diff --git a/plugins/python-codecs/package-lock.json b/plugins/python-codecs/package-lock.json
index effd438936..4051e9051d 100644
--- a/plugins/python-codecs/package-lock.json
+++ b/plugins/python-codecs/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
    "name": "@scrypted/python-codecs",
-   "version": "0.1.20",
+   "version": "0.1.21",
    "lockfileVersion": 3,
    "requires": true,
    "packages": {
       "": {
          "name": "@scrypted/python-codecs",
-         "version": "0.1.20",
+         "version": "0.1.21",
          "devDependencies": {
             "@scrypted/sdk": "file:../../sdk"
          }
diff --git a/plugins/python-codecs/package.json b/plugins/python-codecs/package.json
index 55ed7e6c18..5c2d3b33f1 100644
--- a/plugins/python-codecs/package.json
+++ b/plugins/python-codecs/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
    "name": "@scrypted/python-codecs",
-   "version": "0.1.20",
+   "version": "0.1.21",
    "description": "Python Codecs for Scrypted",
    "keywords": [
       "scrypted",
diff --git a/plugins/python-codecs/src/libav.py b/plugins/python-codecs/src/libav.py
index ad4c63e320..889d8e9ead 100644
--- a/plugins/python-codecs/src/libav.py
+++ b/plugins/python-codecs/src/libav.py
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ async def generateVideoFramesLibav(mediaObject: scrypted_sdk.MediaObject, option
     # stream.codec_context.options['-analyzeduration'] = '0'
     # stream.codec_context.options['-probesize'] = '500000'
 
+    gray = options and options.get('format') == 'gray'
+
     start = 0
     try:
         for idx, frame in enumerate(container.decode(stream)):
@@ -39,7 +41,12 @@ async def generateVideoFramesLibav(mediaObject: scrypted_sdk.MediaObject, option
                 continue
             # print(frame)
             if vipsimage.pyvips:
-                vips = vipsimage.pyvips.Image.new_from_array(frame.to_ndarray(format='rgb24'))
+                if gray and frame.format.name.startswith('yuv') and frame.planes and len(frame.planes):
+                    vips = vipsimage.new_from_memory(memoryview(frame.planes[0]), frame.width, frame.height, 1)
+                elif gray:
+                    vips = vipsimage.pyvips.Image.new_from_array(frame.to_ndarray(format='gray'))
+                else:
+                    vips = vipsimage.pyvips.Image.new_from_array(frame.to_ndarray(format='rgb24'))
                 vipsImage = vipsimage.VipsImage(vips)
                 try:
                     mo = await vipsimage.createVipsMediaObject(vipsImage)
@@ -48,7 +55,16 @@ async def generateVideoFramesLibav(mediaObject: scrypted_sdk.MediaObject, option
                     vipsImage.vipsImage = None
                     vips.invalidate()
             else:
-                pil = frame.to_image()
+                if gray and frame.format.name.startswith('yuv') and frame.planes and len(frame.planes):
+                    pil = pilimage.new_from_memory(memoryview(frame.planes[0]), frame.width, frame.height, 1)
+                elif gray:
+                    rgb = frame.to_image()
+                    try:
+                        pil = rgb.convert('L')
+                    finally:
+                        rgb.close()
+                else:
+                    pil = frame.to_image()
                 pilImage = pilimage.PILImage(pil)
                 try:
                     mo = await pilimage.createPILMediaObject(pilImage)
diff --git a/plugins/python-codecs/src/pilimage.py b/plugins/python-codecs/src/pilimage.py
index 7e76a9ce3e..512afd9cdd 100644
--- a/plugins/python-codecs/src/pilimage.py
+++ b/plugins/python-codecs/src/pilimage.py
@@ -21,19 +21,26 @@ async def toBuffer(self, options: scrypted_sdk.ImageOptions = None) -> bytearray
 
         if not options or not options.get('format', None):
             def format():
-                bytesArray = io.BytesIO()
-                pilImage.pilImage.save(bytesArray, format='JPEG')
-                return bytesArray.getvalue()
+                return pilImage.pilImage.tobytes()
             return await to_thread(format)
         elif options['format'] == 'rgb':
             def format():
-                rgb = pilImage.pilImage
-                if rgb.format == 'RGBA':
-                    rgb = rgb.convert('RGB')
-                return rgb.tobytes()
+                rgbx = pilImage.pilImage
+                if rgbx.format != 'RGBA':
+                    return rgbx.tobytes()
+                rgb = rgbx.convert('RGB')
+                try:
+                    return rgb.tobytes()
+                finally:
+                    rgb.close()
             return await to_thread(format)
 
-        return await to_thread(lambda: pilImage.pilImage.write_to_buffer('.' + options['format']))
+        def save():
+            bytesArray = io.BytesIO()
+            pilImage.pilImage.save(bytesArray, format=options['format'])
+            return bytesArray.getvalue()
+
+        return await to_thread(lambda: save())
 
     async def toPILImage(self, options: scrypted_sdk.ImageOptions = None):
        return await to_thread(lambda: toPILImage(self, options))