diff --git a/crates/ironclaw_safety/src/validator.rs b/crates/ironclaw_safety/src/validator.rs
index a5e57917af..b77dda429d 100644
--- a/crates/ironclaw_safety/src/validator.rs
+++ b/crates/ironclaw_safety/src/validator.rs
@@ -468,4 +468,24 @@ mod tests {
             "Strings within depth limit should still be validated"
         );
     }
+
+    /// Regression: empty input is rejected by validate(), but image-only messages
+    /// (empty text + attachments) should bypass this check at the caller level.
+    /// This test confirms the validator correctly rejects empty strings — the
+    /// bypass logic lives in thread_ops.rs, not in the validator itself.
+    #[test]
+    fn test_empty_input_rejected() {
+        let validator = Validator::new();
+        let result = validator.validate("");
+        assert!(!result.is_valid, "Empty input must be rejected");
+        assert_eq!(result.errors[0].code, ValidationErrorCode::Empty);
+    }
+
+    /// Non-empty input with valid content should pass validation.
+    #[test]
+    fn test_nonempty_input_passes() {
+        let validator = Validator::new();
+        let result = validator.validate("Hello, world!");
+        assert!(result.is_valid, "Non-empty valid input must pass");
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/agent/thread_ops.rs b/src/agent/thread_ops.rs
index f367378119..d8641a93a7 100644
--- a/src/agent/thread_ops.rs
+++ b/src/agent/thread_ops.rs
@@ -240,8 +240,16 @@ impl Agent {
             }
         }
 
-        // Safety validation for user input
-        let validation = self.safety().validate_input(content);
+        // Safety validation for user input.
+        // Skip empty-content check when the message has attachments (e.g., image-only messages).
+        // The attachment pipeline (augment_with_attachments) will provide content downstream.
+        let has_attachments = !message.attachments.is_empty();
+        let validation = if content.is_empty() && has_attachments {
+            // Image/file-only message — bypass empty-input validation
+            ironclaw_safety::ValidationResult::ok()
+        } else {
+            self.safety().validate_input(content)
+        };
         if !validation.is_valid {
             let details = validation
                 .errors