diff --git a/indicoio/images/features.py b/indicoio/images/features.py
index ea9608b..8582c82 100644
--- a/indicoio/images/features.py
+++ b/indicoio/images/features.py
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
-import json
-
 import requests
 import numpy as np
 
-from indicoio.utils import image_preprocess, api_handler
+from indicoio.utils import image_preprocess, api_handler, is_url
 import indicoio.config as config
 
 def facial_features(image, cloud=config.CLOUD, batch=False, auth=None, **kwargs):
@@ -60,5 +58,6 @@ def image_features(image, cloud=config.CLOUD, batch=False, auth=None, **kwargs):
     :type image: numpy.ndarray
     :rtype: List containing features
     """
-    image = image_preprocess(image, batch=batch)
+    if not is_url(image, batch=batch):
+        image = image_preprocess(image, batch=batch)
     return api_handler(image, cloud=cloud, api="imagefeatures", batch=batch, auth=auth, **kwargs)
diff --git a/indicoio/images/fer.py b/indicoio/images/fer.py
index 3365dec..4c6af93 100644
--- a/indicoio/images/fer.py
+++ b/indicoio/images/fer.py
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-import json
-
 import requests
 import numpy as np
 
diff --git a/indicoio/utils/__init__.py b/indicoio/utils/__init__.py
index d9ad14b..5944839 100644
--- a/indicoio/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/indicoio/utils/__init__.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ def api_handler(arg, cloud, api, batch=False, auth=None, **kwargs):
 
     if cloud:
         host = "%s.indico.domains" % cloud
-    else: 
+    else:
         # default to indico public cloud
         host = config.PUBLIC_API_HOST
 
@@ -142,3 +142,13 @@ def image_preprocess(image, batch=False):
     image = resize(image,(64,64))
     image = image.tolist()
     return image
+
+
+def is_url(data, batch=False):
+    if batch and isinstance(data[0], basestring):
+        return True
+    if not batch and isinstance(data, basestring):
+        return True
+    return False
+
+
diff --git a/indicoio/utils/tests/test_utils.py b/indicoio/utils/tests/test_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..deb9274
--- /dev/null
+++ b/indicoio/utils/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+from indicoio.utils import is_url
+
+def test_is_urls():
+    boring_image = [0]*(32**2)
+    boring_images = [boring_image]*100
+
+    assert not is_url(boring_image, batch=False)
+    assert not is_url(boring_images, batch=True)
+
+    url = 'http://picturepicture.com/picture'
+    urls = [url]*100
+
+    assert is_url(url, batch=False)
+    assert is_url(urls, batch=True)
+
diff --git a/tests/test_remote.py b/tests/test_remote.py
index 0c9a218..27abf0c 100644
--- a/tests/test_remote.py
+++ b/tests/test_remote.py
@@ -50,6 +50,19 @@ class BatchAPIRun(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertTrue(isinstance(response[0], list))
         self.assertEqual(len(response[0]), 48)
 
+    # TODO: uncomment this test once the remote server is updated to
+    # deal with image_urls
+    # def test_batch_image_urls(self):
+    #     test_data = ['http://textfac.es/static/ico/favicon.png',
+    #                  'http://textfac.es/static/ico/favicon.png']
+    #     response = batch_facial_features(test_data, auth=self.auth)
+    #     self.assertTrue(isinstance(response, list))
+    #     self.assertTrue(isinstance(response[0], list))
+    #     self.assertEqual(len(response[0]), 48)
+
+    # TODO: add tests to test when one url is incorrect once we
+    # have decided how we are dealing with them
+
     def test_batch_image_features_greyscale(self):
         test_data = [np.random.rand(64, 64).tolist()]
         response = batch_image_features(test_data, auth=self.auth)
@@ -165,6 +178,16 @@ class FullAPIRun(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(len(response), 48)
         self.check_range(response)
 
+    # TODO: uncomment this test once the remote server is updated to
+    # deal with image_urls
+    # def test_image_url(self):
+    #     test_face = 'http://textfac.es/static/ico/favicon.png'
+    #     response = facial_features(test_face)
+
+    #     self.assertTrue(isinstance(response, list))
+    #     self.assertEqual(len(response), 48)
+    #     self.check_range(response)
+
     def test_good_image_features_greyscale(self):
         test_image = np.random.rand(64, 64).tolist()
         response = image_features(test_image)