diff --git a/src/devices/imagedev/cassette.h b/src/devices/imagedev/cassette.h
index 036fc77c534..6445090ef92 100644
--- a/src/devices/imagedev/cassette.h
+++ b/src/devices/imagedev/cassette.h
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ protected:
 	// device-level overrides
 	virtual void device_config_complete() override;
 	virtual void device_start() override;
+	virtual const bool use_software_list_file_extension_for_filetype() const override { return true; }
 
 private:
 	cassette_image  *m_cassette;
diff --git a/src/emu/diimage.cpp b/src/emu/diimage.cpp
index ded57d4dc83..c1cc72aaef4 100644
--- a/src/emu/diimage.cpp
+++ b/src/emu/diimage.cpp
@@ -1080,7 +1080,9 @@ image_init_result device_image_interface::load_software(const std::string &softw
 	m_image_name = m_full_software_name;
 	m_basename = m_full_software_name;
 	m_basename_noext = m_full_software_name;
-	m_filetype = "";
+	m_filetype = use_software_list_file_extension_for_filetype() && m_mame_file != nullptr
+		? core_filename_extract_extension(m_mame_file->filename(), true)
+		: "";
 
 	// check if image should be read-only
 	const char *read_only = get_feature("read_only");
diff --git a/src/emu/diimage.h b/src/emu/diimage.h
index f8928012d81..80cf0a0ce91 100644
--- a/src/emu/diimage.h
+++ b/src/emu/diimage.h
@@ -252,6 +252,7 @@ public:
 
 protected:
 	virtual const software_list_loader &get_software_list_loader() const;
+	virtual const bool use_software_list_file_extension_for_filetype() const { return false; }
 
 	image_init_result load_internal(const std::string &path, bool is_create, int create_format, util::option_resolution *create_args, bool just_load);
 	image_error_t load_image_by_path(UINT32 open_flags, const std::string &path);