diff --git a/blueprints/conversation/__init__.py b/blueprints/conversation/__init__.py
index 563336e..5171176 100644
--- a/blueprints/conversation/__init__.py
+++ b/blueprints/conversation/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import asyncio
 import json
 import logging
+import time
 import uuid
 
 from quart import Blueprint, jsonify, make_response, request
@@ -10,7 +11,7 @@ from quart_jwt_extended import (
 )
 
 import blueprints.users.models
-from utils.image_process import analyze_user_image
+from utils.image_process import image_content_block
 from utils.image_upload import ImageValidationError, process_image
 from utils.s3_client import generate_presigned_url as s3_presigned_url
 from utils.s3_client import get_image as s3_get_image
@@ -19,12 +20,15 @@ from utils.s3_client import upload_image as s3_upload_image
 from .agents import main_agent
 from .logic import (
     add_message_to_conversation,
+    persist_agent_tool_messages,
+    tool_result_text,
 )
 from .memory import get_memories_for_user
 from .models import (
     Conversation,
     PydConversation,
     PydListConversation,
+    Speaker,
 )
 from .prompts import SIMBA_SYSTEM_PROMPT
 
@@ -64,27 +68,29 @@ async def _build_system_prompt_with_memories(user_id: str) -> str:
 def _build_messages_payload(
     conversation,
     query_text: str,
-    image_description: str | None = None,
+    image_block: dict | None = None,
     system_prompt: str | None = None,
 ) -> list:
     recent_messages = (
-        conversation.messages[-10:]
-        if len(conversation.messages) > 10
+        conversation.messages[-20:]
+        if len(conversation.messages) > 20
         else conversation.messages
     )
     messages_payload = [{"role": "system", "content": system_prompt or _SYSTEM_PROMPT}]
     for msg in recent_messages[:-1]:  # Exclude the message we just added
-        role = "user" if msg.speaker == "user" else "assistant"
+        role = "user" if msg.speaker == Speaker.USER else "assistant"
         text = msg.text
         if msg.image_key and role == "user":
             text = f"[User sent an image]\n{text}"
         messages_payload.append({"role": role, "content": text})
 
-    # Build the current user message with optional image description
-    if image_description:
-        content = f"[Image analysis: {image_description}]"
-        if query_text:
-            content = f"{query_text}\n\n{content}"
+    # Attach the image directly to the current message so the (multimodal)
+    # agent model sees it in one call, instead of a separate describe pass.
+    if image_block:
+        content = [
+            {"type": "text", "text": query_text or "The user sent this image."},
+            image_block,
+        ]
     else:
         content = query_text
     messages_payload.append({"role": "user", "content": content})
@@ -121,6 +127,7 @@ async def query():
 
     response = await main_agent.ainvoke(payload, config=agent_config)
     message = response.get("messages", [])[-1].content
+    await persist_agent_tool_messages(conversation, user, response.get("messages", []))
     await add_message_to_conversation(
         conversation=conversation,
         message=message,
@@ -190,20 +197,19 @@ async def stream_query():
         image_key=image_key,
     )
 
-    # If an image was uploaded, analyze it with the vision model
-    image_description = None
+    # If an image was uploaded, attach it to the agent request directly
+    image_block = None
     if image_key:
         try:
             image_bytes, _ = await s3_get_image(image_key)
-            image_description = await analyze_user_image(image_bytes)
-            logging.info(f"Image analysis complete for {image_key}")
+            image_block = image_content_block(image_bytes)
         except Exception as e:
-            logging.error(f"Failed to analyze image: {e}")
-            image_description = "[Image could not be analyzed]"
+            logging.error(f"Failed to load image {image_key}: {e}")
+            query_text = f"{query_text or ''}\n\n[An image was sent but could not be loaded.]".strip()
 
     system_prompt = await _build_system_prompt_with_memories(str(user.id))
     messages_payload = _build_messages_payload(
-        conversation, query_text or "", image_description, system_prompt=system_prompt
+        conversation, query_text or "", image_block, system_prompt=system_prompt
     )
     payload = {"messages": messages_payload}
     agent_config = {
@@ -213,6 +219,18 @@ async def stream_query():
     async def event_generator():
         final_message = None
         streamed = ""
+        last_thinking = 0.0
+        turn_has_content = False
+
+        # Timing / observability
+        t0 = time.monotonic()
+        llm_start_at: float | None = None
+        first_content_at: float | None = None
+        tool_timers: dict[str, float] = {}  # run_id -> start time
+        tool_spans: list[dict] = []
+        n_tokens = 0
+        model_name: str | None = None
+        cancelled = False
 
         async def persist(text: str) -> None:
             await add_message_to_conversation(
@@ -222,6 +240,35 @@ async def stream_query():
                 user=user,
             )
 
