diff --git a/crates/egui/src/context.rs b/crates/egui/src/context.rs
index 11b05bc0..9dc70c92 100644
--- a/crates/egui/src/context.rs
+++ b/crates/egui/src/context.rs
@@ -3546,6 +3546,14 @@ impl Context {
     pub fn loaders(&self) -> Arc<Loaders> {
         self.read(|this| this.loaders.clone())
     }
+
+    /// Returns `true` if any image is currently being loaded.
+    pub fn has_pending_images(&self) -> bool {
+        self.read(|this| {
+            this.loaders.image.lock().iter().any(|i| i.has_pending())
+                || this.loaders.bytes.lock().iter().any(|i| i.has_pending())
+        })
+    }
 }
 
 /// ## Viewports
diff --git a/crates/egui/src/load.rs b/crates/egui/src/load.rs
index 6e30d4ca..2190992d 100644
--- a/crates/egui/src/load.rs
+++ b/crates/egui/src/load.rs
@@ -328,6 +328,11 @@ pub trait BytesLoader {
 
     /// If the loader caches any data, this should return the size of that cache.
     fn byte_size(&self) -> usize;
+
+    /// Returns `true` if some data is currently being loaded.
+    fn has_pending(&self) -> bool {
+        false
+    }
 }
 
 /// Represents an image which is currently being loaded.
@@ -395,6 +400,13 @@ pub trait ImageLoader {
 
     /// If the loader caches any data, this should return the size of that cache.
     fn byte_size(&self) -> usize;
+
+    /// Returns `true` if some image is currently being loaded.
+    ///  
+    /// NOTE: You probably also want to check [`BytesLoader::has_pending`].
+    fn has_pending(&self) -> bool {
+        false
+    }
 }
 
 /// A texture with a known size.
diff --git a/crates/egui_extras/src/loaders/ehttp_loader.rs b/crates/egui_extras/src/loaders/ehttp_loader.rs
index 79c77694..22785eed 100644
--- a/crates/egui_extras/src/loaders/ehttp_loader.rs
+++ b/crates/egui_extras/src/loaders/ehttp_loader.rs
@@ -125,4 +125,8 @@ impl BytesLoader for EhttpLoader {
             })
             .sum()
     }
+
+    fn has_pending(&self) -> bool {
+        self.cache.lock().values().any(|entry| entry.is_pending())
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/egui_extras/src/loaders/file_loader.rs b/crates/egui_extras/src/loaders/file_loader.rs
index 8b762887..9feaebf5 100644
--- a/crates/egui_extras/src/loaders/file_loader.rs
+++ b/crates/egui_extras/src/loaders/file_loader.rs
@@ -128,4 +128,8 @@ impl BytesLoader for FileLoader {
             })
             .sum()
     }
+
+    fn has_pending(&self) -> bool {
+        self.cache.lock().values().any(|entry| entry.is_pending())
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/egui_extras/src/loaders/image_loader.rs b/crates/egui_extras/src/loaders/image_loader.rs
index 2528c2ae..7f472dcc 100644
--- a/crates/egui_extras/src/loaders/image_loader.rs
+++ b/crates/egui_extras/src/loaders/image_loader.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ use egui::{
 use image::ImageFormat;
 use std::{mem::size_of, path::Path, sync::Arc, task::Poll};
 
+#[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
+use std::thread;
+
 type Entry = Poll<Result<Arc<ColorImage>, String>>;
 
 #[derive(Default)]
@@ -73,7 +76,7 @@ impl ImageLoader for ImageCrateLoader {
             return Err(LoadError::NotSupported);
         }
 
-        #[cfg(not(any(target_arch = "wasm32", test)))]
+        #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
         #[expect(clippy::unnecessary_wraps)] // needed here to match other return types
         fn load_image(
             ctx: &egui::Context,
@@ -85,7 +88,7 @@ impl ImageLoader for ImageCrateLoader {
             cache.lock().insert(uri.clone(), Poll::Pending);
 
             // Do the image parsing on a bg thread
-            std::thread::Builder::new()
+            thread::Builder::new()
                 .name(format!("egui_extras::ImageLoader::load({uri:?})"))
                 .spawn({
                     let ctx = ctx.clone();
@@ -113,8 +116,7 @@ impl ImageLoader for ImageCrateLoader {
             Ok(ImagePoll::Pending { size: None })
         }
 
-        // Load images on the current thread for tests, so they are less flaky
-        #[cfg(any(target_arch = "wasm32", test))]
+        #[cfg(target_arch = "wasm32")]
         fn load_image(
             _ctx: &egui::Context,
             uri: &str,
@@ -179,6 +181,10 @@ impl ImageLoader for ImageCrateLoader {
             })
             .sum()
     }
+
+    fn has_pending(&self) -> bool {
+        self.cache.lock().values().any(|result| result.is_pending())
+    }
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
diff --git a/crates/egui_kittest/Cargo.toml b/crates/egui_kittest/Cargo.toml
index d2434124..2638097e 100644
--- a/crates/egui_kittest/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/egui_kittest/Cargo.toml
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ document-features = { workspace = true, optional = true }
 [dev-dependencies]
 egui = { workspace = true, features = ["default_fonts"] }
 image = { workspace = true, features = ["png"] }
-egui_extras = { workspace = true, features = ["image"] }
+egui_extras = { workspace = true, features = ["image", "http"] }
 
