diff --git a/src/emu/rendlay.cpp b/src/emu/rendlay.cpp
index d196afa0850..b9e5b413f61 100644
--- a/src/emu/rendlay.cpp
+++ b/src/emu/rendlay.cpp
@@ -675,17 +675,28 @@ private:
 	// internal helpers
 	void load_bitmap()
 	{
-		// load the basic bitmap
 		assert(m_file != nullptr);
-		m_hasalpha = render_load_png(m_bitmap, *m_file, m_dirname.c_str(), m_imagefile.c_str());
 
-		// load the alpha bitmap if specified
-		if (m_bitmap.valid() && !m_alphafile.empty())
-			render_load_png(m_bitmap, *m_file, m_dirname.c_str(), m_alphafile.c_str(), true);
+		ru_imgformat const format = render_detect_image(*m_file, m_dirname.c_str(), m_imagefile.c_str());
+		switch (format)
+		{
+			case RENDUTIL_IMGFORMAT_ERROR:
+				break;
 
-		// PNG failed, let's try JPG
-		if (!m_bitmap.valid())
-			render_load_jpeg(m_bitmap, *m_file, m_dirname.c_str(), m_imagefile.c_str());
+			case RENDUTIL_IMGFORMAT_PNG:
+				// load the basic bitmap
+				m_hasalpha = render_load_png(m_bitmap, *m_file, m_dirname.c_str(), m_imagefile.c_str());
+
+				// load the alpha bitmap if specified
+				if (m_bitmap.valid() && !m_alphafile.empty())
+					render_load_png(m_bitmap, *m_file, m_dirname.c_str(), m_alphafile.c_str(), true);
+				break;
+
+			default:
+				// try JPG
+				render_load_jpeg(m_bitmap, *m_file, m_dirname.c_str(), m_imagefile.c_str());
+				break;
+		}
 
 		// if we can't load the bitmap, allocate a dummy one and report an error
 		if (!m_bitmap.valid())
diff --git a/src/emu/rendutil.cpp b/src/emu/rendutil.cpp
index bbedfab9dae..d1ffecd7c7b 100644
--- a/src/emu/rendutil.cpp
+++ b/src/emu/rendutil.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
     rendutil.c
 
     Core rendering utilities.
+
 ***************************************************************************/
 
 #include "emu.h"
@@ -795,3 +796,36 @@ static bool copy_png_alpha_to_bitmap(bitmap_argb32 &bitmap, const png_info &png)
 	// set the hasalpha flag
 	return (accumalpha != 0xff);
 }
+
+
+/*-------------------------------------------------
+    render_detect_image - detect image format
+-------------------------------------------------*/
+
+ru_imgformat render_detect_image(emu_file &file, const char *dirname, const char *filename)
+{
+	// open the file
+	std::string fname;
+	if (dirname)
+		fname.assign(dirname).append(PATH_SEPARATOR).append(filename);
+	else
+		fname.assign(filename);
+	osd_file::error const filerr = file.open(fname.c_str());
+	if (filerr != osd_file::error::NONE)
+		return RENDUTIL_IMGFORMAT_ERROR;
+
+	// PNG: check for valid header
+	png_info png;
+	png_error const result = png.verify_header(file);
+	if (result == PNGERR_NONE)
+	{
+		file.close();
+		return RENDUTIL_IMGFORMAT_PNG;
+	}
+
+	file.seek(0, SEEK_SET);
+	// TODO: add more when needed
+
+	file.close();
+	return RENDUTIL_IMGFORMAT_UNKNOWN;
+}
diff --git a/src/emu/rendutil.h b/src/emu/rendutil.h
index b84fc60f704..1824fb0a34a 100644
--- a/src/emu/rendutil.h
+++ b/src/emu/rendutil.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
     rendutil.h
 
     Core rendering utilities.
+
 ***************************************************************************/
 
 #ifndef MAME_EMU_RENDUTIL_H
@@ -17,6 +18,18 @@
 #include <math.h>
 
 
+/* ----- image formats ----- */
+
+enum ru_imgformat
+{
+	RENDUTIL_IMGFORMAT_PNG,
+
+	RENDUTIL_IMGFORMAT_UNKNOWN,
+	RENDUTIL_IMGFORMAT_ERROR
+};
+
+
+
 /***************************************************************************
     FUNCTION PROTOTYPES
 ***************************************************************************/
@@ -29,6 +42,7 @@ bool render_clip_quad(render_bounds *bounds, const render_bounds *clip, render_q
 void render_line_to_quad(const render_bounds *bounds, float width, float length_extension, render_bounds *bounds0, render_bounds *bounds1);
 void render_load_jpeg(bitmap_argb32 &bitmap, emu_file &file, const char *dirname, const char *filename);
 bool render_load_png(bitmap_argb32 &bitmap, emu_file &file, const char *dirname, const char *filename, bool load_as_alpha_to_existing = false);
+ru_imgformat render_detect_image(emu_file &file, const char *dirname, const char *filename);