diff --git a/.changeset/image-controls.md b/.changeset/image-controls.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..05ed0f35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/image-controls.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+"streamdown": minor
+---
+
+feat: add image control options (`controls.image`) to disable hover overlay and download button on images
+
+Add `image` to the `controls` prop, matching existing `code`, `table`, and `mermaid` patterns:
+- `controls={{ image: false }}` hides the hover overlay and download button
+- `controls={{ image: { download: false } }}` keeps the hover overlay but hides the download button
diff --git a/packages/streamdown/__tests__/image.test.tsx b/packages/streamdown/__tests__/image.test.tsx
index 88931292..f134a9b4 100644
--- a/packages/streamdown/__tests__/image.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/streamdown/__tests__/image.test.tsx
@@ -414,3 +414,76 @@ describe("ImageComponent", () => {
     expect(img?.getAttribute("data-testid")).toBe("custom-image");
   });
 });
+
+describe("ImageComponent control props", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.spyOn(console, "error").mockImplementation(() => {
+      // Intentionally empty
+    });
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it("showDownloadControl={false} hides download button after load", () => {
+    const { container } = render(
+      <ImageComponent
+        alt="Test"
+        node={null as any}
+        showDownloadControl={false}
+        src="https://example.com/image.png"
+      />
+    );
+
+    const img = container.querySelector('img[data-streamdown="image"]');
+    if (img) {
+      fireEvent.load(img);
+    }
+
+    const button = container.querySelector('button[title="Download image"]');
+    expect(button).toBeFalsy();
+  });
+
+  it("showControls={false} hides both overlay and download button", () => {
+    const { container } = render(
+      <ImageComponent
+        alt="Test"
+        node={null as any}
+        showControls={false}
+        src="https://example.com/image.png"
+      />
+    );
+
+    const img = container.querySelector('img[data-streamdown="image"]');
+    if (img) {
+      fireEvent.load(img);
+    }
+
+    const overlay = container.querySelector(
+      '[data-streamdown="image-overlay"]'
+    );
+    const button = container.querySelector('button[title="Download image"]');
+    expect(overlay).toBeFalsy();
+    expect(button).toBeFalsy();
+  });
+
+  it("showControls={true} (default) shows download button after load", () => {
+    const { container } = render(
+      <ImageComponent
+        alt="Test"
+        node={null as any}
+        showControls={true}
+        src="https://example.com/image.png"
+      />
+    );
+
+    const img = container.querySelector('img[data-streamdown="image"]');
+    if (img) {
+      fireEvent.load(img);
+    }
+
+    const button = container.querySelector('button[title="Download image"]');
+    expect(button).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/streamdown/__tests__/show-controls.test.tsx b/packages/streamdown/__tests__/show-controls.test.tsx
index eda3fedc..8c3d285e 100644
--- a/packages/streamdown/__tests__/show-controls.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/streamdown/__tests__/show-controls.test.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { render, waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { fireEvent, render, waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
 import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { Streamdown } from "../index";
 
@@ -441,6 +441,138 @@ graph TD
     });
   });
 