+        def _log_summary(*, error: str | None = None) -> None:
+            now = time.monotonic()
+            total_ms = round((now - t0) * 1000)
+            thinking_ms = (
+                round((first_content_at - llm_start_at) * 1000)
+                if llm_start_at and first_content_at
+                else None
+            )
+            ttft_ms = (
+                round((first_content_at - t0) * 1000) if first_content_at else None
+            )
+            logging.info(
+                json.dumps(
+                    {
+                        "event": "stream_request",
+                        "conv": str(conversation.id),
+                        "user": user.username,
+                        "total_ms": total_ms,
+                        "thinking_ms": thinking_ms,
+                        "ttft_ms": ttft_ms,
+                        "tokens": n_tokens,
+                        "tools": tool_spans,
+                        "model": model_name,
+                        "cancelled": cancelled,
+                        **({"error": error} if error else {}),
+                    }
+                )
+            )
+
         try:
             async for event in main_agent.astream_events(
                 payload, version="v2", config=agent_config
@@ -229,17 +276,54 @@ async def stream_query():
                 event_type = event.get("event")
 
                 if event_type == "on_tool_start":
+                    tool_timers[event["run_id"]] = time.monotonic()
                     yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'tool_start', 'tool': event['name']})}\n\n"
 
                 elif event_type == "on_tool_end":
+                    start = tool_timers.pop(event["run_id"], None)
+                    tool_spans.append(
+                        {
+                            "tool": event["name"],
+                            "ms": round((time.monotonic() - start) * 1000)
+                            if start
+                            else None,
+                        }
+                    )
                     yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'tool_end', 'tool': event['name']})}\n\n"
+                    # Persist tool output so later turns keep the fetched context
+                    output = event.get("data", {}).get("output")
+                    if output is not None:
+                        await add_message_to_conversation(
+                            conversation=conversation,
+                            message=tool_result_text(event["name"], output),
+                            speaker="tool",
+                            user=user,
+                        )
+
+                elif event_type == "on_chat_model_start":
+                    turn_has_content = False
+                    if llm_start_at is None:
+                        llm_start_at = time.monotonic()
+                    if model_name is None:
+                        model_name = event.get("metadata", {}).get(
+                            "ls_model_name"
+                        ) or event.get("name")
 
                 elif event_type == "on_chat_model_stream":
                     chunk = event.get("data", {}).get("chunk")
                     content = getattr(chunk, "content", None)
                     if isinstance(content, str) and content:
+                        if first_content_at is None:
+                            first_content_at = time.monotonic()
+                        turn_has_content = True
+                        n_tokens += 1
                         streamed += content
                         yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'content', 'delta': content})}\n\n"
+                    elif not turn_has_content:
+                        now = time.monotonic()
+                        if now - last_thinking >= 1.0:
+                            last_thinking = now
+                            yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'thinking'})}\n\n"
 
                 elif event_type == "on_chain_end":
                     output = event.get("data", {}).get("output")
@@ -252,27 +336,25 @@ async def stream_query():
                                 final_message = content
 
         except asyncio.CancelledError:
-            # The client disconnected mid-stream (e.g. a route change aborts the
-            # fetch). CancelledError is not an Exception, so without this branch
-            # persistence below would be skipped and the answer lost. Save what
-            # was generated in a detached task, then honor the cancellation.
+            cancelled = True
+            _log_summary()
             text = final_message or streamed
             if text:
                 _persist_in_background(persist(text))
             raise
         except Exception as e:
+            _log_summary(error=str(e))
             yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'error', 'message': str(e)})}\n\n"
 
         final_message = final_message or streamed
         if final_message:
-            # Persist via a detached, shielded task so a disconnect at this
-            # point (after generation completes) still commits the answer.
             task = _persist_in_background(persist(final_message))
             await asyncio.shield(task)
             yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'response', 'message': final_message})}\n\n"
         else:
             yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'error', 'message': 'No response generated'})}\n\n"
 
