diff --git a/selfdrive/modeld/runners/snpemodel.cc b/selfdrive/modeld/runners/snpemodel.cc
index 1861494d59..cdaf02b0ad 100644
--- a/selfdrive/modeld/runners/snpemodel.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/modeld/runners/snpemodel.cc
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ void PrintErrorStringAndExit() {
   std::exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
 
-SNPEModel::SNPEModel(const char *path, float *loutput, size_t loutput_size, int runtime, bool luse_extra) {
+SNPEModel::SNPEModel(const char *path, float *loutput, size_t loutput_size, int runtime, bool luse_extra, bool use_tf8) {
   output = loutput;
   output_size = loutput_size;
   use_extra = luse_extra;
@@ -70,14 +70,16 @@ SNPEModel::SNPEModel(const char *path, float *loutput, size_t loutput_size, int
   printf("model: %s -> %s\n", input_tensor_name, output_tensor_name);
 
   zdl::DlSystem::UserBufferEncodingFloat userBufferEncodingFloat;
+  zdl::DlSystem::UserBufferEncodingTf8 userBufferEncodingTf8(0, 1./255); // network takes 0-1
   zdl::DlSystem::IUserBufferFactory& ubFactory = zdl::SNPE::SNPEFactory::getUserBufferFactory();
+  size_t size_of_input = use_tf8 ? sizeof(uint8_t) : sizeof(float);
 
   // create input buffer
   {
     const auto &inputDims_opt = snpe->getInputDimensions(input_tensor_name);
     const zdl::DlSystem::TensorShape& bufferShape = *inputDims_opt;
     std::vector<size_t> strides(bufferShape.rank());
-    strides[strides.size() - 1] = sizeof(float);
+    strides[strides.size() - 1] = size_of_input
     size_t product = 1;
     for (size_t i = 0; i < bufferShape.rank(); i++) product *= bufferShape[i];
     size_t stride = strides[strides.size() - 1];
@@ -86,7 +88,10 @@ SNPEModel::SNPEModel(const char *path, float *loutput, size_t loutput_size, int
       strides[i-1] = stride;
     }
     printf("input product is %lu\n", product);
-    inputBuffer = ubFactory.createUserBuffer(NULL, product*sizeof(float), strides, &userBufferEncodingFloat);
+    inputBuffer = ubFactory.createUserBuffer(NULL,
+                                                                      product*size_of_input,
+                                                                      strides,
+                                                                      use_tf8 ? &userBufferEncodingTf8 : &userBufferEncodingFloat);
 
     inputMap.add(input_tensor_name, inputBuffer.get());
   }
diff --git a/selfdrive/modeld/runners/snpemodel.h b/selfdrive/modeld/runners/snpemodel.h
index ba51fdced0..b009cf415a 100644
--- a/selfdrive/modeld/runners/snpemodel.h
+++ b/selfdrive/modeld/runners/snpemodel.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
 class SNPEModel : public RunModel {
 public:
-  SNPEModel(const char *path, float *loutput, size_t loutput_size, int runtime, bool luse_extra = false);
+  SNPEModel(const char *path, float *loutput, size_t loutput_size, int runtime, bool luse_extra = false, bool use_tf8 = false);
   void addRecurrent(float *state, int state_size);
   void addTrafficConvention(float *state, int state_size);
   void addCalib(float *state, int state_size);