diff --git a/gui/main.js b/gui/main.js
index d12df0b1..542a1fdf 100644
--- a/gui/main.js
+++ b/gui/main.js
@@ -511,7 +511,7 @@ ipcMain.on("select-file", (event, data) => {
     });
 });
 
-//select file
+//select image file
 ipcMain.on("select-user-image", (event, data) => {
   dialog
     .showOpenDialog({
@@ -523,17 +523,16 @@ ipcMain.on("select-user-image", (event, data) => {
       console.log(filepath.filePaths[0]);
 
       try {
-        //fs.readFile(filepath.filePaths[0], 'utf8',  function (err, data) {
-        //Has to be binary
-        fs.readFile(filepath.filePaths[0], "binary", function (err, data) {
-          console.log(data.length);
+        // read data as base64 which makes conversion to blob easier
+        fs.readFile(filepath.filePaths[0], "base64", function (err, data) {
 
           var filename = path.basename(filepath.filePaths[0]);
           var mimeType = mime.getType(filename);
-          console.log(mimeType);
+
           if (mimeType == "" || mimeType == null) {
             mimeType = "plain/text";
           }
+
           chat.webContents.send("return-select-user-image", {
             data: data,
             mime: mimeType,
diff --git a/gui/preload-chat.js b/gui/preload-chat.js
index 7d80adbe..46188633 100644
--- a/gui/preload-chat.js
+++ b/gui/preload-chat.js
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ const path = require("path");
 const { ipcRenderer } = require("electron");
 const { v4: uuidv4 } = require("uuid");
 const imageCompression = require("browser-image-compression");
+const blobUtil = require("blob-util");
+
 
 // https://stackoverflow.com/a/26227660
 var appDataFolder =
@@ -494,24 +496,15 @@ ipcRenderer.on("return-selected-files", (event, arg) => {
 });
 
 ipcRenderer.on("return-select-user-image", (event, arg) => {
-  filetype = arg.mime;
-  //console.log(filetype);
+  let imageFiletype = arg.mime;
+  let imageFile = arg.data;
 
-  file = arg.data;
-  //filename = arg.filename;
-
-  //console.log(arg.data)
-
-  //document.getElementById("userImage").src = '';
-
-  //var imageFile = arg.data;
-  var imageFile = arg.data;
-  console.log(imageFile);
+   imageFile = blobUtil.base64StringToBlob(imageFile, imageFiletype);
 
   var options = {
     maxSizeMB: 1,
-    maxWidthOrHeight: 1920,
-    useWebWorker: true,
+    maxWidthOrHeight: 200,
+    useWebWorker: false,
   };
 
   imageCompression(imageFile, options)