diff --git a/.changeset/lucky-horses-worry.md b/.changeset/lucky-horses-worry.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a5181b584
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/lucky-horses-worry.md
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+---
+"@opennextjs/aws": patch
+---
+
+add: s3 lite override for loading images in the image optimization server
+
+`s3-lite` override for image loading. Uses `aws4fetch` to get the objects from your s3 bucket. This will make the image optimization server work without the aws s3 sdk. This override introduces a new environment variable called `BUCKET_REGION`. It will fallback to `AWS_REGION` ?? `AWS_DEFAULT_REGION` if undefined. This will require no additional change in IAC for most users.
+
+```ts
+import type { OpenNextConfig } from '@opennextjs/aws/types/open-next';
+const config = {
+  default: {},
+   imageOptimization: {
+     loader: 's3-lite', 
+   },
+} satisfies OpenNextConfig;
+
+export default config;
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/open-next/src/overrides/imageLoader/s3-lite.ts b/packages/open-next/src/overrides/imageLoader/s3-lite.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3abb801dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/open-next/src/overrides/imageLoader/s3-lite.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+import { Readable } from "node:stream";
+import type { ReadableStream } from "node:stream/web";
+import { AwsClient } from "aws4fetch";
+
+import type { ImageLoader } from "types/overrides";
+import { FatalError } from "utils/error";
+
+let awsClient: AwsClient | null = null;
+
+const { BUCKET_NAME, BUCKET_KEY_PREFIX } = process.env;
+// https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lambda/latest/dg/configuration-envvars.html#configuration-envvars-runtime
+// If AWS_REGION is defined it will override AWS_DEFAULT_REGION
+const BUCKET_REGION =
+  process.env.BUCKET_REGION ??
+  process.env.AWS_REGION ??
+  process.env.AWS_DEFAULT_REGION;
+
+const getAwsClient = () => {
+  if (awsClient) {
+    return awsClient;
+  }
+  awsClient = new AwsClient({
+    accessKeyId: process.env.AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID!,
+    secretAccessKey: process.env.AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY!,
+    sessionToken: process.env.AWS_SESSION_TOKEN,
+    region: BUCKET_REGION,
+  });
+  return awsClient;
+};
+
+function ensureEnvExists() {
+  if (!(BUCKET_NAME || BUCKET_KEY_PREFIX || BUCKET_REGION)) {
+    throw new FatalError("Bucket name, region and key prefix must be defined!");
+  }
+}
+
+const awsFetch = async (key: string, options: RequestInit) => {
+  const client = getAwsClient();
+  const url = `https://${BUCKET_NAME}.s3.${BUCKET_REGION}.amazonaws.com/${key}`;
+  return client.fetch(url, options);
+};
+
+const s3Loader: ImageLoader = {
+  name: "s3-lite",
+  load: async (key: string) => {
+    ensureEnvExists();
+    const keyPrefix = BUCKET_KEY_PREFIX?.replace(/^\/|\/$/g, "");
+    const response = await awsFetch(
+      keyPrefix
+        ? `${keyPrefix}/${key.replace(/^\//, "")}`
+        : key.replace(/^\//, ""),
+      {
+        method: "GET",
+      },
+    );
+
+    if (response.status === 404) {
+      throw new FatalError("The specified key does not exist.");
+    }
+    if (response.status !== 200) {
+      throw new FatalError(
+        `Failed to get image. Status code: ${response.status}`,
+      );
+    }
+
+    if (!response.body) {
+      throw new FatalError("No body in aws4fetch s3 response");
+    }
+
+    // We need to cast it else there will be a TypeError: o.pipe is not a function
+    const body = Readable.fromWeb(response.body as ReadableStream<Uint8Array>);
+
+    return {
+      body: body,
+      contentType: response.headers.get("content-type") ?? undefined,
+      cacheControl: response.headers.get("cache-control") ?? undefined,
+    };
+  },
+};
+
+export default s3Loader;
diff --git a/packages/open-next/src/types/open-next.ts b/packages/open-next/src/types/open-next.ts
index 0a23d76ff..3a76482a2 100644
--- a/packages/open-next/src/types/open-next.ts
+++ b/packages/open-next/src/types/open-next.ts
@@ -151,7 +151,12 @@ export type IncludedTagCache =
   | "fs-dev"
   | "dummy";
 
-export type IncludedImageLoader = "s3" | "host" | "fs-dev" | "dummy";
+export type IncludedImageLoader =
+  | "s3"
+  | "s3-lite"
+  | "host"
+  | "fs-dev"
+  | "dummy";
 
 export type IncludedOriginResolver = "pattern-env" | "dummy";