diff --git a/modules/progress.py b/modules/progress.py
index c2e37834f..269863c94 100644
--- a/modules/progress.py
+++ b/modules/progress.py
@@ -95,17 +95,16 @@ def progressapi(req: ProgressRequest):
         image = shared.state.current_image
         if image is not None:
             buffered = io.BytesIO()
-            format = opts.live_previews_format
-            save_kwargs = {}
-            if format == "auto":
-                if max(*image.size) > 256:
-                    format = "jpeg"
-                else:
-                    format = "png"
-                    save_kwargs = {"optimize": True}
-            image.save(buffered, format=format, **save_kwargs)
+
+            if opts.live_previews_image_format == "png":
+                # using optimize for large images takes an enormous amount of time
+                save_kwargs = {"optimize": max(*image.size) > 256}
+            else:
+                save_kwargs = {}
+
+            image.save(buffered, format=opts.live_previews_image_format, **save_kwargs)
             base64_image = base64.b64encode(buffered.getvalue()).decode('ascii')
-            live_preview = f"data:image/{format};base64,{base64_image}"
+            live_preview = f"data:image/{opts.live_previews_image_format};base64,{base64_image}"
             id_live_preview = shared.state.id_live_preview
         else:
             live_preview = None
diff --git a/modules/shared.py b/modules/shared.py
index a05776443..07f18b1b7 100644
--- a/modules/shared.py
+++ b/modules/shared.py
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ options_templates.update(options_section(('infotext', "Infotext"), {
 options_templates.update(options_section(('ui', "Live previews"), {
     "show_progressbar": OptionInfo(True, "Show progressbar"),
     "live_previews_enable": OptionInfo(True, "Show live previews of the created image"),
-    "live_previews_format": OptionInfo("auto", "Live preview file format", gr.Radio, {"choices": ["auto", "jpeg", "png", "webp"]}),
+    "live_previews_image_format": OptionInfo("png", "Live preview file format", gr.Radio, {"choices": ["jpeg", "png", "webp"]}),
     "show_progress_grid": OptionInfo(True, "Show previews of all images generated in a batch as a grid"),
     "show_progress_every_n_steps": OptionInfo(10, "Live preview display period", gr.Slider, {"minimum": -1, "maximum": 32, "step": 1}).info("in sampling steps - show new live preview image every N sampling steps; -1 = only show after completion of batch"),
     "show_progress_type": OptionInfo("Approx NN", "Live preview method", gr.Radio, {"choices": ["Full", "Approx NN", "Approx cheap"]}).info("Full = slow but pretty; Approx NN = fast but low quality; Approx cheap = super fast but terrible otherwise"),