diff --git a/confluent_client/bin/nodeconsole b/confluent_client/bin/nodeconsole
index ddfbd0e3..aafdb1f7 100755
--- a/confluent_client/bin/nodeconsole
+++ b/confluent_client/bin/nodeconsole
@@ -32,6 +32,20 @@ import time
 import socket
 import re
 
+try:
+    # sixel is optional, attempt to import but stub out if unavailable
+    import io
+    import sixel
+
+    class DumbWriter(sixel.SixelWriter):
+        def restore_position(self, output):
+            return
+except ImportError:
+    class DumbWriter():
+        def draw(self, imgfile):
+            sys.stderr.write("PySixel not detected, Sixel format display not supported\n")
+
+
 confettypath = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(sys.argv[0]), 'confetty')
 argparser = optparse.OptionParser(
     usage="Usage: %prog [options] <noderange> [kill][-- [passthroughoptions]]",
@@ -72,6 +86,34 @@ argparser.add_option('-w','--windowed', action='store_true', default=False,
 
 (options, args) = argparser.parse_args()
 
+
+def draw_image(data):
+    imageformat = os.environ.get('CONFLUENT_IMAGE_PROTOCOL', 'kitty')
+    if imageformat == 'sixel':
+        sixel_draw(data)
+    elif imageformat == 'iterm':
+        iterm_draw(data)
+    else:
+        kitty_draw(data)
+
+
+def sixel_draw(data):
+    bindata = base64.b64decode(data)
+    binfile = io.BytesIO()
+    binfile.write(bindata)
+    binfile.seek(0)
+    DumbWriter().draw(binfile)
+
+def iterm_draw(data):
+    bindata = base64.b64decode(data)
+    datalen = len(bindata)
+    sys.stdout.write(
+        '\x1b]1337;File=inline=1;size={}:'.format(datalen))
+    sys.stdout.write(data.decode('utf8'))
+    sys.stdout.write('\a')
+    sys.stdout.write('\n')
+    sys.stdout.flush()
+
 def kitty_draw(data):
     while data:
         chunk, data = data[:4096], data[4096:]
@@ -126,7 +168,7 @@ if options.screenshot:
             imgdata = res['databynode'][node].get('image', {}).get('imgdata', None)
             if imgdata:
                 sys.stdout.write('{}: '.format(node))
-                kitty_draw(imgdata.encode())
+                draw_image(imgdata.encode())
                 sys.stdout.write('\n')
     sys.exit(0)
 
diff --git a/confluent_client/bin/stats b/confluent_client/bin/stats
index 94af75db..0893fadb 100755
--- a/confluent_client/bin/stats
+++ b/confluent_client/bin/stats
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ def plot(gui, output, plotdata, bins, fmt):
             tdata = io.BytesIO()
         plt.savefig(tdata)
     if not gui and not output:
+        if fmt == 'environment':
+            fmt = os.environ.get('CONFLUENT_IMAGE_PROTOCOL', 'kitty')
         if fmt == 'sixel':
             writer = DumbWriter()
             writer.draw(tdata)
@@ -108,7 +110,7 @@ aparser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Quick access to common statistics
 aparser.add_argument('-c', type=int, default=0, help='Column number to analyze (default is last column)')
 aparser.add_argument('-d', default=None, help='Value used to separate columns')
 aparser.add_argument('-x', default=False, action='store_true', help='Output histogram in graphical format')
-aparser.add_argument('-f', default='sixel', help='Format for histogram output (sixel/iterm/kitty)')
+aparser.add_argument('-f', default='environment', help='Format for histogram output (sixel/iterm/kitty)')
 aparser.add_argument('-s', default=0, help='Number of header lines to skip before processing')
 aparser.add_argument('-g', default=False, action='store_true', help='Open histogram in separate graphical window')
 aparser.add_argument('-o', default=None, help='Output histogram to the specified filename in PNG format')