+        _log_summary()
         yield "data: [DONE]\n\n"
 
     return await make_response(
@@ -298,10 +380,13 @@ async def get_conversation(conversation_id: str):
     # Manually serialize the conversation with messages
     messages = []
     for msg in conversation.messages:
+        # Tool messages hold raw fetched context for the LLM; only surface
+        # their header line (e.g. "[web_search result]") in the UI.
+        text = msg.text.split("\n", 1)[0] if msg.speaker == Speaker.TOOL else msg.text
         messages.append(
             {
                 "id": str(msg.id),
-                "text": msg.text,
+                "text": text,
                 "speaker": msg.speaker.value,
                 "created_at": msg.created_at.isoformat(),
                 "image_key": msg.image_key,
diff --git a/blueprints/conversation/logic.py b/blueprints/conversation/logic.py
index 52f15d7..437d45e 100644
--- a/blueprints/conversation/logic.py
+++ b/blueprints/conversation/logic.py
@@ -1,11 +1,47 @@
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 
 import tortoise.exceptions
+from langchain_core.messages import ToolMessage
 
 import blueprints.users.models
 
 from .models import Conversation, ConversationMessage
 
+# Cap persisted tool output so replayed history stays within the LLM context
+# budget (llama-server slots are 32k tokens; base prompt + tools already use ~6k).
+TOOL_RESULT_MAX_CHARS = 4000
+
+
+def tool_result_text(tool_name: str, output) -> str:
+    """Format a tool's output for persistence as a conversation message."""
+    content = getattr(output, "content", output)
+    if isinstance(content, (list, tuple)):
+        content = "\n".join(str(item) for item in content)
+    text = str(content)
+    if len(text) > TOOL_RESULT_MAX_CHARS:
+        text = text[:TOOL_RESULT_MAX_CHARS] + "\n[truncated]"
+    return f"[{tool_name} result]\n{text}"
+
+
+async def persist_agent_tool_messages(
+    conversation: Conversation,
+    user: blueprints.users.models.User,
+    response_messages: list,
+) -> None:
+    """Persist ToolMessages from an agent response as 'tool' conversation messages.
+
+    Keeps fetched context (web searches, RAG chunks, etc.) available to later
+    turns, which otherwise only see the final text answers.
+    """
+    for msg in response_messages:
+        if isinstance(msg, ToolMessage):
+            await add_message_to_conversation(
+                conversation=conversation,
+                message=tool_result_text(msg.name or "tool", msg),
+                speaker="tool",
+                user=user,
+            )
+
 
 async def create_conversation(name: str = "") -> Conversation:
     conversation = await Conversation.create(name=name)
diff --git a/blueprints/conversation/models.py b/blueprints/conversation/models.py
index 60b8cee..0b1fd15 100644
--- a/blueprints/conversation/models.py
+++ b/blueprints/conversation/models.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ from tortoise.models import Model
 class Speaker(enum.Enum):
     USER = "user"
     SIMBA = "simba"
+    TOOL = "tool"
 
 
 class Conversation(Model):
diff --git a/blueprints/email/__init__.py b/blueprints/email/__init__.py
index 121a740..1a4b7af 100644
--- a/blueprints/email/__init__.py
+++ b/blueprints/email/__init__.py
@@ -13,8 +13,10 @@ from blueprints.users.models import User
 from blueprints.conversation.logic import (
     get_conversation_for_channel,
     add_message_to_conversation,
+    persist_agent_tool_messages,
 )
 from blueprints.conversation.agents import main_agent
+from blueprints.conversation.models import Speaker
 from blueprints.conversation.prompts import SIMBA_SYSTEM_PROMPT
 from . import models  # noqa: F401 — register Tortoise ORM models
 from .helpers import generate_email_token, get_user_email_address  # noqa: F401
@@ -193,17 +195,20 @@ async def webhook():
     # Build messages payload
     try:
         messages = await conversation.messages.all()
-        recent_messages = list(messages)[-10:]
+        recent_messages = list(messages)[-20:]
 
         messages_payload = [{"role": "system", "content": SIMBA_SYSTEM_PROMPT}]
         for msg in recent_messages[:-1]:
-            role = "user" if msg.speaker == "user" else "assistant"
+            role = "user" if msg.speaker == Speaker.USER else "assistant"
             messages_payload.append({"role": role, "content": msg.text})
         messages_payload.append({"role": "user", "content": body})
 
