diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/StoryComposeController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/StoryComposeController.php
index dd82c5009..44352d2a1 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/StoryComposeController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/StoryComposeController.php
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ use App\Services\StoryService;
 use App\Services\UserRoleService;
 use App\Status;
 use App\Story;
+use App\Util\Media\ImageDriverManager;
 use FFMpeg;
 use Illuminate\Http\Request;
 use Illuminate\Support\Str;
@@ -33,18 +34,7 @@ class StoryComposeController extends Controller
 
     public function __construct()
     {
-        $driver = match (config('image.driver')) {
-            'imagick' => \Intervention\Image\Drivers\Imagick\Driver::class,
-            'vips' => \Intervention\Image\Drivers\Vips\Driver::class,
-            default => \Intervention\Image\Drivers\Gd\Driver::class
-        };
-        $this->imageManager = new ImageManager(
-            $driver,
-            autoOrientation: true,
-            decodeAnimation: true,
-            blendingColor: 'ffffff',
-            strip: true
-        );
+        $this->imageManager = ImageDriverManager::createImageManager();
     }
 
     public function apiV1Add(Request $request)
diff --git a/app/Jobs/AvatarPipeline/AvatarOptimize.php b/app/Jobs/AvatarPipeline/AvatarOptimize.php
index fafa0d75f..54b6ff3c3 100644
--- a/app/Jobs/AvatarPipeline/AvatarOptimize.php
+++ b/app/Jobs/AvatarPipeline/AvatarOptimize.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ namespace App\Jobs\AvatarPipeline;
 
 use App\Avatar;
 use App\Profile;
+use App\Util\Media\ImageDriverManager;
 use Cache;
 use Carbon\Carbon;
 use Illuminate\Bus\Queueable;
@@ -57,19 +58,7 @@ class AvatarOptimize implements ShouldQueue
         $fileInfo = pathinfo($file);
         $extension = strtolower($fileInfo['extension'] ?? 'jpg');
 
-        $driver = match(config('image.driver')) {
-            'imagick' => \Intervention\Image\Drivers\Imagick\Driver::class,
-            'vips' => \Intervention\Image\Drivers\Vips\Driver::class,
-            default => \Intervention\Image\Drivers\Gd\Driver::class
-        };
-
-        $imageManager = new ImageManager(
-            $driver,
-            autoOrientation: true,
-            decodeAnimation: true,
-            blendingColor: 'ffffff',
-            strip: true
-        );
+        $imageManager = ImageDriverManager::createImageManager();
 
         $quality = config_cache('pixelfed.image_quality');
 
diff --git a/app/Jobs/GroupsPipeline/ImageResizePipeline.php b/app/Jobs/GroupsPipeline/ImageResizePipeline.php
index 68d999194..b70a00b2c 100644
--- a/app/Jobs/GroupsPipeline/ImageResizePipeline.php
+++ b/app/Jobs/GroupsPipeline/ImageResizePipeline.php
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 namespace App\Jobs\GroupsPipeline;
 
 use App\Models\GroupMedia;
+use App\Util\Media\ImageDriverManager;
 use Exception;
 use Illuminate\Bus\Queueable;
 use Illuminate\Contracts\Queue\ShouldQueue;
@@ -75,19 +76,7 @@ class ImageResizePipeline implements ShouldQueue
         ];
 
         try {
-            $driver = match (config('image.driver')) {
-                'imagick' => \Intervention\Image\Drivers\Imagick\Driver::class,
-                'vips' => \Intervention\Image\Drivers\Vips\Driver::class,
-                default => \Intervention\Image\Drivers\Gd\Driver::class
-            };
-
-            $imageManager = new ImageManager(
-                $driver,
-                autoOrientation: true,
-                decodeAnimation: true,
-                blendingColor: 'ffffff',
-                strip: true
-            );
+            $imageManager = ImageDriverManager::createImageManager();
 
