diff --git a/esphome/components/image/__init__.py b/esphome/components/image/__init__.py
index e5a205f1e0..70d7ebd152 100644
--- a/esphome/components/image/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/image/__init__.py
@@ -1,18 +1,17 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import logging
-
 import hashlib
 import io
+import logging
 from pathlib import Path
 import re
-from magic import Magic
 
-from esphome import core
-from esphome.components import font
-from esphome import external_files
-import esphome.config_validation as cv
+from PIL import UnidentifiedImageError
+
+from esphome import core, external_files
 import esphome.codegen as cg
+from esphome.components import font
+import esphome.config_validation as cv
 from esphome.const import (
     CONF_DITHER,
     CONF_FILE,
@@ -30,7 +29,6 @@ from esphome.core import CORE, HexInt
 _LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 DOMAIN = "image"
-DEPENDENCIES = ["display"]
 MULTI_CONF = True
 MULTI_CONF_NO_DEFAULT = True
 
@@ -239,12 +237,11 @@ CONFIG_SCHEMA = cv.All(font.validate_pillow_installed, IMAGE_SCHEMA)
 
 def load_svg_image(file: bytes, resize: tuple[int, int]):
     # Local import only to allow "validate_pillow_installed" to run *before* importing it
-    from PIL import Image
-
     # This import is only needed in case of SVG images; adding it
     # to the top would force configurations not using SVG to also have it
     # installed for no reason.
     from cairosvg import svg2png
+    from PIL import Image
 
     if resize:
         req_width, req_height = resize
@@ -280,17 +277,16 @@ async def to_code(config):
     except Exception as e:
         raise core.EsphomeError(f"Could not load image file {path}: {e}")
 
-    mime = Magic(mime=True)
-    file_type = mime.from_buffer(file_contents)
-
     resize = config.get(CONF_RESIZE)
-    if "svg" in file_type:
-        image = load_svg_image(file_contents, resize)
-    else:
+    try:
         image = Image.open(io.BytesIO(file_contents))
         if resize:
             image.thumbnail(resize)
-
+    except UnidentifiedImageError as exc:
+        if "<svg" in str(file_contents):
+            image = load_svg_image(file_contents, resize)
+        else:
+            raise core.EsphomeError(f"Could not load image file {path}") from exc
     width, height = image.size
 
     if CONF_RESIZE not in config and (width > 500 or height > 500):