diff --git a/appview/repo/blob.go b/appview/repo/blob.go
--- a/appview/repo/blob.go
+++ b/appview/repo/blob.go
@@ -278,10 +278,6 @@
 	query.Set("raw", "true")
 
 	blobURL := fmt.Sprintf("%s/xrpc/%s?%s", config.KnotMirror.Url, tangled.GitTempGetBlobNSID, query.Encode())
-
-	if config.Camo.Enabled() {
-		return markup.GenerateCamoURL(config.Camo.Host, config.Camo.SharedSecret, blobURL)
-	}
 	return blobURL
 }
 
diff --git a/appview/pages/markup/camo.go b/appview/pages/markup/camo.go
--- a/appview/pages/markup/camo.go
+++ b/appview/pages/markup/camo.go
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@
 	"crypto/sha256"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
-
-	"github.com/yuin/goldmark/ast"
 )
 
 func GenerateCamoURL(baseURL, secret, imageURL string) string {
@@ -18,19 +16,9 @@
 }
 
 func (rctx *RenderContext) camoImageLinkTransformer(dst string) string {
-	// don't camo on dev
-	if rctx.IsDev {
-		return dst
-	}
-
 	if rctx.CamoUrl != "" && rctx.CamoSecret != "" {
 		return GenerateCamoURL(rctx.CamoUrl, rctx.CamoSecret, dst)
 	}
 
 	return dst
-}
-
-func (rctx *RenderContext) camoImageLinkAstTransformer(img *ast.Image) {
-	dst := string(img.Destination)
-	img.Destination = []byte(rctx.camoImageLinkTransformer(dst))
 }
diff --git a/appview/pages/markup/markdown.go b/appview/pages/markup/markdown.go
--- a/appview/pages/markup/markdown.go
+++ b/appview/pages/markup/markdown.go
@@ -184,13 +184,17 @@
 					continue
 				}
 
-				camoUrl, _ := url.Parse(ctx.CamoUrl)
-				dstUrl, _ := url.Parse(attr.Val)
-				if camoUrl != nil && dstUrl != nil && dstUrl.Host != camoUrl.Host {
+				if isAbsoluteUrl(attr.Val) {
+					// apply camo to external links
+					camoUrl, _ := url.Parse(ctx.CamoUrl)
+					dstUrl, _ := url.Parse(attr.Val)
+					if camoUrl != nil && dstUrl != nil && dstUrl.Host != ctx.Hostname && dstUrl.Host != camoUrl.Host {
+						attr.Val = ctx.camoImageLinkTransformer(attr.Val)
+					}
+				} else {
 					attr.Val = ctx.imageToRawTransformer(attr.Val)
-					attr.Val = ctx.camoImageLinkTransformer(attr.Val)
-					node.Attr[i] = attr
 				}
+				node.Attr[i] = attr
 			}
 		}