             $img = $imageManager->read($file);
 
@@ -97,10 +86,7 @@ class ImageResizePipeline implements ShouldQueue
             $orientation = $aspect === 1 ? 'square' : ($aspect > 1 ? 'landscape' : 'portrait');
             $ratio = $orientations[$orientation];
 
-            $img = $img->resize($ratio['width'], $ratio['height'], function ($constraint) {
-                $constraint->aspectRatio();
-                $constraint->upsize();
-            });
+            $img = $img->scaleDown($ratio['width'], $ratio['height']);
 
             $extension = pathinfo($file, PATHINFO_EXTENSION);
             if (in_array(strtolower($extension), ['jpg', 'jpeg'])) {
@@ -110,7 +96,7 @@ class ImageResizePipeline implements ShouldQueue
             }
 
             $encoded = $img->encode($encoder);
-            file_put_contents($file, $encoded);
+            file_put_contents($file, $encoded->toString());
 
         } catch (Exception $e) {
             Log::error($e);
diff --git a/app/Util/Media/Image.php b/app/Util/Media/Image.php
index e8941c035..d47dd3421 100644
--- a/app/Util/Media/Image.php
+++ b/app/Util/Media/Image.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ namespace App\Util\Media;
 
 use App\Media;
 use App\Services\StatusService;
+use App\Util\Media\ImageDriverManager;
 use Cache;
 use Intervention\Image\Encoders\JpegEncoder;
 use Intervention\Image\Encoders\PngEncoder;
@@ -52,19 +53,7 @@ class Image
 
         $this->defaultDisk = config('filesystems.default');
 
-        $driver = match (config('image.driver')) {
-            'imagick' => \Intervention\Image\Drivers\Imagick\Driver::class,
-            'vips' => \Intervention\Image\Drivers\Vips\Driver::class,
-            default => \Intervention\Image\Drivers\Gd\Driver::class
-        };
-
-        $this->imageManager = new ImageManager(
-            $driver,
-            autoOrientation: true,
-            decodeAnimation: true,
-            blendingColor: 'ffffff',
-            strip: true
-        );
+        $this->imageManager = ImageDriverManager::createImageManager();
     }
 
