diff --git a/pycozmo/client.py b/pycozmo/client.py
index 5e254a8..fc64d1e 100644
--- a/pycozmo/client.py
+++ b/pycozmo/client.py
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@ def __init__(self,
                  protocol_log_messages: Optional[list] = None,
                  auto_initialize: bool = True,
                  enable_animations: bool = True,
-                 enable_procedural_face: bool = True) -> None:
+                 enable_procedural_face: bool = True,
+                 enable_jpeg_decoding: bool = True) -> None:
         super().__init__()
         # Whether to automatically initialize the robot when connection is established.
         self.auto_initialize = bool(auto_initialize)
@@ -93,6 +94,7 @@ def __init__(self,
         self.client_drop_count = 0
         # Camera state
         self.last_image_timestamp = None
+        self.enable_jpeg_decoding = enable_jpeg_decoding
         # Object state
         self.available_objects = dict()
         self.connected_objects = dict()
@@ -272,12 +274,15 @@ def _process_completed_image(self):
             else:
                 data = camera.minigray_to_jpeg(data, width, height)
 
-        image = Image.open(io.BytesIO(data)).convert('RGB')
+        if self.enable_jpeg_decoding:
+            image = Image.open(io.BytesIO(data)).convert('RGB')
 
-        # Color images need to be resized to the proper resolution
-        if is_color_image:
-            size = camera.RESOLUTIONS[self._partial_image_resolution]
-            image = image.resize(size)
+            # Color images need to be resized to the proper resolution
+            if is_color_image:
+                size = camera.RESOLUTIONS[self._partial_image_resolution]
+                image = image.resize(size)
+        else:
+            image = data
 
         self._latest_image = image
         self.last_image_timestamp = self._partial_image_timestamp
diff --git a/pycozmo/run.py b/pycozmo/run.py
index 29d1cef..f6764df 100644
--- a/pycozmo/run.py
+++ b/pycozmo/run.py
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@ def connect(
         robot_log_level: Optional[str] = None,
         auto_initialize: bool = True,
         enable_animations: bool = True,
-        enable_procedural_face: bool = True) -> client.Client:
+        enable_procedural_face: bool = True,
+        *args, **kwargs) -> client.Client:
 
     setup_basic_logging(log_level=log_level, protocol_log_level=protocol_log_level, robot_log_level=robot_log_level)
 
@@ -70,7 +71,8 @@ def connect(
             protocol_log_messages=protocol_log_messages,
             auto_initialize=auto_initialize,
             enable_animations=enable_animations,
-            enable_procedural_face=enable_procedural_face)
+            enable_procedural_face=enable_procedural_face,
+            *args, **kwargs)
         cli.start()
         cli.connect()
         cli.wait_for_robot()