         logger.info(f"Invoking LangChain agent with {len(messages_payload)} messages")
         response = await main_agent.ainvoke({"messages": messages_payload})
         response_text = response.get("messages", [])[-1].content
+        await persist_agent_tool_messages(
+            conversation, user, response.get("messages", [])
+        )
     except Exception as e:
         logger.error(f"Error invoking agent for email: {e}")
         response_text = "Sorry, I'm having trouble thinking right now."
diff --git a/blueprints/imessage/__init__.py b/blueprints/imessage/__init__.py
index a2d2277..f1008c5 100644
--- a/blueprints/imessage/__init__.py
+++ b/blueprints/imessage/__init__.py
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@ from blueprints.users.models import User
 from blueprints.conversation.logic import (
     get_conversation_for_channel,
     add_message_to_conversation,
+    persist_agent_tool_messages,
 )
+from blueprints.conversation.models import Speaker
 from blueprints.conversation.agents import main_agent
 from blueprints.conversation.prompts import SIMBA_SYSTEM_PROMPT
 
@@ -200,37 +202,36 @@ async def webhook():
         user=user,
     )
 
-    # Analyze image if present
-    image_description = None
+    # Attach image directly to the agent request if present
+    image_block = None
     if media_url:
         try:
-            from utils.image_process import analyze_user_image
+            from utils.image_process import image_content_block
 
             async with httpx.AsyncClient() as client:
                 resp = await client.get(media_url, timeout=30)
                 resp.raise_for_status()
-                image_bytes = resp.content
-            image_description = await analyze_user_image(image_bytes)
-            logger.info(f"Image analysis complete for iMessage from {from_number}")
+            image_block = image_content_block(resp.content)
         except Exception as e:
-            logger.error(f"Failed to analyze iMessage image: {e}")
-            image_description = "[Image could not be analyzed]"
+            logger.error(f"Failed to load iMessage image: {e}")
+            content = f"{content or ''}\n\n[An image was sent but could not be loaded.]".strip()
 
     # Build messages payload for LangChain agent
     try:
         messages = await conversation.messages.all()
-        recent_messages = list(messages)[-10:]
+        recent_messages = list(messages)[-20:]
 
         messages_payload = [{"role": "system", "content": SIMBA_SYSTEM_PROMPT}]
 
         for msg in recent_messages[:-1]:
-            role = "user" if msg.speaker == "user" else "assistant"
+            role = "user" if msg.speaker == Speaker.USER else "assistant"
             messages_payload.append({"role": role, "content": msg.text})
 
-        if image_description:
-            user_content = f"[Image analysis: {image_description}]"
-            if content:
-                user_content = f"{content}\n\n{user_content}"
+        if image_block:
+            user_content = [
+                {"type": "text", "text": content or "The user sent this image."},
+                image_block,
+            ]
         else:
             user_content = content
         messages_payload.append({"role": "user", "content": user_content})
@@ -238,6 +239,9 @@ async def webhook():
         logger.info(f"Invoking LangChain agent with {len(messages_payload)} messages")
         response = await main_agent.ainvoke({"messages": messages_payload})
         response_text = response.get("messages", [])[-1].content
+        await persist_agent_tool_messages(
+            conversation, user, response.get("messages", [])
+        )
 
     except Exception as e:
         logger.error(f"Error invoking agent: {e}")
diff --git a/blueprints/whatsapp/__init__.py b/blueprints/whatsapp/__init__.py
index 6824d2d..30faeea 100644
--- a/blueprints/whatsapp/__init__.py
+++ b/blueprints/whatsapp/__init__.py
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ from blueprints.users.models import User
 from blueprints.conversation.logic import (
     get_conversation_for_channel,
     add_message_to_conversation,
+    persist_agent_tool_messages,
 )
+from blueprints.conversation.models import Speaker
 from blueprints.conversation.agents import main_agent
 from blueprints.conversation.prompts import SIMBA_SYSTEM_PROMPT
 
@@ -178,16 +180,16 @@ async def webhook():
 
     # Build messages payload for LangChain agent with system prompt and conversation history
     try:
-        # Get last 10 messages for conversation history
+        # Get last 20 messages for conversation history
         messages = await conversation.messages.all()
-        recent_messages = list(messages)[-10:]
+        recent_messages = list(messages)[-20:]
 
