diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/maps/map.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/maps/map.cc
index 7bf5f0b4d1..5e5fdb40cf 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/maps/map.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/maps/map.cc
@@ -498,10 +498,9 @@ void MapInstructions::updateInstructions(cereal::NavInstruction::Reader instruct
       fn += "turn_straight";
     }
 
-    QPixmap pix(fn + ICON_SUFFIX);
     auto icon = new QLabel;
     int wh = active ? 125 : 75;
-    icon->setPixmap(pix.scaled(wh, wh, Qt::IgnoreAspectRatio, Qt::SmoothTransformation));
+    icon->setPixmap(loadPixmap(fn + ICON_SUFFIX, {wh, wh}, Qt::IgnoreAspectRatio));
     icon->setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy(QSizePolicy::Fixed, QSizePolicy::Fixed));
     lane_layout->addWidget(icon);
   }
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/driverview.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/driverview.cc
index 6f03e2ed4a..3ab5b999b2 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/driverview.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/driverview.cc
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ void DriverViewWindow::mouseReleaseEvent(QMouseEvent* e) {
 }
 
 DriverViewScene::DriverViewScene(QWidget* parent) : sm({"driverState"}), QWidget(parent) {
-  face_img = QImage("../assets/img_driver_face.png").scaled(FACE_IMG_SIZE, FACE_IMG_SIZE, Qt::KeepAspectRatio, Qt::SmoothTransformation);
+  face_img = loadPixmap("../assets/img_driver_face.png", {FACE_IMG_SIZE, FACE_IMG_SIZE});
 }
 
 void DriverViewScene::showEvent(QShowEvent* event) {
@@ -97,5 +97,5 @@ void DriverViewScene::paintEvent(QPaintEvent* event) {
   const int img_x = is_rhd ? rect2.right() - FACE_IMG_SIZE - img_offset : rect2.left() + img_offset;
   const int img_y = rect2.bottom() - FACE_IMG_SIZE - img_offset;
   p.setOpacity(face_detected ? 1.0 : 0.3);
-  p.drawImage(img_x, img_y, face_img);
+  p.drawPixmap(img_x, img_y, face_img);
 }
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/driverview.h b/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/driverview.h
index 8eab76a3dd..4d4a4358ef 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/driverview.h
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/offroad/driverview.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ protected:
 private:
   Params params;
   SubMaster sm;
-  QImage face_img;
+  QPixmap face_img;
   bool is_rhd = false;
   bool frame_updated = false;
 };
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.cc
index e8804bc059..cdff1fce86 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.cc
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ void Sidebar::drawMetric(QPainter &p, const QString &label, QColor c, int y) {
 }
 
 Sidebar::Sidebar(QWidget *parent) : QFrame(parent) {
-  home_img = QImage("../assets/images/button_home.png").scaled(180, 180, Qt::KeepAspectRatio, Qt::SmoothTransformation);
-  settings_img = QImage("../assets/images/button_settings.png").scaled(settings_btn.width(), settings_btn.height(), Qt::IgnoreAspectRatio, Qt::SmoothTransformation);
+  home_img = loadPixmap("../assets/images/button_home.png", {180, 180});
+  settings_img = loadPixmap("../assets/images/button_settings.png", settings_btn.size(), Qt::IgnoreAspectRatio);
 
   connect(this, &Sidebar::valueChanged, [=] { update(); });
 
@@ -90,9 +90,9 @@ void Sidebar::paintEvent(QPaintEvent *event) {
 
   // static imgs
   p.setOpacity(0.65);
-  p.drawImage(settings_btn.x(), settings_btn.y(), settings_img);
+  p.drawPixmap(settings_btn.x(), settings_btn.y(), settings_img);
   p.setOpacity(1.0);
-  p.drawImage(60, 1080 - 180 - 40, home_img);
+  p.drawPixmap(60, 1080 - 180 - 40, home_img);
 
   // network
   int x = 58;
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.h b/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.h
index 6cea9bdb6d..5d1b921750 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.h
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/sidebar.h
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ protected:
   void mouseReleaseEvent(QMouseEvent *event) override;
   void drawMetric(QPainter &p, const QString &label, QColor c, int y);
 
-  QImage home_img, settings_img;
+  QPixmap home_img, settings_img;
   const QMap<cereal::DeviceState::NetworkType, QString> network_type = {
     {cereal::DeviceState::NetworkType::NONE, "--"},
     {cereal::DeviceState::NetworkType::WIFI, "Wi-Fi"},
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/spinner.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/spinner.cc
index 8948d2adb7..b9868f6035 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/spinner.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/spinner.cc
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ TrackWidget::TrackWidget(QWidget *parent) : QWidget(parent) {
   setFixedSize(spinner_size);
 
   // pre-compute all the track imgs. make this a gif instead?
-  QPixmap comma_img = QPixmap("../assets/img_spinner_comma.png").scaled(spinner_size, Qt::KeepAspectRatio, Qt::SmoothTransformation);
-  QPixmap track_img = QPixmap("../assets/img_spinner_track.png").scaled(spinner_size, Qt::KeepAspectRatio, Qt::SmoothTransformation);
+  QPixmap comma_img = loadPixmap("../assets/img_spinner_comma.png", spinner_size);
+  QPixmap track_img = loadPixmap("../assets/img_spinner_track.png", spinner_size);
 
   QTransform transform(1, 0, 0, 1, width() / 2, height() / 2);
   QPixmap pm(spinner_size);
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.cc
index 668154fd7a..16d5c174b5 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.cc
@@ -121,3 +121,11 @@ QWidget* topWidget (QWidget* widget) {
   while (widget->parentWidget() != nullptr) widget=widget->parentWidget();
   return widget;
 }
+
+QPixmap loadPixmap(const QString &fileName, const QSize &size, Qt::AspectRatioMode aspectRatioMode) {
+  if (size.isEmpty()) {
+    return QPixmap(fileName);
+  } else {
+    return QPixmap(fileName).scaled(size, aspectRatioMode, Qt::SmoothTransformation);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h b/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h
index 3e37444a75..1b9461fabf 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <QDateTime>
 #include <QLayout>
 #include <QPainter>
+#include <QPixmap>
 #include <QSurfaceFormat>
 #include <QWidget>
 
@@ -20,3 +21,4 @@ QString timeAgo(const QDateTime &date);
 void swagLogMessageHandler(QtMsgType type, const QMessageLogContext &context, const QString &msg);
 void initApp();
 QWidget* topWidget (QWidget* widget);
+QPixmap loadPixmap(const QString &fileName, const QSize &size = {}, Qt::AspectRatioMode aspectRatioMode = Qt::KeepAspectRatio);