diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/account_edit/modals/image_upload.tsx b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/account_edit/modals/image_upload.tsx
index 23636083de..fa8b9df4df 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/account_edit/modals/image_upload.tsx
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/account_edit/modals/image_upload.tsx
@@ -64,15 +64,21 @@ export const ImageUploadModal: FC<
   const [imageBlob, setImageBlob] = useState<Blob | null>(null);
 
   const handleFile = useCallback((file: File) => {
-    const reader = new FileReader();
-    reader.addEventListener('load', () => {
-      const result = reader.result;
-      if (typeof result === 'string' && result.length > 0) {
-        setImageSrc(result);
-        setStep('crop');
-      }
-    });
-    reader.readAsDataURL(file);
+    try {
+      parseImageFile(file, (result, isAnimated) => {
+        if (isAnimated) {
+          // If the image is animated, skip cropping and go straight to alt text.
+          setImageBlob(file);
+          setStep('alt');
+        } else {
+          setImageSrc(result);
+          setStep('crop');
+        }
+      });
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.warn('Error with image parsing:', error);
+      setStep('select');
+    }
   }, []);
 
   const handleCrop = useCallback(
@@ -104,19 +110,20 @@ export const ImageUploadModal: FC<
   );
 
   const handleCancel = useCallback(() => {
-    switch (step) {
-      case 'crop':
-        setImageSrc(null);
-        setStep('select');
-        break;
-      case 'alt':
-        setImageBlob(null);
+    if (step === 'crop') {
+      setImageSrc(null);
+      setStep('select');
+    } else if (step === 'alt') {
+      setImageBlob(null);
+      if (imageSrc) {
         setStep('crop');
-        break;
-      default:
-        onClose();
+      } else {
+        setStep('select');
+      }
+    } else {
+      onClose();
     }
-  }, [onClose, step]);
+  }, [imageSrc, onClose, step]);
 
   return (
     <DialogModal
@@ -401,6 +408,54 @@ const StepAlt: FC<{
   );
 };
 
+/**
+ * Parses an image file and determines if it's an animated GIF and returns a data URI for cropping.
+ * Based on https://gist.github.com/zakirt/faa4a58cec5a7505b10e3686a226f285.
+ */
+function parseImageFile(
+  file: File,
+  cb: (buffer: string, isAnimated: boolean) => void,
+): void {
+  const reader = new FileReader();
+  reader.onload = () => {
+    const buffer = reader.result;
+    if (!(buffer instanceof ArrayBuffer)) {
+      throw new Error('Expected an ArrayBuffer');
+    }
+
+    // Convert the ArrayBuffer to a base64 data URI.
+    const bytes = new Uint8Array(buffer);
+    const base64 = btoa(String.fromCharCode(...bytes));
+    const dataUri = `data:${file.type};base64,${base64}`;
+
+    // If the file type is not a GIF, then it's not animated as we don't support animated WebP or PNG.
+    if (file.type !== 'image/gif') {
+      cb(dataUri, false);
+    }
+
+    const view = new DataView(buffer, 10); // Start from the last 4 bytes of the Logical Screen Descriptor.
+    let offset = 3;
+
+    // Check the first bit for the global color table flag.
+    const globalColorTable = view.getInt8(0);
+    if (globalColorTable & 0x08) {
+      // Grab last three bits to calculate the global color table size, and skip it.
+      offset += 3 * Math.pow(2, (globalColorTable & 0x7) + 1);
+    }
+
+    // Check Graphics Control Extension and Graphics Control Label to access animated data.
+    let delayTime = 0;
+    if (view.getUint8(offset) & 0x21 && view.getUint8(offset + 1) & 0xf9) {
+      // Skip to the delay time, which is stored in the next two bytes.
+      delayTime = view.getUint16(offset + 4);
+    }
+
+    // If there is a delay time, the GIF is animated.
+    cb(dataUri, delayTime > 0);
+  };
+  reader.readAsArrayBuffer(file);
+}
+
 async function calculateCroppedImage(
   imageSrc: string,
   crop: Area,
@@ -427,10 +482,7 @@ async function calculateCroppedImage(
     crop.height,
   );
 
-  return canvas.convertToBlob({
-    quality: 0.7,
-    type: 'image/jpeg',
-  });
+  return canvas.convertToBlob();
 }
 
 function dataUriToImage(dataUri: string) {