diff --git a/src/routes/_actions/contentWarnings.js b/src/routes/_actions/contentWarnings.js
index 6cca8008..f8463597 100644
--- a/src/routes/_actions/contentWarnings.js
+++ b/src/routes/_actions/contentWarnings.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ export function toggleContentWarningShown (realm) {
   const newShown = !shown
   store.setComposeData(realm, {
     contentWarning: newShown ? contentWarning : '',
-    contentWarningShown: newShown
+    contentWarningShown: newShown,
+    sensitive: contentWarning && newShown // toggling content warning automatically toggles sensitive media
   })
 }
diff --git a/src/routes/_components/compose/ComposeBox.html b/src/routes/_components/compose/ComposeBox.html
index d1622c76..a8197166 100644
--- a/src/routes/_components/compose/ComposeBox.html
+++ b/src/routes/_components/compose/ComposeBox.html
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
     <ComposeToolbar {realm} {postPrivacy} {media} {contentWarningShown} {text} {poll} />
     <ComposeLengthIndicator {length} {overLimit} />
     <ComposeMedia {realm} {media} />
+    <ComposeMediaSensitive {realm} {media} {sensitive} {contentWarning} {contentWarningShown} />
   </div>
 </ComposeFileDrop>
 <ComposeStickyButton {showSticky}
@@ -46,7 +47,8 @@
       "avatar autosuggest autosuggest autosuggest"
       "avatar poll        poll        poll"
       "avatar toolbar     toolbar     length"
-      "avatar media       media       media";
+      "avatar media       media       media"
+      "avatar sensitive   sensitive   sensitive";
     grid-template-columns: min-content minmax(0, max-content) 1fr 1fr;
     position: relative;
   }
@@ -95,6 +97,7 @@
   import ComposeFileDrop from './ComposeFileDrop.html'
   import ComposeAutosuggest from './ComposeAutosuggest.html'
   import ComposePoll from './ComposePoll.html'
+  import ComposeMediaSensitive from './ComposeMediaSensitive.html'
   import { measureText } from '../../_utils/measureText'
   import { POST_PRIVACY_OPTIONS } from '../../_static/statuses'
   import { store } from '../../_store/store'
@@ -133,7 +136,8 @@
       ComposeContentWarning,
       ComposeFileDrop,
       ComposeAutosuggest,
-      ComposePoll
+      ComposePoll,
+      ComposeMediaSensitive
     },
     data: () => ({
       size: undefined,
@@ -173,7 +177,8 @@
       ),
       overLimit: ({ length, $maxStatusChars }) => length > $maxStatusChars,
       contentWarningShown: ({ composeData }) => composeData.contentWarningShown,
-      contentWarning: ({ composeData }) => composeData.contentWarning || ''
+      contentWarning: ({ composeData }) => composeData.contentWarning || '',
+      sensitive: ({ composeData }) => !!composeData.sensitive
     },
     transitions: {
       slide
@@ -196,9 +201,9 @@
           overLimit,
           inReplyToUuid, // typical replies, using Pinafore-specific uuid
           inReplyToId, // delete-and-redraft replies, using standard id
-          poll
+          poll,
+          sensitive
         } = this.get()
-        const sensitive = media.length && !!contentWarning
         const mediaIds = media.map(_ => _.data.id)
         const mediaDescriptions = media.map(_ => _.description)
         const mediaFocalPoints = media.map(_ => [_.focusX, _.focusY])
diff --git a/src/routes/_components/compose/ComposeContentWarning.html b/src/routes/_components/compose/ComposeContentWarning.html
index 04565f97..ba6499f6 100644
--- a/src/routes/_components/compose/ComposeContentWarning.html
+++ b/src/routes/_components/compose/ComposeContentWarning.html
@@ -41,7 +41,10 @@
         const { realm } = this.get()
         this.observe('rawText', rawText => {
           updateContentWarningInStore(() => {
-            this.store.setComposeData(realm, { contentWarning: rawText })
+            this.store.setComposeData(realm, {
+              sensitive: !!rawText, // toggling the content warning automatically toggles sensitive media
+              contentWarning: rawText
+            })
             this.store.save()
           })
         }, { init: false })
diff --git a/src/routes/_components/compose/ComposeMediaItem.html b/src/routes/_components/compose/ComposeMediaItem.html
index aa5cf719..eed33f4b 100644
--- a/src/routes/_components/compose/ComposeMediaItem.html
+++ b/src/routes/_components/compose/ComposeMediaItem.html
@@ -113,6 +113,12 @@
       max-height: 7vh;
     }
   }
+
+  @media (max-width: 320px) {
+    .compose-media-realm-dialog .compose-media-alt-input {
+      display: none; /* too small to show this - use the edit button instead */
+    }
+  }
 </style>
 <script>
   import { store } from '../../_store/store'
diff --git a/src/routes/_components/compose/ComposeMediaSensitive.html b/src/routes/_components/compose/ComposeMediaSensitive.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..91fc5cfa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/routes/_components/compose/ComposeMediaSensitive.html
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+{#if media.length}
+  <div class="compose-media-sensitive">
+    <label>
+      <input type="checkbox" bind:checked="rawChecked" {disabled} />
+      <span class="{disabled ? 'compose-sensitive-span-disabled' : ''}">
+        Mark media as sensitive
+      </span>
+    </label>
+  </div>
+{/if}
+<style>
+  .compose-media-sensitive {
+    grid-area: sensitive;
+    margin-top: 10px;
+  }
+  label {
+    padding: 5px;
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    justify-content: flex-start;
+  }
+  span {
+    margin-left: 5px;
+  }
+  .compose-sensitive-span-disabled {
+    color: var(--deemphasized-text-color);
+  }
+
+  @media (max-width: 767px) {
+    .compose-media-sensitive {
+      margin-top: 0;
+    }
+  }
+
+  @media (max-width: 320px) {
+    span {
+      font-size: 0.9em;
+    }
+  }
+
+</style>
+<script>
+  import { observe } from 'svelte-extras'
+  import { scheduleIdleTask } from '../../_utils/scheduleIdleTask'
+
+  export default {
+    oncreate () {
+      this.setupSyncToStore()
+      this.setupSyncFromStore()
+    },
+    data: () => ({
+      rawChecked: false
+    }),
+    computed: {
+      disabled: ({ contentWarning, contentWarningShown }) => contentWarning && contentWarningShown
+    },
+    methods: {
+      observe,
+      setupSyncToStore () {
+        this.observe('rawChecked', () => {
+          scheduleIdleTask(() => {
+            const { realm } = this.get()
+            const { rawChecked } = this.get()
+            const sensitive = this.store.getComposeData(realm, 'sensitive')
+            if (sensitive !== rawChecked) {
+              this.store.setComposeData(realm, { sensitive: rawChecked })
+              this.store.save()
+            }
+          })
+        }, { init: false })
+      },
+      setupSyncFromStore () {
+        this.observe('sensitive', sensitive => {
+          this.set({ rawChecked: sensitive })
+        })
+      }
+    }
+  }
+</script>
diff --git a/tests/spec/109-compose-media.js b/tests/spec/109-compose-media.js
index 7ecd4702..f88fe2fa 100644
--- a/tests/spec/109-compose-media.js
+++ b/tests/spec/109-compose-media.js
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ import {
   homeNavButton,
   mediaButton,
   notificationsNavButton,
-  uploadKittenImage
+  uploadKittenImage,
+  composeMediaSensitiveCheckbox, getNthStatusAndSensitiveImage, getNthStatusAndSensitiveButton, getNthStatusContent
 } from '../utils'
 import { loginAsFoobar } from '../roles'
 
