diff --git a/TheChef b/TheChef
index 0273340..1981a21 160000
--- a/TheChef
+++ b/TheChef
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 0273340e3b086bf27192ae0f3019a3c2ff68b83d
+Subproject commit 1981a21481b486e4995eec97cb5ec9158c62d287
diff --git a/destrum/include/destrum/Assets/TextureFile.h b/destrum/include/destrum/Assets/TextureFile.h
index 1c6d372..7898f60 100644
--- a/destrum/include/destrum/Assets/TextureFile.h
+++ b/destrum/include/destrum/Assets/TextureFile.h
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ namespace TextureFile {
 
     enum class PixelFormat : std::uint32_t {
         RGBA16Float,
+        RGBA8,
     };
 
     struct Texture {
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ namespace TextureFile {
     [[nodiscard]] std::size_t BytesPerPixel(PixelFormat format);
 
     [[nodiscard]] Texture FromRGBA32Float(std::uint32_t width, std::uint32_t height, std::span<const float> rgba);
+    [[nodiscard]] Texture FromRGBA8(std::uint32_t width, std::uint32_t height, std::span<const std::uint8_t> rgba);
 
     [[nodiscard]] std::vector<std::uint8_t> Write(const Texture& texture);
     [[nodiscard]] Texture Read(std::span<const std::uint8_t> bytes);
diff --git a/destrum/src/Assets/TextureFile.cpp b/destrum/src/Assets/TextureFile.cpp
index c1dc580..7a6d085 100644
--- a/destrum/src/Assets/TextureFile.cpp
+++ b/destrum/src/Assets/TextureFile.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ std::size_t TextureFile::BytesPerPixel(PixelFormat format) {
     switch (format) {
     case PixelFormat::RGBA16Float:
         return 4 * sizeof(std::uint16_t);
+    case PixelFormat::RGBA8:
+        return 4;
     }
     throw std::runtime_error("Unknown cooked texture pixel format");
 }
@@ -46,6 +48,19 @@ TextureFile::Texture TextureFile::FromRGBA32Float(std::uint32_t width, std::uint
     return texture;
 }
 
+TextureFile::Texture TextureFile::FromRGBA8(std::uint32_t width, std::uint32_t height, std::span<const std::uint8_t> rgba) {
+    if (rgba.size() != std::size_t{width} * height * 4) {
+        throw std::invalid_argument("RGBA pixel data doesn't match the texture size");
+    }
+
+    return Texture{
+        .width = width,
+        .height = height,
+        .format = PixelFormat::RGBA8,
+        .pixels = {rgba.begin(), rgba.end()},
+    };
+}
+
 std::vector<std::uint8_t> TextureFile::Write(const Texture& texture) {
     if (texture.pixels.size() != ExpectedByteSize(texture)) {
         throw std::invalid_argument("Texture pixel data doesn't match its size and format");
diff --git a/destrum/src/Graphics/ImageLoader.cpp b/destrum/src/Graphics/ImageLoader.cpp
index 3b03e14..3f957da 100644
--- a/destrum/src/Graphics/ImageLoader.cpp
+++ b/destrum/src/Graphics/ImageLoader.cpp
@@ -53,19 +53,44 @@ namespace util
         return ext == TextureFile::Extension;
     }
 
-    static VkFormat toVkFormat(TextureFile::PixelFormat format)
+    static VkFormat toVkFormat(TextureFile::PixelFormat format, TextureIntent intent)
     {
         switch (format) {
             case TextureFile::PixelFormat::RGBA16Float: return VK_FORMAT_R16G16B16A16_SFLOAT;
+            case TextureFile::PixelFormat::RGBA8:
+                return intent == TextureIntent::ColorSrgb ? VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_SRGB : VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM;
         }
         return VK_FORMAT_UNDEFINED;
     }
 
+    // TheChef writes <image>.dtex next to the copied source, so every caller that has the source path gets it
+    static std::filesystem::path findCookedSibling(const std::filesystem::path& p)
+    {
+        std::filesystem::path cooked = p;
+        cooked += TextureFile::Extension;
+
+        std::error_code error;
+        if (!std::filesystem::is_regular_file(cooked, error)) {
+            return {};
+        }
+        const auto sourceTime = std::filesystem::last_write_time(p, error);
+        if (!error && sourceTime > std::filesystem::last_write_time(cooked, error)) {
+            return {};
+        }
+        return cooked;
+    }
+
     ImageData loadImage(const std::filesystem::path& p, TextureIntent intent)
     {
         ImageData data;
 
-
+        if (!isCookedTextureExt(p)) {
+            if (const auto cooked = findCookedSibling(p); !cooked.empty()) {
+                if (ImageData cookedData = loadImage(cooked, intent); cookedData.byteSize != 0) {
+                    return cookedData;
+                }
+            }
+        }
 
         if (isCookedTextureExt(p)) {
             try {
@@ -77,7 +102,7 @@ namespace util
                 data.height = static_cast<int>(texture.height);
                 data.channels = 4;
 
-                data.vkFormat = toVkFormat(texture.format);
+                data.vkFormat = toVkFormat(texture.format, intent);
                 data.byteSize = data.cookedPixels.size();
             } catch (const std::exception& exception) {
                 spdlog::error("Failed to read cooked texture '{}': {}", p.string(), exception.what());
diff --git a/tests/assets_tests.cpp b/tests/assets_tests.cpp
index db2accc..da48ecf 100644
--- a/tests/assets_tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/assets_tests.cpp
@@ -432,6 +432,32 @@ namespace {
               "cooked texture pixels must be uploaded as stored");
     }
 
+    void testLdrTextureFile()
+    {
+        const std::vector<std::uint8_t> rgba{255, 0, 0, 255, 0, 128, 255, 64};
+        const auto texture = TextureFile::FromRGBA8(2, 1, rgba);
+        const auto loaded = TextureFile::Read(TextureFile::Write(texture));
+        check(loaded.format == TextureFile::PixelFormat::RGBA8 && loaded.pixels == rgba,
+              "8 bit cooked textures must round-trip");
+
+        const auto dir = std::filesystem::temp_directory_path() / "destrum_ldr_texture_test";
+        std::filesystem::create_directories(dir);
+        const auto source = dir / "missing_source.png";
+        auto cooked = source;
+        cooked += TextureFile::Extension;
+        TextureFile::WriteToFile(texture, cooked);
+
+        const auto color = util::loadImage(source, TextureIntent::ColorSrgb);
+        const auto data = util::loadImage(source, TextureIntent::DataLinear);
+        std::filesystem::remove_all(dir);
+
+        check(color.vkFormat == VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_SRGB && data.vkFormat == VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM,
+              "8 bit cooked textures must pick their color space from the intent");
+        check(color.width == 2 && color.height == 1 && color.pixels != nullptr &&
+              std::memcmp(color.pixels, rgba.data(), rgba.size()) == 0,
+              "loading a source image must use its cooked sibling");
+    }
+
     void testAssetReferenceCacheKeys()
     {
         const AssetReference reference{
@@ -528,6 +554,7 @@ void RunAssetsTests()
     testAssetManagerLoadsCookedModels();
     testTextureFileRoundTrip();
     testImageLoaderReadsCookedTextures();
+    testLdrTextureFile();
     testAssetReferenceCacheKeys();
     testAssetGuids();
     testAssetDatabaseFollowsMovedAssets();