+  describe("image controls", () => {
+    const markdownWithImage = "![alt text](https://example.com/image.png)";
+
+    it("controls={false} hides image overlay and download button", async () => {
+      const { container } = render(
+        <Streamdown controls={false}>{markdownWithImage}</Streamdown>
+      );
+
+      const img = container.querySelector('[data-streamdown="image"]');
+      if (img) {
+        fireEvent.load(img);
+      }
+
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        const wrapper = container.querySelector(
+          '[data-streamdown="image-wrapper"]'
+        );
+        const buttons = wrapper?.querySelectorAll("button");
+        const overlay = wrapper?.querySelector(
+          '[data-streamdown="image-overlay"]'
+        );
+        expect(buttons?.length).toBe(0);
+        expect(overlay).toBeFalsy();
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("controls={{ image: false }} hides image controls", async () => {
+      const { container } = render(
+        <Streamdown controls={{ image: false }}>{markdownWithImage}</Streamdown>
+      );
+
+      const img = container.querySelector('[data-streamdown="image"]');
+      if (img) {
+        fireEvent.load(img);
+      }
+
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        const wrapper = container.querySelector(
+          '[data-streamdown="image-wrapper"]'
+        );
+        const buttons = wrapper?.querySelectorAll("button");
+        const overlay = wrapper?.querySelector(
+          '[data-streamdown="image-overlay"]'
+        );
+        expect(buttons?.length).toBe(0);
+        expect(overlay).toBeFalsy();
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("controls={{ image: true }} shows image download button after load", async () => {
+      const { container } = render(
+        <Streamdown controls={{ image: true }}>{markdownWithImage}</Streamdown>
+      );
+
+      const img = container.querySelector('[data-streamdown="image"]');
+      if (img) {
+        fireEvent.load(img);
+      }
+
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        const wrapper = container.querySelector(
+          '[data-streamdown="image-wrapper"]'
+        );
+        const button = wrapper?.querySelector('button[title="Download image"]');
+        expect(button).toBeTruthy();
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("controls={{ image: { download: false } }} hides only download button but keeps overlay", async () => {
+      const { container } = render(
+        <Streamdown controls={{ image: { download: false } }}>
+          {markdownWithImage}
+        </Streamdown>
+      );
+
+      const img = container.querySelector('[data-streamdown="image"]');
+      if (img) {
+        fireEvent.load(img);
+      }
+
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        const wrapper = container.querySelector(
+          '[data-streamdown="image-wrapper"]'
+        );
+        const button = wrapper?.querySelector('button[title="Download image"]');
+        const overlay = wrapper?.querySelector(
+          '[data-streamdown="image-overlay"]'
+        );
+        expect(button).toBeFalsy();
+        expect(overlay).toBeTruthy();
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("unspecified image key defaults to showing controls", async () => {
+      const { container } = render(
+        <Streamdown controls={{ code: false }}>{markdownWithImage}</Streamdown>
+      );
+
+      const img = container.querySelector('[data-streamdown="image"]');
+      if (img) {
+        fireEvent.load(img);
+      }
+
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        const wrapper = container.querySelector(
+          '[data-streamdown="image-wrapper"]'
+        );
+        const button = wrapper?.querySelector('button[title="Download image"]');
+        expect(button).toBeTruthy();
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("controls={true} shows image controls by default", async () => {
+      const { container } = render(
+        <Streamdown controls={true}>{markdownWithImage}</Streamdown>
+      );
+
+      const img = container.querySelector('[data-streamdown="image"]');
+      if (img) {
+        fireEvent.load(img);
+      }
+
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        const wrapper = container.querySelector(
+          '[data-streamdown="image-wrapper"]'
+        );
+        const button = wrapper?.querySelector('button[title="Download image"]');
+        expect(button).toBeTruthy();
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
   describe("with custom components", () => {
     it("should respect controls with custom component overrides", () => {
       const CustomParagraph = ({ children }: any) => (
diff --git a/packages/streamdown/index.tsx b/packages/streamdown/index.tsx
index be32d9fd..b4dba45f 100644
--- a/packages/streamdown/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/streamdown/index.tsx
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ export type ControlsConfig =
             fullscreen?: boolean;
             panZoom?: boolean;
           };
+      image?: boolean | { download?: boolean };
     };
 
 export interface LinkSafetyModalProps {
diff --git a/packages/streamdown/lib/components.tsx b/packages/streamdown/lib/components.tsx
index 2449ca3a..cb6eb67d 100644
--- a/packages/streamdown/lib/components.tsx
+++ b/packages/streamdown/lib/components.tsx
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ function sameClassAndNode(
 
 const shouldShowControls = (
   config: ControlsConfig,
-  type: "table" | "code" | "mermaid"
+  type: "table" | "code" | "mermaid" | "image"
 ) => {
   if (typeof config === "boolean") {
     return config;
@@ -163,6 +163,27 @@ const shouldShowMermaidControl = (
   return mermaidConfig[controlType] !== false;
 };
 
