diff --git a/images/resources/messages/ImagesBundle.properties b/images/resources/messages/ImagesBundle.properties
index 3c33cb1d8e7a7..8d927ef7fc519 100644
--- a/images/resources/messages/ImagesBundle.properties
+++ b/images/resources/messages/ImagesBundle.properties
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 error.title.launching.external.editor=Problem Launching External Executable
+error.cannot.edit.image.external.editor=Can't edit image in external editor
 
 select.external.executable.title=Select Editor
 select.external.executable.message=Select external graphics editor
diff --git a/images/src/org/intellij/images/actions/EditExternallyAction.kt b/images/src/org/intellij/images/actions/EditExternallyAction.kt
index 528e869d65bce..5a7e11c5d157a 100644
--- a/images/src/org/intellij/images/actions/EditExternallyAction.kt
+++ b/images/src/org/intellij/images/actions/EditExternallyAction.kt
@@ -5,22 +5,37 @@ import com.intellij.execution.ExecutionException
 import com.intellij.execution.configurations.GeneralCommandLine
 import com.intellij.execution.util.ExecUtil
 import com.intellij.ide.util.PropertiesComponent
+import com.intellij.openapi.Disposable
 import com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.ActionUpdateThread
 import com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.AnActionEvent
 import com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.CommonDataKeys
+import com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.PlatformCoreDataKeys
+import com.intellij.openapi.application.EDT
+import com.intellij.openapi.diagnostic.thisLogger
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.DumbAwareAction
 import com.intellij.openapi.ui.Messages
+import com.intellij.openapi.util.Disposer
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.SystemInfo
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.io.FileUtil
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.text.StringUtil
+import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.LocalFileSystem
 import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.VfsUtilCore
+import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.VirtualFile
+import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.toNioPathOrNull
+import com.intellij.ui.UIBundle
 import com.intellij.util.EnvironmentUtil
+import com.intellij.util.io.delete
+import kotlinx.coroutines.*
 import org.intellij.images.ImagesBundle
 import org.intellij.images.fileTypes.ImageFileTypeManager
 import org.intellij.images.options.impl.ImagesConfigurable
+import org.intellij.images.ui.ImageComponentDecorator
 import java.awt.Desktop
 import java.io.File
 import java.io.IOException
+import java.nio.file.Files
+import java.nio.file.Path
+import java.nio.file.StandardCopyOption.REPLACE_EXISTING
 
 /**
  * Open image file externally.
@@ -31,6 +46,29 @@ import java.io.IOException
 internal class EditExternallyAction : DumbAwareAction() {
   override fun actionPerformed(e: AnActionEvent) {
     val imageFile = e.getData(CommonDataKeys.VIRTUAL_FILE) ?: return
+    if (imageFile.toNioPathOrNull() != null) {
+      actionPerformed(e, imageFile)
+    }
+    else {
+      performActionWithBackingFile(e, imageFile)
+    }
+  }
+
+  override fun update(e: AnActionEvent) {
+    val file = e.getData(CommonDataKeys.VIRTUAL_FILE)
+    val enabled = file != null && ImageFileTypeManager.getInstance().isImage(file)
+    if (e.isFromContextMenu) {
+      e.presentation.isVisible = enabled
+    }
+
+    e.presentation.isEnabled = enabled
+  }
+
+  override fun getActionUpdateThread(): ActionUpdateThread {
+    return ActionUpdateThread.BGT
+  }
+
+  private fun actionPerformed(e: AnActionEvent, imageFile: VirtualFile) {
     var executablePath = PropertiesComponent.getInstance().getValue(EditExternalImageEditorAction.EXT_PATH_KEY, "")
     if (!StringUtil.isEmpty(executablePath)) {
       EnvironmentUtil.getEnvironmentMap().forEach { (varName, varValue) ->
@@ -75,17 +113,78 @@ internal class EditExternallyAction : DumbAwareAction() {
     }
   }
 
-  override fun update(e: AnActionEvent) {
-    val file = e.getData(CommonDataKeys.VIRTUAL_FILE)
-    val enabled = file != null && ImageFileTypeManager.getInstance().isImage(file)
-    if (e.isFromContextMenu) {
-      e.presentation.isVisible = enabled
+  // Try to create a temporary backing file for the external editor to use
+  private fun performActionWithBackingFile(e: AnActionEvent, imageFile: VirtualFile) {
+    try {
+      val disposable = e.getDisposable()
+      disposable.launch {
+        try {
+          val backingFile = imageFile.copyToBackingFile(disposable)
+          actionPerformed(e, backingFile)
+        }
+        catch (e: IllegalStateException) {
+          thisLogger().warn("Failed to open external image editor", e)
+          withContext(Dispatchers.EDT) {
+            Messages.showErrorDialog(ImagesBundle.message("error.cannot.edit.image.external.editor"), UIBundle.message("error.dialog.title"))
+          }
+        }
+      }
     }
+    catch (e: IllegalStateException) {
+      thisLogger().warn("Failed to open external image editor", e)
+      Messages.showErrorDialog(ImagesBundle.message("error.cannot.edit.image.external.editor"), UIBundle.message("error.dialog.title"))
+    }
+  }
+}
 
-    e.presentation.isEnabled = enabled
+private fun VirtualFile.copyToBackingFile(disposable: Disposable): VirtualFile {
+  val filePath = Files.createTempFile("EditExternallyAction", name)
+  Disposer.register(disposable, Disposable {
+    filePath.safeDelete()
+  })
+  inputStream.use { inputStream ->
+    try {
+      Files.copy(inputStream, filePath, REPLACE_EXISTING)
+    }
+    catch (e: IOException) {
+      filePath.safeDelete()
+      throw IllegalStateException("Failed to create backing file", e)
+    }
   }
+  return LocalFileSystem.getInstance().refreshAndFindFileByNioFile(filePath) ?: throw IllegalStateException("Failed to create virtual file")
+}
 
-  override fun getActionUpdateThread(): ActionUpdateThread {
-    return ActionUpdateThread.BGT
+private fun Path.safeDelete() {
+  try {
+    delete()
+  }
+  catch (ignore: IOException) {
+  }
+}
+
+private fun Disposable.launch(block: suspend CoroutineScope.() -> Unit) {
+  val job = SupervisorJob()
+  @Suppress("SSBasedInspection")
+  CoroutineScope(job + Dispatchers.IO).launch {
+    block()
+  }
+  Disposer.register(this, Disposable {
+    job.cancel()
+  })
+}
+
+/**
+ * Tries to get a Disposable from the event
+ *
+ * If `ImageComponentDecorator.DATA_KEY` exists and is a `Disposable`, use it (ImageEditorUI returns a
+ * [org.intellij.images.editor.ImageEditor] which is a `Disposable`)
+ * Otherwise, use PlatformCoreDataKeys.FILE_EDITOR.
+ */
+private fun AnActionEvent.getDisposable(): Disposable {
+  val data = getData(ImageComponentDecorator.DATA_KEY)
+  if (data is Disposable) {
+    return data
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+  return getData(PlatformCoreDataKeys.FILE_EDITOR)
+         ?: throw IllegalStateException("Component does not provide a Disposable object")
+}