diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/ide/lib/files.js b/app/assets/javascripts/ide/lib/files.js
index b8abaa41f23..51278640b5b 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/ide/lib/files.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/ide/lib/files.js
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ export const decorateFiles = ({
     const fileFolder = parent && insertParent(parent);
 
     if (name) {
+      const previewMode = viewerInformationForPath(name);
       parentPath = fileFolder && fileFolder.path;
 
       file = decorateData({
@@ -92,9 +93,9 @@ export const decorateFiles = ({
         changed: tempFile,
         content,
         base64,
-        binary,
+        binary: (previewMode && previewMode.binary) || binary,
         rawPath,
-        previewMode: viewerInformationForPath(name),
+        previewMode,
         parentPath,
       });
 
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/vue_shared/components/content_viewer/lib/viewer_utils.js b/app/assets/javascripts/vue_shared/components/content_viewer/lib/viewer_utils.js
index ba63683f5c0..da0b45110e2 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/vue_shared/components/content_viewer/lib/viewer_utils.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/vue_shared/components/content_viewer/lib/viewer_utils.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { __ } from '~/locale';
 const viewers = {
   image: {
     id: 'image',
+    binary: true,
   },
   markdown: {
     id: 'markdown',
diff --git a/spec/frontend/ide/lib/files_spec.js b/spec/frontend/ide/lib/files_spec.js
index aa1fa0373db..08a31318544 100644
--- a/spec/frontend/ide/lib/files_spec.js
+++ b/spec/frontend/ide/lib/files_spec.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ const createEntries = paths => {
 
     const { name, parent } = splitParent(path);
     const parentEntry = acc[parent];
+    const previewMode = viewerInformationForPath(name);
 
     acc[path] = {
       ...decorateData({
@@ -22,7 +23,8 @@ const createEntries = paths => {
         path,
         url: createUrl(`/${TEST_PROJECT_ID}/${type}/${TEST_BRANCH_ID}/-/${escapeFileUrl(path)}`),
         type,
-        previewMode: viewerInformationForPath(path),
+        previewMode,
+        binary: (previewMode && previewMode.binary) || false,
         parentPath: parent,
         parentTreeUrl: parentEntry
           ? parentEntry.url