diff --git a/lib/parse/imageref.go b/lib/parse/imageref.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..509c4c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/parse/imageref.go
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+package parse
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+// ImageRef represents an image referenced by a filter via OSC 9 marker.
+type ImageRef struct {
+	Index int    // Sequential position in the message
+	Path  string // Absolute path to image file on disk
+	Alt   string // Alt text fallback
+}
+
+var oscImagePrefix = []byte("\033]9;image:")
+
+// ParseImageOSC parses an OSC 9 image marker from a byte slice.
+// Format: \033]9;image:path=/tmp/foo.png;alt=text\007
+// The marker may appear anywhere in the line.
+// Returns the parsed reference and whether parsing succeeded.
+func ParseImageOSC(line []byte) (*ImageRef, bool) {
+	start := bytes.Index(line, oscImagePrefix)
+	if start == -1 {
+		return nil, false
+	}
+	rest := line[start+len(oscImagePrefix):]
+
+	// Find string terminator: BEL (\007) or ST (ESC \)
+	end := -1
+	for i := 0; i < len(rest); i++ {
+		if rest[i] == '\007' {
+			end = i
+			break
+		}
+		if rest[i] == '\033' && i+1 < len(rest) && rest[i+1] == '\\' {
+			end = i
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	if end == -1 {
+		return nil, false
+	}
+
+	params := string(rest[:end])
+	ref := &ImageRef{}
+	for _, pair := range strings.Split(params, ";") {
+		k, v, ok := strings.Cut(pair, "=")
+		if !ok {
+			continue
+		}
+		switch k {
+		case "path":
+			ref.Path = v
+		case "alt":
+			ref.Alt = v
+		}
+	}
+	if ref.Path == "" {
+		return nil, false
+	}
+	return ref, true
+}
diff --git a/lib/parse/imageref_test.go b/lib/parse/imageref_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..223d1d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/parse/imageref_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+package parse
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestParseImageOSC_ValidFull(t *testing.T) {
+	line := []byte("\033]9;image:path=/tmp/aerc-xxx/img0.png;alt=product photo\007")
+	ref, ok := ParseImageOSC(line)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("expected successful parse")
+	}
+	if ref.Path != "/tmp/aerc-xxx/img0.png" {
+		t.Errorf("path = %q, want /tmp/aerc-xxx/img0.png", ref.Path)
+	}
+	if ref.Alt != "product photo" {
+		t.Errorf("alt = %q, want 'product photo'", ref.Alt)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseImageOSC_PathOnly(t *testing.T) {
+	line := []byte("\033]9;image:path=/tmp/img.jpg\007")
+	ref, ok := ParseImageOSC(line)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("expected successful parse")
+	}
+	if ref.Path != "/tmp/img.jpg" {
+		t.Errorf("path = %q, want /tmp/img.jpg", ref.Path)
+	}
+	if ref.Alt != "" {
+		t.Errorf("alt = %q, want empty", ref.Alt)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseImageOSC_EscBackslashTerminator(t *testing.T) {
+	line := []byte("\033]9;image:path=/tmp/img.png\033\\")
+	ref, ok := ParseImageOSC(line)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("expected successful parse with ESC\\ terminator")
+	}
+	if ref.Path != "/tmp/img.png" {
+		t.Errorf("path = %q", ref.Path)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseImageOSC_NoPath(t *testing.T) {
+	line := []byte("\033]9;image:alt=just alt text\007")
+	_, ok := ParseImageOSC(line)
+	if ok {
+		t.Error("expected failure when path is missing")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseImageOSC_NotOSC9(t *testing.T) {
+	line := []byte("Hello, this is plain text")
+	_, ok := ParseImageOSC(line)
+	if ok {
+		t.Error("expected failure on plain text")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseImageOSC_WrongOSCNumber(t *testing.T) {
+	line := []byte("\033]8;image:path=/tmp/img.png\007")
+	_, ok := ParseImageOSC(line)
+	if ok {
+		t.Error("expected failure on OSC 8 (not 9)")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseImageOSC_EmptyPath(t *testing.T) {
+	line := []byte("\033]9;image:path=\007")
+	_, ok := ParseImageOSC(line)
+	if ok {
+		t.Error("expected failure on empty path")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseImageOSC_MarkerEmbeddedInLine(t *testing.T) {
+	line := []byte("prefix text \033]9;image:path=/tmp/img.png\007 suffix")
+	ref, ok := ParseImageOSC(line)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("expected successful parse even with surrounding text")
+	}
+	if ref.Path != "/tmp/img.png" {
+		t.Errorf("path = %q", ref.Path)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseImageOSC_NoTerminator(t *testing.T) {
+	line := []byte("\033]9;image:path=/tmp/img.png")
+	_, ok := ParseImageOSC(line)
+	if ok {
+		t.Error("expected failure when no terminator present")
+	}
+}