diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/Api/AssetsController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/Api/AssetsController.php
index 0fe146cfc1..7c3cc3fb09 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/Api/AssetsController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/Api/AssetsController.php
@@ -521,6 +521,14 @@ class AssetsController extends Controller
             ($request->filled('rtd_location_id')) ?
                 $asset->location_id = $request->get('rtd_location_id') : null;
 
+            /**
+            * this is here just legacy reasons. Api\AssetController
+            * used image_source  once to allow encoded image uploads.
+            */
+            if ($request->has('image_source')) {
+                $request->offsetSet('image', $request->offsetGet('image_source'));
+            }     
+
             $asset = $request->handleImages($asset); 
             
             // Update custom fields