diff --git a/pkg/cmdrunner/cmdrunner.go b/pkg/cmdrunner/cmdrunner.go
index 7fba1f59..5712b74a 100644
--- a/pkg/cmdrunner/cmdrunner.go
+++ b/pkg/cmdrunner/cmdrunner.go
@@ -219,6 +219,10 @@ func init() {
 	// CodeEditCommand is overloaded to do codeedit and codeview
 	registerCmdFn("codeedit", CodeEditCommand)
 	registerCmdFn("codeview", CodeEditCommand)
+
+	registerCmdFn("imageview", ImageViewCommand)
+	registerCmdFn("mdview", MarkdownViewCommand)
+	registerCmdFn("markdownview", MarkdownViewCommand)
 }
 
 func getValidCommands() []string {
@@ -3152,6 +3156,80 @@ func CodeEditCommand(ctx context.Context, pk *scpacket.FeCommandPacketType) (sst
 	return update, nil
 }
 
+func ImageViewCommand(ctx context.Context, pk *scpacket.FeCommandPacketType) (sstore.UpdatePacket, error) {
+	if len(pk.Args) == 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s requires an argument (file name)", GetCmdStr(pk))
+	}
+	// TODO more error checking on filename format?
+	if pk.Args[0] == "" {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s argument cannot be empty", GetCmdStr(pk))
+	}
+	ids, err := resolveUiIds(ctx, pk, R_Session|R_Screen|R_RemoteConnected)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	outputStr := fmt.Sprintf("%s %q", GetCmdStr(pk), pk.Args[0])
+	cmd, err := makeStaticCmd(ctx, GetCmdStr(pk), ids, pk.GetRawStr(), []byte(outputStr))
+	if err != nil {
+		// TODO tricky error since the command was a success, but we can't show the output
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	update, err := addLineForCmd(ctx, "/"+GetCmdStr(pk), false, ids, cmd, "image")
+	if err != nil {
+		// TODO tricky error since the command was a success, but we can't show the output
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	// set the line state
+	// TODO turn these strings into constants
+	lineState := make(map[string]any)
+	lineState["prompt:source"] = "file"
+	lineState["prompt:file"] = pk.Args[0]
+	err = sstore.UpdateLineState(ctx, ids.ScreenId, update.Line.LineId, lineState)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s error updating line state: %v", GetCmdStr(pk), err)
+	}
+	update.Line.LineState = lineState
+	update.Interactive = pk.Interactive
+	return update, nil
+}
+
+func MarkdownViewCommand(ctx context.Context, pk *scpacket.FeCommandPacketType) (sstore.UpdatePacket, error) {
+	if len(pk.Args) == 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s requires an argument (file name)", GetCmdStr(pk))
+	}
+	// TODO more error checking on filename format?
+	if pk.Args[0] == "" {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s argument cannot be empty", GetCmdStr(pk))
+	}
+	ids, err := resolveUiIds(ctx, pk, R_Session|R_Screen|R_RemoteConnected)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	outputStr := fmt.Sprintf("%s %q", GetCmdStr(pk), pk.Args[0])
+	cmd, err := makeStaticCmd(ctx, GetCmdStr(pk), ids, pk.GetRawStr(), []byte(outputStr))
+	if err != nil {
+		// TODO tricky error since the command was a success, but we can't show the output
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	update, err := addLineForCmd(ctx, "/"+GetCmdStr(pk), false, ids, cmd, "markdown")
+	if err != nil {
+		// TODO tricky error since the command was a success, but we can't show the output
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	// set the line state
+	// TODO turn these strings into constants
+	lineState := make(map[string]any)
+	lineState["prompt:source"] = "file"
+	lineState["prompt:file"] = pk.Args[0]
+	err = sstore.UpdateLineState(ctx, ids.ScreenId, update.Line.LineId, lineState)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s error updating line state: %v", GetCmdStr(pk), err)
+	}
+	update.Line.LineState = lineState
+	update.Interactive = pk.Interactive
+	return update, nil
+}
+
 func EditTestCommand(ctx context.Context, pk *scpacket.FeCommandPacketType) (sstore.UpdatePacket, error) {
 	if len(pk.Args) == 0 {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("/edit:test requires an argument (file name)")
diff --git a/pkg/cmdrunner/shparse.go b/pkg/cmdrunner/shparse.go
index d21e4e56..3fa80c7a 100644
--- a/pkg/cmdrunner/shparse.go
+++ b/pkg/cmdrunner/shparse.go
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ var BareMetaCmds = []BareMetaCmdDecl{
 	BareMetaCmdDecl{"reset", "reset"},
 	BareMetaCmdDecl{"codeedit", "codeedit"},
 	BareMetaCmdDecl{"codeview", "codeview"},
+	BareMetaCmdDecl{"imageview", "imageview"},
+	BareMetaCmdDecl{"markdownview", "markdownview"},
+	BareMetaCmdDecl{"mdview", "markdownview"},
 }
 
 const (
@@ -241,6 +244,27 @@ func EvalBracketArgs(origCmdStr string) (map[string]string, string, error) {
 	return rtn, restStr, nil
 }
 
+func unescapeBackSlashes(s string) string {
+	if strings.Index(s, "\\") == -1 {
+		return s
+	}
+	var newStr []rune
+	var lastSlash bool
+	for _, r := range s {
+		if lastSlash {
+			lastSlash = false
+			newStr = append(newStr, r)
+			continue
+		}
+		if r == '\\' {
+			lastSlash = true
+			continue
+		}
+		newStr = append(newStr, r)
+	}
+	return string(newStr)
+}
+
 func EvalMetaCommand(ctx context.Context, origPk *scpacket.FeCommandPacketType) (*scpacket.FeCommandPacketType, error) {
 	if len(origPk.Args) == 0 {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("empty command (no fields)")
@@ -299,7 +323,7 @@ func EvalMetaCommand(ctx context.Context, origPk *scpacket.FeCommandPacketType)
 			rtnPk.Kwargs[varName] = varVal
 			continue
 		}
-		rtnPk.Args = append(rtnPk.Args, literalVal)
+		rtnPk.Args = append(rtnPk.Args, unescapeBackSlashes(literalVal))
 	}
 	if resolveBool(rtnPk.Kwargs["dump"], false) {
 		DumpPacket(rtnPk)