+const shouldShowImageControl = (
+  config: ControlsConfig,
+  controlType: "download"
+): boolean => {
+  if (typeof config === "boolean") {
+    return config;
+  }
+
+  const imageConfig = config.image;
+
+  if (imageConfig === false) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  if (imageConfig === true || imageConfig === undefined) {
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  return imageConfig[controlType] !== false;
+};
+
 type OlProps = WithNode<JSX.IntrinsicElements["ol"]>;
 const MemoOl = memo<OlProps>(
   ({ children, className, node, ...props }: OlProps) => {
@@ -964,11 +985,31 @@ const MemoCode = memo<
 );
 MemoCode.displayName = "MarkdownCode";
 
-const MemoImg = memo<
-  DetailedHTMLProps<ImgHTMLAttributes<HTMLImageElement>, HTMLImageElement> &
-    ExtraProps
->(
-  ImageComponent,
+type ImgProps = DetailedHTMLProps<
+  ImgHTMLAttributes<HTMLImageElement>,
+  HTMLImageElement
+> &
+  ExtraProps;
+
+const ImageWrapper = ({ node, className, ...props }: ImgProps) => {
+  const { controls: controlsConfig } = useContext(StreamdownContext);
+  const showImageControls = shouldShowControls(controlsConfig, "image");
+  const showDownloadControl =
+    showImageControls && shouldShowImageControl(controlsConfig, "download");
+
+  return (
+    <ImageComponent
+      className={className}
+      node={node}
+      showControls={showImageControls}
+      showDownloadControl={showDownloadControl}
+      {...props}
+    />
+  );
+};
+
+const MemoImg = memo<ImgProps>(
+  ImageWrapper,
   (p, n) => p.className === n.className && sameNodePosition(p.node, n.node)
 );
 
diff --git a/packages/streamdown/lib/image.tsx b/packages/streamdown/lib/image.tsx
index b6290772..b7dd16ac 100644
--- a/packages/streamdown/lib/image.tsx
+++ b/packages/streamdown/lib/image.tsx
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@ type ImageComponentProps = DetailedHTMLProps<
   ImgHTMLAttributes<HTMLImageElement>,
   HTMLImageElement
 > &
-  ExtraProps;
+  ExtraProps & {
+    showControls?: boolean;
+    showDownloadControl?: boolean;
+  };
 
 export const ImageComponent = ({
   node,
@@ -21,6 +24,8 @@ export const ImageComponent = ({
   alt,
   onLoad: onLoadProp,
   onError: onErrorProp,
+  showControls = true,
+  showDownloadControl = true,
   ...props
 }: ImageComponentProps) => {
   const { DownloadIcon } = useIcons();
@@ -31,7 +36,8 @@ export const ImageComponent = ({
   const t = useTranslations();
 
   const hasExplicitDimensions = props.width != null || props.height != null;
-  const showDownload = (imageLoaded || hasExplicitDimensions) && !imageError;
+  const canDownload = (imageLoaded || hasExplicitDimensions) && !imageError;
+  const showDownload = canDownload && showControls && showDownloadControl;
   const showFallback = imageError && !hasExplicitDimensions;
 
   // Handle images already complete before React attaches event handlers (e.g. cached or SSR hydration)
@@ -148,11 +154,14 @@ export const ImageComponent = ({
           {t.imageNotAvailable}
         </span>
       )}
-      <div
-        className={cn(
-          "pointer-events-none absolute inset-0 hidden rounded-lg bg-black/10 group-hover:block"
-        )}
-      />
+      {showControls && (
+        <div
+          className={cn(
+            "pointer-events-none absolute inset-0 hidden rounded-lg bg-black/10 group-hover:block"
+          )}
+          data-streamdown="image-overlay"
+        />
+      )}
       {showDownload && (
         <button
           className={cn(