diff --git a/runtime/lua/vim/img.lua b/runtime/lua/vim/img.lua
index 84eb2f5aea..4c5f4aeac4 100644
--- a/runtime/lua/vim/img.lua
+++ b/runtime/lua/vim/img.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 local img = vim._defer_require('vim.img', {
   _backend = ..., --- @module 'vim.img._backend'
+  _detect = ..., --- @module 'vim.img._detect'
   _image = ..., --- @module 'vim.img._image'
   _terminal = ..., --- @module 'vim.img._terminal'
 })
@@ -13,7 +14,31 @@ function img.load(opts)
   return img._image:new(opts)
 end
 
----@class vim.img.Protocol 'iterm2'|'kitty'|'sixel'
+img.protocol = (function()
+  ---@class vim.img.Protocol 'iterm2'|'kitty'|'sixel'
+
+  ---@type vim.img.Protocol|nil
+  local protocol = nil
+
+  local loaded = false
+
+  ---Determines the preferred graphics protocol to use by default.
+  ---
+  ---@return vim.img.Protocol|nil
+  return function()
+    if not loaded then
+      local graphics = img._detect().graphics
+
+      ---@diagnostic disable-next-line:cast-type-mismatch
+      ---@cast graphics vim.img.Protocol|nil
+      protocol = graphics
+
+      loaded = true
+    end
+
+    return protocol
+  end
+end)()
 
 ---@class vim.img.Opts: vim.img.Backend.RenderOpts
 ---@field backend? vim.img.Protocol|vim.img.Backend
@@ -26,6 +51,14 @@ function img.show(image, opts)
 
   local backend = opts.backend
 
+  -- If no graphics are explicitly defined, attempt to detect the
+  -- preferred graphics. If we still cannot figure out a backend,
+  -- throw an error early versus silently trying a protocol.
+  if not backend then
+    backend = img.protocol()
+    assert(backend, 'no graphics backend available')
+  end
+
   -- For named protocols, grab the appropriate backend, failing
   -- if there is not a default backend for the specified protocol.
   if type(backend) == 'string' then
diff --git a/runtime/lua/vim/img/_detect.lua b/runtime/lua/vim/img/_detect.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..69377c6e37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/lua/vim/img/_detect.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+local terminal = require('vim.img._terminal')
+
+local TERM_QUERY = {
+  -- Request device attributes (DA2).
+  --
+  -- It typically returns information about the terminal type and supported features.
+  --
+  -- Response format is typically something like '\033[>...;...;...c'
+  DEVICE_ATTRIBUTES = terminal.code.ESC .. '[>q',
+
+  -- Request device status report (DSR), checking if terminal is okay.
+  --
+  -- Response indicates its current state.
+  DEVICE_STATUS_REPORT = terminal.code.ESC .. '[5n',
+}
+
+local TERM_RESPONSE = {
+  -- Indicates that the terminal is functioning normally (no error).
+  --
+  -- 0 means 'OK'; other values indicate different states or errors.
+  OK = terminal.code.ESC .. '[0n',
+}
+
+---Detects supported graphics of the terminal.
+---@return {graphics:'iterm2'|'kitty'|'sixel'|nil, tmux:boolean, broken_sixel_cursor_placement:boolean}
+return function()
+  local results = { graphics = nil, tmux = false, broken_sixel_cursor_placement = false }
+
+  local term = os.getenv('TERM')
+  if term == 'xterm-kitty' or term == 'xterm-ghostty' or term == 'ghostty' then
+    results.graphics = 'kitty'
+  end
+
+  local term_program = os.getenv('TERM_PROGRAM')
+  if term_program == 'vscode' then
+    results.graphics = 'iterm2'
+    results.broken_sixel_cursor_placement = true
+  end
+
+  local _, err = terminal.query({
+    query = table.concat({
+      TERM_QUERY.DEVICE_ATTRIBUTES,
+      TERM_QUERY.DEVICE_STATUS_REPORT,
+    }),
+    handler = function(buffer)
+      local function has(s)
+        return string.find(buffer, s, 1, true) ~= nil
+      end
+
+      if has('iTerm2') or has('Konsole 2') then
+        results.graphics = 'iterm2'
+      end
+
+      if has('WezTerm') then
+        results.graphics = 'iterm2'
+        results.broken_sixel_cursor_placement = true
+      end
+
+      if has('kitty') or has('ghostty') then
+        results.graphics = 'kitty'
+      end
+
+      if has('mlterm') then
+        results.graphics = 'sixel'
+      end
+
+      if has('XTerm') or has('foot') then
+        results.graphics = 'sixel'
+        results.broken_sixel_cursor_placement = true
+      end
+
+      if has('tmux') then
+        results.tmux = true
+      end
+
+      -- Check if we have received the ok terminal response
+      local start = string.find(buffer, TERM_RESPONSE.OK, 1, true)
+      if start then
+        return string.sub(buffer, start)
+      end
+    end,
+    timeout = 250,
+  })
+
+  assert(not err, err)
+
+  return results
+end
diff --git a/runtime/lua/vim/img/_terminal.lua b/runtime/lua/vim/img/_terminal.lua
index 7419c71f2d..ba7147eb80 100644
--- a/runtime/lua/vim/img/_terminal.lua
+++ b/runtime/lua/vim/img/_terminal.lua
@@ -75,4 +75,66 @@ end
 ---Terminal escape codes.
 M.code = TERM_CODE
 
+---@param opts {query:string, handler:(fun(buffer:string):string|nil), timeout?:integer}
+---@return string|nil result, string|nil err
+function M.query(opts)
+  local uv = vim.uv
+
+  opts = opts or {}
+  local query = opts.query
+  local handler = opts.handler
+  local timeout = opts.timeout or 250
+
+  local tty_fd, err
+  local function cleanup()
+    if tty_fd then
+      uv.fs_close(tty_fd)
+      tty_fd = nil
+    end
+  end
+
+  -- Identify the path to the editor's tty
+  -- NOTE: This only works on Unix-like systems!
+  local ok, tty_path = pcall(M.tty_name)
+  if not ok then
+    return nil, tty_path
+  end
+
+  -- Open the tty so we can write our query
+  tty_fd, err = uv.fs_open(tty_path, 'r+', 438)
+  if not tty_fd then
+    return nil, err
+  end
+
+  -- Write query to terminal.
+  local success, write_err = uv.fs_write(tty_fd, query, -1)
+  if not success then
+    cleanup()
+    return nil, write_err
+  end
+
+  -- Read response with timeout.
+  local buffer = ''
+  local start_time = uv.now()
+
+  while uv.now() - start_time < timeout do
+    local data, read_err = uv.fs_read(tty_fd, 512, -1)
+    if data then
+      buffer = buffer .. data
+      local result = handler(buffer)
+      if result then
+        cleanup()
+        return result
+      end
+    elseif read_err ~= 'EAGAIN' then
+      cleanup()
+      return nil, read_err
+    end
+    uv.sleep(1)
+  end
+
+  cleanup()
+  return nil, 'Timeout'
+end
+
 return M