 [lints]
 workspace = true
diff --git a/crates/egui_kittest/src/builder.rs b/crates/egui_kittest/src/builder.rs
index 4010b458..63f19c3c 100644
--- a/crates/egui_kittest/src/builder.rs
+++ b/crates/egui_kittest/src/builder.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ pub struct HarnessBuilder<State = ()> {
     pub(crate) step_dt: f32,
     pub(crate) state: PhantomData<State>,
     pub(crate) renderer: Box<dyn TestRenderer>,
+    pub(crate) wait_for_pending_images: bool,
 }
 
 impl<State> Default for HarnessBuilder<State> {
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ impl<State> Default for HarnessBuilder<State> {
             renderer: Box::new(LazyRenderer::default()),
             max_steps: 4,
             step_dt: 1.0 / 4.0,
+            wait_for_pending_images: true,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -63,6 +65,19 @@ impl<State> HarnessBuilder<State> {
         self
     }
 
+    /// Should we wait for pending images?
+    ///
+    /// If `true`, [`Harness::run`] and related methods will check if there are pending images
+    /// (via [`egui::Context::has_pending_images`]) and sleep for [`Self::with_step_dt`] up to
+    /// [`Self::with_max_steps`] times.
+    ///
+    /// Default: `true`
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn with_wait_for_pending_images(mut self, wait_for_pending_images: bool) -> Self {
+        self.wait_for_pending_images = wait_for_pending_images;
+        self
+    }
+
     /// Set the [`TestRenderer`] to use for rendering.
     ///
     /// By default, a [`LazyRenderer`] is used.
diff --git a/crates/egui_kittest/src/lib.rs b/crates/egui_kittest/src/lib.rs
index 38521d10..0963a949 100644
--- a/crates/egui_kittest/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/egui_kittest/src/lib.rs
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ pub use renderer::*;
 use egui::{Modifiers, Pos2, Rect, RepaintCause, Vec2, ViewportId};
 use kittest::{Node, Queryable};
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct ExceededMaxStepsError {
     pub max_steps: u64,
     pub repaint_causes: Vec<RepaintCause>,
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ pub struct Harness<'a, State = ()> {
     renderer: Box<dyn TestRenderer>,
     max_steps: u64,
     step_dt: f32,
+    wait_for_pending_images: bool,
 }
 
 impl<State> Debug for Harness<'_, State> {
@@ -88,6 +90,7 @@ impl<'a, State> Harness<'a, State> {
             step_dt,
             state: _,
             mut renderer,
+            wait_for_pending_images,
         } = builder;
         let ctx = ctx.unwrap_or_default();
         ctx.enable_accesskit();
@@ -128,6 +131,7 @@ impl<'a, State> Harness<'a, State> {
             renderer,
             max_steps,
             step_dt,
+            wait_for_pending_images,
         };
         // Run the harness until it is stable, ensuring that all Areas are shown and animations are done
         harness.run_ok();
@@ -293,10 +297,13 @@ impl<'a, State> Harness<'a, State> {
         loop {
             steps += 1;
             self.step();
+
+            let wait_for_images = self.wait_for_pending_images && self.ctx.has_pending_images();
+
             // We only care about immediate repaints
-            if self.root_viewport_output().repaint_delay != Duration::ZERO {
+            if self.root_viewport_output().repaint_delay != Duration::ZERO && !wait_for_images {
                 break;
-            } else if sleep {
+            } else if sleep || wait_for_images {
                 std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs_f32(self.step_dt));
             }
             if steps > self.max_steps {
diff --git a/crates/egui_kittest/tests/snapshots/should_wait_for_images.png b/crates/egui_kittest/tests/snapshots/should_wait_for_images.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c6ee32d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/egui_kittest/tests/snapshots/should_wait_for_images.png
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+version https://git-lfs.github.com/spec/v1
+oid sha256:6298e67d099002808d51e7494e4174adee66d7ef2880728126c1d761d1432372
+size 2145
diff --git a/crates/egui_kittest/tests/tests.rs b/crates/egui_kittest/tests/tests.rs
index 9bf07063..2b223f45 100644
--- a/crates/egui_kittest/tests/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/egui_kittest/tests/tests.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use egui::Modifiers;
+use egui::{include_image, Modifiers, Vec2};
 use egui_kittest::Harness;
 use kittest::{Key, Queryable as _};
 
@@ -57,3 +57,29 @@ fn test_modifiers() {
     assert!(state.cmd_z_pressed, "Cmd+Z wasn't pressed");
     assert!(state.cmd_y_pressed, "Cmd+Y wasn't pressed");
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn should_wait_for_images() {
+    let mut harness = Harness::builder()
+        .with_size(Vec2::new(60.0, 120.0))
+        .build_ui(|ui| {
+            egui_extras::install_image_loaders(ui.ctx());
+            let size = Vec2::splat(30.0);
+            ui.label("Url:");
+            ui.add_sized(
+                size,
+                egui::Image::new(
+                    "https://raw.githubusercontent.com\
+                    /emilk/egui/refs/heads/main/crates/eframe/data/icon.png",
+                ),
+            );
+
+            ui.label("Include:");
+            ui.add_sized(
+                size,
+                egui::Image::new(include_image!("../../eframe/data/icon.png")),
+            );
+        });
+
+    harness.snapshot("should_wait_for_images");
+}