         # Build messages payload
         messages_payload = [{"role": "system", "content": SIMBA_SYSTEM_PROMPT}]
 
         # Add recent conversation history (exclude the message we just added)
         for msg in recent_messages[:-1]:
-            role = "user" if msg.speaker == "user" else "assistant"
+            role = "user" if msg.speaker == Speaker.USER else "assistant"
             messages_payload.append({"role": role, "content": msg.text})
 
         # Add current query
@@ -197,6 +199,9 @@ async def webhook():
         logger.info(f"Invoking LangChain agent with {len(messages_payload)} messages")
         response = await main_agent.ainvoke({"messages": messages_payload})
         response_text = response.get("messages", [])[-1].content
+        await persist_agent_tool_messages(
+            conversation, user, response.get("messages", [])
+        )
 
         # Log YNAB availability
         if os.getenv("YNAB_ACCESS_TOKEN"):
diff --git a/raggr-frontend/src/api/conversationService.ts b/raggr-frontend/src/api/conversationService.ts
index 7baab48..543ee79 100644
--- a/raggr-frontend/src/api/conversationService.ts
+++ b/raggr-frontend/src/api/conversationService.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { userService } from "./userService";
 
 export type SSEEvent =
+  | { type: "thinking" }
   | { type: "tool_start"; tool: string }
   | { type: "tool_end"; tool: string }
   | { type: "content"; delta: string }
@@ -12,7 +13,7 @@ export type SSEEventCallback = (event: SSEEvent) => void;
 interface Message {
   id: string;
   text: string;
-  speaker: "user" | "simba";
+  speaker: "user" | "simba" | "tool";
   created_at: string;
   image_key?: string | null;
 }
diff --git a/raggr-frontend/src/components/ChatScreen.tsx b/raggr-frontend/src/components/ChatScreen.tsx
index d74e054..c5642ce 100644
--- a/raggr-frontend/src/components/ChatScreen.tsx
+++ b/raggr-frontend/src/components/ChatScreen.tsx
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ export const ChatScreen = ({ setAuthenticated, isAdmin }: ChatScreenProps) => {
     messages,
     isLoading,
     streaming,
+    thinking,
     messagesLoading,
     pendingImage,
     setPendingImage,
@@ -249,7 +250,11 @@ export const ChatScreen = ({ setAuthenticated, isAdmin }: ChatScreenProps) => {
                   return <QuestionBubble key={index} text={msg.text} image_key={msg.image_key} />;
                 })}
 
-                {((isLoading && !streaming) || messagesLoading) && (
+                {thinking && !streaming && (
+                  <ToolBubble text="Thinking..." pulse />
+                )}
+
+                {((isLoading && !streaming && !thinking) || messagesLoading) && (
                   <AnswerBubble text="" loading={true} />
                 )}
 
diff --git a/raggr-frontend/src/components/ToolBubble.tsx b/raggr-frontend/src/components/ToolBubble.tsx
index 22b0e85..213ef47 100644
--- a/raggr-frontend/src/components/ToolBubble.tsx
+++ b/raggr-frontend/src/components/ToolBubble.tsx
@@ -1,16 +1,19 @@
 import React from "react";
 import { cn } from "../lib/utils";
 
-export const ToolBubble = React.memo(({ text }: { text: string }) => (
-  <div className="flex justify-center message-enter">
-    <div
-      className={cn(
-        "inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 px-3 py-1 rounded-full",
-        "bg-leaf-pale border border-leaf-light/50",
-        "text-xs text-leaf-dark italic",
-      )}
-    >
-      {text}
+export const ToolBubble = React.memo(
+  ({ text, pulse = false }: { text: string; pulse?: boolean }) => (
+    <div className="flex justify-center message-enter">
+      <div
+        className={cn(
+          "inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 px-3 py-1 rounded-full",
+          "bg-leaf-pale border border-leaf-light/50",
+          "text-xs text-leaf-dark italic",
+          pulse && "animate-pulse",
+        )}
+      >
+        {text}
+      </div>
     </div>
-  </div>
-));
+  ),
+);
diff --git a/raggr-frontend/src/hooks/useChat.ts b/raggr-frontend/src/hooks/useChat.ts
index d0a6d71..cc00670 100644
--- a/raggr-frontend/src/hooks/useChat.ts
+++ b/raggr-frontend/src/hooks/useChat.ts
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ export function useChat({
   const [pendingImage, setPendingImage] = useState<File | null>(null);
   const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [streaming, setStreaming] = useState(false);
+  const [thinking, setThinking] = useState(false);
 