     public function orientations()
diff --git a/app/Util/Media/ImageDriverManager.php b/app/Util/Media/ImageDriverManager.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e92fdaf2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Util/Media/ImageDriverManager.php
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace App\Util\Media;
+
+use Intervention\Image\ImageManager;
+
+class ImageDriverManager
+{
+    /**
+     * Get the appropriate image driver class based on configuration.
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public static function getDriverClass(): string
+    {
+        return match (config('image.driver')) {
+            'gd' => \Intervention\Image\Drivers\Gd\Driver::class,
+            'imagick' => \Intervention\Image\Drivers\Imagick\Driver::class,
+            'vips' => \Intervention\Image\Drivers\Vips\Driver::class,
+            default => \Intervention\Image\Drivers\Gd\Driver::class
+        };
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Create a new ImageManager instance with the configured driver.
+     *
+     * @param array $options Additional options for ImageManager
+     * @return ImageManager
+     */
+    public static function createImageManager(array $options = []): ImageManager
+    {
+        $configOptions = config('image.options', []);
+
+        $options = array_merge($configOptions, $options);
+
+        return new ImageManager(
+            self::getDriverClass(),
+            autoOrientation: (bool) ($options['autoOrientation'] ?? true),
+            decodeAnimation: (bool) ($options['decodeAnimation'] ?? true),
+            blendingColor: (string) ($options['blendingColor'] ?? 'ffffff'),
+            strip: (bool) ($options['strip'] ?? true)
+        );
+    }
+}
diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index cd428dbf9..aa2362090 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
         "buzz/laravel-h-captcha": "^1.0.4",
         "endroid/qr-code": "^6.0",
         "guzzlehttp/guzzle": "^7.10",
-        "intervention/image": "^3.11.2",
+        "intervention/image-laravel": "^1.5",
         "intervention/image-driver-vips": "^1.0",
         "jenssegers/agent": "^2.6",
         "laravel-notification-channels/expo": "^2.0.0",
diff --git a/composer.lock b/composer.lock
index 7f36813c2..595bd3595 100644
--- a/composer.lock
+++ b/composer.lock
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
         "Read more about it at https://getcomposer.org/doc/01-basic-usage.md#installing-dependencies",
         "This file is @generated automatically"
     ],
-    "content-hash": "1d3b4afc0a00a1eadb2bddc3be9211c9",
+    "content-hash": "5ae8f00abedb4f895e08da165267f346",
     "packages": [
         {
             "name": "aws/aws-crt-php",
@@ -62,16 +62,16 @@
         },
         {
             "name": "aws/aws-sdk-php",
-            "version": "3.359.9",
+            "version": "3.359.11",
             "source": {
                 "type": "git",
                 "url": "https://github.com/aws/aws-sdk-php.git",
-                "reference": "754b25dae2f50b568b55735931a3cd73263ac5ae"
+                "reference": "c04a8b3c40bca26da591a8ff14bcc390d26c1644"
             },
             "dist": {
                 "type": "zip",
-                "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/aws/aws-sdk-php/zipball/754b25dae2f50b568b55735931a3cd73263ac5ae",
-                "reference": "754b25dae2f50b568b55735931a3cd73263ac5ae",
+                "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/aws/aws-sdk-php/zipball/c04a8b3c40bca26da591a8ff14bcc390d26c1644",
+                "reference": "c04a8b3c40bca26da591a8ff14bcc390d26c1644",
                 "shasum": ""
             },
             "require": {
@@ -153,9 +153,9 @@
             "support": {
                 "forum": "https://github.com/aws/aws-sdk-php/discussions",
                 "issues": "https://github.com/aws/aws-sdk-php/issues",
-                "source": "https://github.com/aws/aws-sdk-php/tree/3.359.9"
+                "source": "https://github.com/aws/aws-sdk-php/tree/3.359.11"
             },
-            "time": "2025-11-10T19:14:56+00:00"
+            "time": "2025-11-12T19:18:02+00:00"
         },
         {
             "name": "bacon/bacon-qr-code",
@@ -1945,6 +1945,90 @@
             ],
             "time": "2025-10-15T15:19:56+00:00"
         },
+        {
+            "name": "intervention/image-laravel",
+            "version": "1.5.6",
+            "source": {
+                "type": "git",
+                "url": "https://github.com/Intervention/image-laravel.git",