@@ -97,3 +98,20 @@ test('can post a status with empty content if there is media', async t => {
   await t.click(composeButton)
     .expect(getNthStatusAndImage(1, 1).getAttribute('alt')).eql('just an image!')
 })
+
+test('can make an image sensitive without adding a CW', async t => {
+  await loginAsFoobar(t)
+  await t
+    .typeText(composeInput, 'this is just a kitteh')
+  await (uploadKittenImage(2)())
+  await t
+    .typeText(getNthMediaAltInput(1), 'sensitive kitteh')
+    .expect(composeMediaSensitiveCheckbox.checked).notOk()
+    .click(composeMediaSensitiveCheckbox)
+    .expect(composeMediaSensitiveCheckbox.checked).ok()
+    .click(composeButton)
+    .expect(getNthStatusContent(1).innerText).contains('this is just a kitteh')
+    .expect(getNthStatusAndSensitiveImage(1, 1).getAttribute('src')).match(/^blob:http:\/\/localhost/)
+    .click(getNthStatusAndSensitiveButton(1, 1))
+    .expect(getNthStatusAndImage(1, 1).getAttribute('alt')).eql('sensitive kitteh')
+})
diff --git a/tests/utils.js b/tests/utils.js
index eebf13ac..8e06f0aa 100644
--- a/tests/utils.js
+++ b/tests/utils.js
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ export const composePollExpiryOption = $('.compose-poll select option')
 export const composePollExpiryInDialog = $('.modal-dialog .compose-poll select')
 export const composePollAddButton = $('.compose-poll button:last-of-type')
 
+export const composeMediaSensitiveCheckbox = $('.compose-media-sensitive input')
+
 export const postPrivacyDialogButtonUnlisted = $('[aria-label="Post privacy dialog"] li:nth-child(2) button')
 
 export const accountProfileFilterStatuses = $('.account-profile-filters li:nth-child(1)')
@@ -352,6 +354,14 @@ export function getNthStatusAndImage (nStatus, nImage) {
   return $(`${getNthStatusSelector(nStatus)} .status-media .show-image-button:nth-child(${nImage}) img`)
 }
 
+export function getNthStatusAndSensitiveButton (nStatus, nImage) {
+  return $(`${getNthStatusSelector(nStatus)} .status-sensitive-media-button:nth-child(${nImage})`)
+}
+
+export function getNthStatusAndSensitiveImage (nStatus, nImage) {
+  return $(`${getNthStatusSelector(nStatus)} .status-media button:nth-child(${nImage}) img`)
+}
+
 export function getFirstVisibleStatus () {
   return $('.list-item > article[aria-posinset]').nth(0)
 }