diff --git a/src/ai_interaction.py b/src/ai_interaction.py
index 45ff2e472..33d5d28f7 100644
--- a/src/ai_interaction.py
+++ b/src/ai_interaction.py
@@ -1613,7 +1613,9 @@ async def do_generate_image(content: str, session_id: Optional[str] = None, owne
     """
     import base64
     import httpx
+    import os
     from pathlib import Path
+    from src.url_safety import check_outbound_url
 
     lines = content.strip().split("\n")
     prompt = lines[0].strip() if lines else ""
@@ -1779,8 +1781,15 @@ async def do_generate_image(content: str, session_id: Optional[str] = None, owne
 
             elif img.get("url"):
                 # Download external URL and save locally (DALL-E returns temp URLs)
+                result_url = img["url"]
+                ok, reason = check_outbound_url(
+                    result_url,
+                    block_private=os.getenv("IMAGE_BLOCK_PRIVATE_IPS", "false").lower() == "true",
+                )
+                if not ok:
+                    return {"error": f"Image API returned unsafe image URL: {reason}"}
                 try:
-                    dl_resp = httpx.get(img["url"], timeout=60)
+                    dl_resp = httpx.get(result_url, timeout=60)
                     if dl_resp.status_code == 200:
                         img_dir = Path(GENERATED_IMAGES_DIR)
                         img_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
@@ -1790,10 +1799,10 @@ async def do_generate_image(content: str, session_id: Optional[str] = None, owne
                         image_url = f"/api/generated-image/{filename}"
                         image_id = _save_to_gallery(filename)
                     else:
-                        image_url = img["url"]  # fallback to external URL
+                        image_url = result_url  # fallback to external URL
                 except Exception as _dl_e:
                     logger.warning(f"Failed to download DALL-E image: {_dl_e}")
-                    image_url = img["url"]  # fallback to external URL
+                    image_url = result_url  # fallback to external URL
             else:
                 return {"error": "Image API returned unexpected format (no b64_json or url)"}
 
diff --git a/tests/test_ai_image_url_safety.py b/tests/test_ai_image_url_safety.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..634afb9b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_ai_image_url_safety.py
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+from src import ai_interaction
+
+
+class _GenerationResponse:
+    status_code = 200
+    text = ""
+
+    def __init__(self, image_url):
+        self._image_url = image_url
+
+    def json(self):
+        return {"data": [{"url": self._image_url}]}
+
+
+class _DownloadResponse:
+    status_code = 503
+    content = b""
+
+
+def _patch_generation(monkeypatch, image_url):
+    async def _post(self, url, json, headers):
+        return _GenerationResponse(image_url)
+
+    class _AsyncClient:
+        def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+            pass
+
+        async def __aenter__(self):
+            return self
+
+        async def __aexit__(self, *exc):
+            return False
+
+        post = _post
+
+    import httpx
+    import src.settings as settings
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(settings, "load_settings", lambda: {})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(httpx, "AsyncClient", _AsyncClient)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        ai_interaction,
+        "_resolve_model",
+        lambda model_spec, owner=None: (
+            "https://api.openai.example/v1/chat/completions",
+            "dall-e-3",
+            {"Authorization": "Bearer test"},
+        ),
+    )
+
+
+async def test_generate_image_validates_provider_url_before_download(monkeypatch):
+    import httpx
+    import src.url_safety as url_safety
+
+    provider_url = "https://images.example.com/generated.png?sig=abc"
+    events = []
+    _patch_generation(monkeypatch, provider_url)
+
+    def _check_outbound_url(url, *, block_private=False):
+        events.append(("check", url, block_private))
+        return True, "ok"
+
+    def _get(url, *, timeout):
+        events.append(("get", url, timeout))
+        return _DownloadResponse()
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(url_safety, "check_outbound_url", _check_outbound_url)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(httpx, "get", _get)
+
+    result = await ai_interaction.do_generate_image("draw a chair\ndall-e-3")
+
+    assert result["image_url"] == provider_url
+    assert events == [
+        ("check", provider_url, False),
+        ("get", provider_url, 60),
+    ]
+
+
+async def test_generate_image_rejects_unsafe_provider_url_without_download(monkeypatch):
+    import httpx
+    import src.url_safety as url_safety
+
+    unsafe_url = "http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data"
+    events = []
+    _patch_generation(monkeypatch, unsafe_url)
+
+    def _check_outbound_url(url, *, block_private=False):
+        events.append(("check", url, block_private))
+        return False, "link-local address blocked (SSRF metadata risk): 169.254.169.254"
+
+    def _get(url, *, timeout):
+        raise AssertionError("unsafe provider image URL must not be downloaded")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(url_safety, "check_outbound_url", _check_outbound_url)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(httpx, "get", _get)
+
+    result = await ai_interaction.do_generate_image("draw a chair\ndall-e-3")
+
+    assert result["error"] == (
+        "Image API returned unsafe image URL: "
+        "link-local address blocked (SSRF metadata risk): 169.254.169.254"
+    )
+    assert events == [("check", unsafe_url, False)]