+                "reference": "056029431400a5cc56036172787a578f334683c4"
+            },
+            "dist": {
+                "type": "zip",
+                "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/Intervention/image-laravel/zipball/056029431400a5cc56036172787a578f334683c4",
+                "reference": "056029431400a5cc56036172787a578f334683c4",
+                "shasum": ""
+            },
+            "require": {
+                "illuminate/http": "^8|^9|^10|^11|^12",
+                "illuminate/routing": "^8|^9|^10|^11|^12",
+                "illuminate/support": "^8|^9|^10|^11|^12",
+                "intervention/image": "^3.11",
+                "php": "^8.1"
+            },
+            "require-dev": {
+                "ext-fileinfo": "*",
+                "orchestra/testbench": "^8.18 || ^9.9",
+                "phpunit/phpunit": "^10.0 || ^11.0 || ^12.0"
+            },
+            "type": "library",
+            "extra": {
+                "laravel": {
+                    "aliases": {
+                        "Image": "Intervention\\Image\\Laravel\\Facades\\Image"
+                    },
+                    "providers": [
+                        "Intervention\\Image\\Laravel\\ServiceProvider"
+                    ]
+                }
+            },
+            "autoload": {
+                "psr-4": {
+                    "Intervention\\Image\\Laravel\\": "src"
+                }
+            },
+            "notification-url": "https://packagist.org/downloads/",
+            "license": [
+                "MIT"
+            ],
+            "authors": [
+                {
+                    "name": "Oliver Vogel",
+                    "email": "oliver@intervention.io",
+                    "homepage": "https://intervention.io/"
+                }
+            ],
+            "description": "Laravel Integration of Intervention Image",
+            "homepage": "https://image.intervention.io/",
+            "keywords": [
+                "gd",
+                "image",
+                "imagick",
+                "laravel",
+                "resize",
+                "thumbnail",
+                "watermark"
+            ],
+            "support": {
+                "issues": "https://github.com/Intervention/image-laravel/issues",
+                "source": "https://github.com/Intervention/image-laravel/tree/1.5.6"
+            },
+            "funding": [
+                {
+                    "url": "https://paypal.me/interventionio",
+                    "type": "custom"
+                },
+                {
+                    "url": "https://github.com/Intervention",
+                    "type": "github"
+                },
+                {
+                    "url": "https://ko-fi.com/interventionphp",
+                    "type": "ko_fi"
+                }
+            ],
+            "time": "2025-04-04T15:09:55+00:00"
+        },
         {
             "name": "jaybizzle/crawler-detect",
             "version": "v1.3.6",
@@ -2273,16 +2357,16 @@
         },
         {
             "name": "laravel/framework",
-            "version": "v12.37.0",
+            "version": "v12.38.1",
             "source": {
                 "type": "git",
                 "url": "https://github.com/laravel/framework.git",
-                "reference": "3c3c4ad30f5b528b164a7c09aa4ad03118c4c125"
+                "reference": "7f3012af6059f5f64a12930701cd8caed6cf7c17"
             },
             "dist": {
                 "type": "zip",
-                "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/laravel/framework/zipball/3c3c4ad30f5b528b164a7c09aa4ad03118c4c125",
-                "reference": "3c3c4ad30f5b528b164a7c09aa4ad03118c4c125",
+                "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/laravel/framework/zipball/7f3012af6059f5f64a12930701cd8caed6cf7c17",
+                "reference": "7f3012af6059f5f64a12930701cd8caed6cf7c17",
                 "shasum": ""
             },
             "require": {
@@ -2400,7 +2484,7 @@
                 "phpstan/phpstan": "^2.0",
                 "phpunit/phpunit": "^10.5.35|^11.5.3|^12.0.1",
                 "predis/predis": "^2.3|^3.0",
-                "resend/resend-php": "^0.10.0",
+                "resend/resend-php": "^0.10.0|^1.0",
                 "symfony/cache": "^7.2.0",
                 "symfony/http-client": "^7.2.0",
                 "symfony/psr-http-message-bridge": "^7.2.0",
@@ -2434,7 +2518,7 @@
                 "predis/predis": "Required to use the predis connector (^2.3|^3.0).",
