diff --git a/aider/commands.py b/aider/commands.py
index 05b8e04d0..602b11dd4 100644
--- a/aider/commands.py
+++ b/aider/commands.py
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ class Commands:
         for matched_file in all_matched_files:
             abs_file_path = self.coder.abs_root_path(matched_file)
 
-            if not abs_file_path.startswith(self.coder.root):
+            if not abs_file_path.startswith(self.coder.root) and not is_image_file(matched_file):
                 self.io.tool_error(
                     f"Can not add {abs_file_path}, which is not within {self.coder.root}"
                 )
diff --git a/aider/repo.py b/aider/repo.py
index 0e42b7552..cab1f7606 100644
--- a/aider/repo.py
+++ b/aider/repo.py
@@ -215,7 +215,10 @@ class GitRepo:
         if not self.aider_ignore_file or not self.aider_ignore_file.is_file():
             return
 
-        fname = self.normalize_path(fname)
+        try:
+            fname = self.normalize_path(fname)
+        except ValueError:
+            return
 
         mtime = self.aider_ignore_file.stat().st_mtime
         if mtime != self.aider_ignore_ts: