diff --git a/src/decode.c b/src/decode.c
index 1e9906ae7..df5fb08ae 100644
--- a/src/decode.c
+++ b/src/decode.c
@@ -847,20 +847,17 @@ PyImaging_JpegDecoderNew(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
 
     char *mode_name;
     char *rawmode_name; /* what we want from the decoder */
-    char *jpegmode;     /* what's in the file */
+    char *jpegmode_name; /* what's in the file */
     int scale = 1;
     int draft = 0;
 
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "ssz|ii", &mode_name, &rawmode_name, &jpegmode, &scale, &draft)) {
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "ssz|ii", &mode_name, &rawmode_name, &jpegmode_name, &scale, &draft)) {
         return NULL;
     }
 
     const Mode * const mode = findMode(mode_name);
     const RawMode * rawmode = findRawMode(rawmode_name);
-
-    if (!jpegmode) {
-        jpegmode = "";
-    }
+    const RawMode * const jpegmode = findRawMode(jpegmode_name);
 
     decoder = PyImaging_DecoderNew(sizeof(JPEGSTATE));
     if (decoder == NULL) {
@@ -884,7 +881,7 @@ PyImaging_JpegDecoderNew(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
     JPEGSTATE *jpeg_decoder_state_context = (JPEGSTATE *)decoder->state.context;
 
     jpeg_decoder_state_context->rawmode = rawmode;
-    strncpy(jpeg_decoder_state_context->jpegmode, jpegmode, 8);
+    jpeg_decoder_state_context->jpegmode = jpegmode;
 
     jpeg_decoder_state_context->scale = scale;
     jpeg_decoder_state_context->draft = draft;
diff --git a/src/libImaging/Jpeg.h b/src/libImaging/Jpeg.h
index 35df91d7f..48c6c6184 100644
--- a/src/libImaging/Jpeg.h
+++ b/src/libImaging/Jpeg.h
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ typedef struct {
 typedef struct {
     /* CONFIGURATION */
 
-    /* Jpeg file mode (empty if not known) */
-    char jpegmode[8 + 1];
+    /* Jpeg file mode (NULL if not known) */
+    const RawMode *jpegmode;
 
     /* Converter output mode (input to the shuffler) */
     /* If NULL, convert conversions are disabled */
diff --git a/src/libImaging/JpegDecode.c b/src/libImaging/JpegDecode.c
index 36eb7835a..49d4fcb2f 100644
--- a/src/libImaging/JpegDecode.c
+++ b/src/libImaging/JpegDecode.c
@@ -182,15 +182,15 @@ ImagingJpegDecode(Imaging im, ImagingCodecState state, UINT8 *buf, Py_ssize_t by
 
             /* jpegmode indicates what's in the file; if not set, we'll
                trust the decoder */
-            if (strcmp(context->jpegmode, "L") == 0) {
+            if (context->jpegmode == IMAGING_RAWMODE_L) {
                 context->cinfo.jpeg_color_space = JCS_GRAYSCALE;
-            } else if (strcmp(context->jpegmode, "RGB") == 0) {
+            } else if (context->jpegmode == IMAGING_RAWMODE_RGB) {
                 context->cinfo.jpeg_color_space = JCS_RGB;
-            } else if (strcmp(context->jpegmode, "CMYK") == 0) {
+            } else if (context->jpegmode == IMAGING_RAWMODE_CMYK) {
                 context->cinfo.jpeg_color_space = JCS_CMYK;
-            } else if (strcmp(context->jpegmode, "YCbCr") == 0) {
+            } else if (context->jpegmode == IMAGING_RAWMODE_YCbCr) {
                 context->cinfo.jpeg_color_space = JCS_YCbCr;
-            } else if (strcmp(context->jpegmode, "YCbCrK") == 0) {
+            } else if (context->jpegmode == IMAGING_RAWMODE_YCbCrK) {
                 context->cinfo.jpeg_color_space = JCS_YCCK;
             }