils.js b/src/utils.js
index 703412530..6773f88b6 100644
--- a/src/utils.js
+++ b/src/utils.js
@@ -180,15 +180,29 @@
     };
 
     u.renderImageURLs = function (obj) {
+        /* Returns a Promise which resolves once all images have been loaded.
+         */
         const list = obj.textContent.match(URL_REGEX) || [];
-        _.forEach(list, function (url) {
-            isImage(url).then(function (img) {
-                img.className = 'chat-image';
-                var anchors = sizzle(`a[href="${url}"]`, obj);
-                _.each(anchors, (a) => { a.innerHTML = img.outerHTML; });
-            });
-        });
-        return obj;
+        return Promise.all(
+            _.map(list, (url) =>
+                new Promise((resolve, reject) =>
+                    isImage(url).then(function (img) {
+                        // XXX: need to create a new image, otherwise the event
+                        // listener doesn't fire
+                        const i = new Image();
+                        i.className = 'chat-image';
+                        i.src = img.src;
+                        i.addEventListener('load', resolve);
+                        // We also resolve for non-images, otherwise the
+                        // Promise.all resolves prematurely.
+                        i.addEventListener('error', resolve);
+                        var anchors = sizzle(`a[href="${url}"]`, obj);
+                        _.each(anchors, (a) => {
+                            a.replaceChild(i, a.firstChild);
+                        });
+                    }).catch(resolve)
+                )
+            ))
     };
 
     u.slideInAllElements = function (elements, duration=300) {