diff --git a/internal/handlers/fetcher_internal_test.go b/internal/handlers/fetcher_internal_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d78091a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/handlers/fetcher_internal_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+package handlers
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"net/netip"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
+	"go.uber.org/fx"
+	"go.uber.org/fx/fxtest"
+
+	"sneak.berlin/go/pixa/internal/config"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/pixa/internal/database"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/pixa/internal/globals"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/pixa/internal/healthcheck"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/pixa/internal/logger"
+)
+
+// TestHandlersBuildTheirOwnFetcherWhenNoneIsProvided builds the handlers as
+// pixad does, in an fx app that provides no fetcher, and requests an image
+// from 192.0.2.10, which is on the allowlist and in blocked_networks. The URL
+// check accepts that address; only the dialer that refuses internal
+// addresses checks blocked_networks, so the answer is 403 only if the
+// fetcher the handlers build from the config connects with that dialer. Any
+// other dialer would try to connect until the upstream fetch timeout, which
+// is short so that the test then fails quickly.
+func TestHandlersBuildTheirOwnFetcherWhenNoneIsProvided(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	const host = "192.0.2.10"
+
+	stateDir := t.TempDir()
+	cfg := &config.Config{
+		SigningKey:           testSigningKey,
+		StateDir:             stateDir,
+		DBURL:                "file:" + filepath.Join(stateDir, "state.sqlite3"),
+		AllowlistHosts:       []string{host},
+		BlockedNetworks:      []netip.Prefix{netip.MustParsePrefix("192.0.2.0/24")},
+		UpstreamFetchTimeout: 2 * time.Second,
+		// With no connection slots, the fetch would fail before dialing.
+		UpstreamConnections: config.DefaultUpstreamConnections,
+	}
+
+	var h *Handlers
+
+	app := fxtest.New(t,
+		fx.Supply(cfg),
+		fx.Provide(globals.New, logger.New, database.New, healthcheck.New, New),
+		fx.Populate(&h),
+	)
+	app.RequireStart()
+	t.Cleanup(app.RequireStop)
+
+	r := chi.NewRouter()
+	r.Get("/v1/image/*", h.HandleImage())
+
+	rec := sendGet(t, r, photoURL(host))
+	checkErrorBody(t, rec, http.StatusForbidden, "forbidden")
+}
diff --git a/internal/handlers/handlers.go b/internal/handlers/handlers.go
index a65f3b5..0414026 100644
--- a/internal/handlers/handlers.go
+++ b/internal/handlers/handlers.go
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ type Params struct {
 	Healthcheck *healthcheck.Healthcheck
 	Database    *database.Database
 	Config      *config.Config
+
+	// Fetcher, when provided, fetches upstream images in place of the
+	// fetcher the handlers build from the config. Only tests provide one;
+	// pixad does not.
+	Fetcher httpfetcher.Fetcher `optional:"true"`
 }
 
 // Handlers provides HTTP request handlers.
@@ -36,6 +41,7 @@ type Handlers struct {
 	hc          *healthcheck.Healthcheck
 	db          *database.Database
 	config      *config.Config
+	fetcher     httpfetcher.Fetcher
 	imgSvc      *imgcache.Service
 	imgCache    *imgcache.Cache
 	sessMgr     *session.Manager
@@ -59,6 +65,7 @@ func New(lc fx.Lifecycle, params Params) (*Handlers, error) {
 		hc:               params.Healthcheck,
 		db:               params.Database,
 		config:           params.Config,
+		fetcher:          params.Fetcher,
 		csrfProtect:      csrfProtect,
 		refererBlocklist: allowlist.New(params.Config.RefererBlocklist),
 	}
@@ -128,10 +135,12 @@ func (s *Handlers) initImageService() error {
 	fetcherCfg.MaxConnections = s.config.UpstreamConnections
 	fetcherCfg.BlockedNetworks = s.config.BlockedNetworks
 
-	// Create the service
+	// Create the service. With no fetcher provided, it builds its own from
+	// fetcherCfg.
 	svc, err := imgcache.NewService(&imgcache.ServiceConfig{
 		Cache:                   cache,
 		FetcherConfig:           fetcherCfg,
+		Fetcher:                 s.fetcher,
 		SigningKey:              s.config.SigningKey,
 		Allowlist:               s.config.AllowlistHosts,
 		MaxConcurrentProcessing: s.config.MaxConcurrentProcessing,
diff --git a/internal/imgcache/service.go b/internal/imgcache/service.go
index 562595c..2a40c8c 100644
--- a/internal/imgcache/service.go
+++ b/internal/imgcache/service.go
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ type Service struct {
 type ServiceConfig struct {
 	// Cache is the cache instance
 	Cache *Cache
-	// FetcherConfig configures the upstream fetcher (ignored if Fetcher is set)
+	// FetcherConfig configures the upstream fetcher built when Fetcher is
+	// not set. Its AllowHTTP and MaxResponseSize are used either way.
 	FetcherConfig *httpfetcher.Config
 	// Fetcher is an optional custom fetcher (for testing)
 	Fetcher httpfetcher.Fetcher