   const isMountedRef = useRef(true);
   // True once tokens for the current assistant reply have started arriving, so
@@ -66,7 +67,9 @@ export function useChat({
     isMountedRef.current = true;
     return () => {
       isMountedRef.current = false;
-      abortControllerRef.current?.abort();
+      // Intentionally do NOT abort on unmount — navigation away lets the
+      // stream finish in the background so the response gets persisted.
+      // stopGeneration() still aborts on explicit user cancel.
     };
   }, []);
 
@@ -186,15 +189,19 @@ export function useChat({
           activeId,
           (event) => {
             if (!isMountedRef.current) return;
-            if (event.type === "tool_start") {
+            if (event.type === "thinking") {
+              setThinking(true);
+            } else if (event.type === "tool_start") {
               // Any text after a tool call belongs in a fresh bubble.
               streamingActiveRef.current = false;
+              setThinking(false);
               const friendly =
                 TOOL_MESSAGES[event.tool] ?? `Using ${event.tool}...`;
               updateMessages((prev) =>
                 prev.concat([{ text: friendly, speaker: "tool" }]),
               );
             } else if (event.type === "content") {
+              setThinking(false);
               if (streamingActiveRef.current) {
                 updateMessages((prev) => {
                   const updated = [...prev];
@@ -258,6 +265,7 @@ export function useChat({
         if (isMountedRef.current) {
           setIsLoading(false);
           setStreaming(false);
+          setThinking(false);
           // Refresh after every send so the just-used conversation floats to
           // the top of the sidebar (sorted by last activity) and picks up the
           // auto-generated title on the first message.
@@ -290,6 +298,7 @@ export function useChat({
     setMessages: updateMessages,
     isLoading,
     streaming,
+    thinking,
     messagesLoading,
     pendingImage,
     setPendingImage,
diff --git a/utils/image_process.py b/utils/image_process.py
index 534f566..bb5cafa 100644
--- a/utils/image_process.py
+++ b/utils/image_process.py
@@ -87,50 +87,20 @@ def _to_jpeg_bytes(file_bytes: bytes) -> bytes:
     return buf.getvalue()
 
 
-async def analyze_user_image(file_bytes: bytes) -> str:
-    """Analyze an image uploaded by a user and return a text description.
+def image_content_block(file_bytes: bytes) -> dict:
+    """Build an OpenAI-style image_url content part from raw image bytes.
 
-    Uses llama-server (OpenAI-compatible API) with vision support.
-    Falls back to OpenAI if llama-server is not configured.
+    Normalizes to JPEG so HEIC/HEIF and other formats work, then encodes as a
+    base64 data URL suitable for a multimodal chat message.
     """
     import base64
 
-    from openai import AsyncOpenAI
-
-    file_bytes = _to_jpeg_bytes(file_bytes)
-
-    llama_url = os.getenv("LLAMA_SERVER_URL")
-    if llama_url:
-        aclient = AsyncOpenAI(base_url=llama_url, api_key="not-needed")
-        model = os.getenv("LLAMA_MODEL_NAME", "llama-3.1-8b-instruct")
-    else:
-        aclient = AsyncOpenAI()
-        model = "gpt-4o-mini"
-
-    b64 = base64.b64encode(file_bytes).decode("utf-8")
-
-    response = await aclient.chat.completions.create(
-        model=model,
-        messages=[
-            {
-                "role": "system",
-                "content": "You are a helpful image analyst. Describe what you see in the image in detail. Be thorough but concise.",
-            },
-            {
-                "role": "user",
-                "content": [
-                    {"type": "text", "text": "Please describe this image in detail."},
-                    {
-                        "type": "image_url",
-                        "image_url": {
-                            "url": f"data:image/jpeg;base64,{b64}",
-                        },
-                    },
-                ],
-            },
-        ],
-    )
-    return response.choices[0].message.content
+    jpeg_bytes = _to_jpeg_bytes(file_bytes)
+    b64 = base64.b64encode(jpeg_bytes).decode("utf-8")
+    return {
+        "type": "image_url",
+        "image_url": {"url": f"data:image/jpeg;base64,{b64}"},
+    }
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":