                 "psr/http-message": "Required to allow Storage::put to accept a StreamInterface (^1.0).",
                 "pusher/pusher-php-server": "Required to use the Pusher broadcast driver (^6.0|^7.0).",
-                "resend/resend-php": "Required to enable support for the Resend mail transport (^0.10.0).",
+                "resend/resend-php": "Required to enable support for the Resend mail transport (^0.10.0|^1.0).",
                 "symfony/cache": "Required to PSR-6 cache bridge (^7.2).",
                 "symfony/filesystem": "Required to enable support for relative symbolic links (^7.2).",
                 "symfony/http-client": "Required to enable support for the Symfony API mail transports (^7.2).",
@@ -2488,7 +2572,7 @@
                 "issues": "https://github.com/laravel/framework/issues",
                 "source": "https://github.com/laravel/framework"
             },
-            "time": "2025-11-04T15:39:33+00:00"
+            "time": "2025-11-13T02:12:47+00:00"
         },
         {
             "name": "laravel/helpers",
@@ -2549,16 +2633,16 @@
         },
         {
             "name": "laravel/horizon",
-            "version": "v5.39.0",
+            "version": "v5.40.0",
             "source": {
                 "type": "git",
                 "url": "https://github.com/laravel/horizon.git",
-                "reference": "bf8f5242f48cff5870e7b30620d872077effe9da"
+                "reference": "bc15081bd94a150ca5f299e6b3a5217a05708f97"
             },
             "dist": {
                 "type": "zip",
-                "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/laravel/horizon/zipball/bf8f5242f48cff5870e7b30620d872077effe9da",
-                "reference": "bf8f5242f48cff5870e7b30620d872077effe9da",
+                "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/laravel/horizon/zipball/bc15081bd94a150ca5f299e6b3a5217a05708f97",
+                "reference": "bc15081bd94a150ca5f299e6b3a5217a05708f97",
                 "shasum": ""
             },
             "require": {
@@ -2623,9 +2707,9 @@
             ],
             "support": {
                 "issues": "https://github.com/laravel/horizon/issues",
-                "source": "https://github.com/laravel/horizon/tree/v5.39.0"
+                "source": "https://github.com/laravel/horizon/tree/v5.40.0"
             },
-            "time": "2025-11-04T14:35:53+00:00"
+            "time": "2025-11-11T22:41:12+00:00"
         },
         {
             "name": "laravel/passport",
@@ -5658,16 +5742,16 @@
         },
         {
             "name": "predis/predis",
-            "version": "v2.4.0",
+            "version": "v2.4.1",
             "source": {
                 "type": "git",
                 "url": "https://github.com/predis/predis.git",
-                "reference": "f49e13ee3a2a825631562aa0223ac922ec5d058b"
+                "reference": "07105e050622ed80bd60808367ced9e379f31530"
             },
             "dist": {
                 "type": "zip",
-                "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/predis/predis/zipball/f49e13ee3a2a825631562aa0223ac922ec5d058b",
-                "reference": "f49e13ee3a2a825631562aa0223ac922ec5d058b",
+                "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/predis/predis/zipball/07105e050622ed80bd60808367ced9e379f31530",
+                "reference": "07105e050622ed80bd60808367ced9e379f31530",
                 "shasum": ""
             },
             "require": {
@@ -5708,7 +5792,7 @@
             ],
             "support": {
                 "issues": "https://github.com/predis/predis/issues",
-                "source": "https://github.com/predis/predis/tree/v2.4.0"
+                "source": "https://github.com/predis/predis/tree/v2.4.1"
             },
             "funding": [
                 {
@@ -5716,7 +5800,7 @@
                     "type": "github"
                 }
             ],
-            "time": "2025-04-30T15:16:02+00:00"
+            "time": "2025-11-12T18:00:11+00:00"
         },
         {
             "name": "psr/cache",
@@ -8270,16 +8354,16 @@
         },
         {
             "name": "symfony/http-foundation",
-            "version": "v7.3.6",
+            "version": "v7.3.7",
             "source": {
                 "type": "git",
                 "url": "https://github.com/symfony/http-foundation.git",
-                "reference": "6379e490d6ecfc5c4224ff3a754b90495ecd135c"
+                "reference": "db488a62f98f7a81d5746f05eea63a74e55bb7c4"
             },
             "dist": {
                 "type": "zip",
-                "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/symfony/http-foundation/zipball/6379e490d6ecfc5c4224ff3a754b90495ecd135c",
-                "reference": "6379e490d6ecfc5c4224ff3a754b90495ecd135c",
+                "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/symfony/http-foundation/zipball/db488a62f98f7a81d5746f05eea63a74e55bb7c4",
+                "reference": "db488a62f98f7a81d5746f05eea63a74e55bb7c4",
                 "shasum": ""
             },
             "require": {
@@ -8329,7 +8413,7 @@
             "description": "Defines an object-oriented layer for the HTTP specification",
             "homepage": "https://symfony.com",
             "support": {
-                "source": "https://github.com/symfony/http-foundation/tree/v7.3.6"
+                "source": "https://github.com/symfony/http-foundation/tree/v7.3.7"
             },
             "funding": [
                 {
@@ -8349,20 +8433,20 @@
                     "type": "tidelift"
                 }
             ],
-            "time": "2025-11-06T11:05:57+00:00"
+            "time": "2025-11-08T16:41:12+00:00"
         },
         {
             "name": "symfony/http-kernel",
-            "version": "v7.3.6",
+            "version": "v7.3.7",
             "source": {
                 "type": "git",
                 "url": "https://github.com/symfony/http-kernel.git",
-                "reference": "f9a34dc0196677250e3609c2fac9de9e1551a262"
+                "reference": "10b8e9b748ea95fa4539c208e2487c435d3c87ce"
             },
             "dist": {
                 "type": "zip",
-                "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/symfony/http-kernel/zipball/f9a34dc0196677250e3609c2fac9de9e1551a262",
-                "reference": "f9a34dc0196677250e3609c2fac9de9e1551a262",
+                "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/symfony/http-kernel/zipball/10b8e9b748ea95fa4539c208e2487c435d3c87ce",
+                "reference": "10b8e9b748ea95fa4539c208e2487c435d3c87ce",
                 "shasum": ""
             },
             "require": {
@@ -8447,7 +8531,7 @@
             "description": "Provides a structured process for converting a Request into a Response",
             "homepage": "https://symfony.com",
             "support": {
-                "source": "https://github.com/symfony/http-kernel/tree/v7.3.6"
+                "source": "https://github.com/symfony/http-kernel/tree/v7.3.7"
             },
             "funding": [
                 {
@@ -8467,7 +8551,7 @@
                     "type": "tidelift"
                 }
             ],
-            "time": "2025-11-06T20:58:12+00:00"
+            "time": "2025-11-12T11:38:40+00:00"
         },
         {
             "name": "symfony/mailer",
diff --git a/config/image.php b/config/image.php
index abff3474c..a136e46b8 100644
--- a/config/image.php
+++ b/config/image.php
@@ -7,12 +7,41 @@ return [
     | Image Driver
     |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
     |
-    | Intervention Image supports "GD Library" or "Imagick" to process
-    | images internally. You may choose one of them according to your PHP
-    | configuration. By default PHP's "GD Library" implementation is used.
+    | Intervention Image supports “GD Library” and “Imagick” to process images
+    | internally. Depending on your PHP setup, you can choose one of them.
     |
-    | Supported: "gd", "imagick"
+    | Included options:
+    |   - gd      = \Intervention\Image\Drivers\Gd\Driver::class
+    |   - imagick = \Intervention\Image\Drivers\Imagick\Driver::class
+    |   - vips    = \Intervention\Image\Drivers\vips\Driver::class
     |
     */
+
     'driver' => env('IMAGE_DRIVER', 'gd'),
+
+    /*
+    |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    | Configuration Options
+    |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    |
+    | These options control the behavior of Intervention Image.
+    |
+    | - "autoOrientation" controls whether an imported image should be
+    |    automatically rotated according to any existing Exif data.
+    |
+    | - "decodeAnimation" decides whether a possibly animated image is
+    |    decoded as such or whether the animation is discarded.
+    |
+    | - "blendingColor" Defines the default blending color.
+    |
+    | - "strip" controls if meta data like exif tags should be removed when
+    |    encoding images.
+    */
+
+    'options' => [
+        'autoOrientation' => true,
+        'decodeAnimation' => true,
+        'blendingColor' => env('IMAGE_BLENDINGCOLOR', 'ffffff'),
+        'strip' => env('IMAGE_STRIP', true),
+    ]
 ];