diff --git a/scrapy/trunk/scrapy/contrib/pipeline/images.py b/scrapy/trunk/scrapy/contrib/pipeline/images.py
index e9f06cc03..5f83822fc 100644
--- a/scrapy/trunk/scrapy/contrib/pipeline/images.py
+++ b/scrapy/trunk/scrapy/contrib/pipeline/images.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import time
 import hashlib
 import urllib
 import urlparse
+from datetime import datetime
 from cStringIO import StringIO
 
 import Image
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@ from scrapy.conf import settings
 from scrapy.contrib.pipeline.media import MediaPipeline
 
 # the age at which we download images again
-IMAGE_EXPIRES = settings.getint('IMAGES_EXPIRES', 90)
+IMAGE_EXPIRES = settings.getint('IMAGES_EXPIRES', 15)
 
 class NoimagesDrop(DropItem):
     pass
@@ -50,12 +51,10 @@ class ImagesPipeline(MediaPipeline):
 
     def media_to_download(self, request, info):
         relative, absolute = self._get_paths(request)
-        if not should_download(absolute):
-            self.inc_stats(info.domain, 'uptodate')
-            referer = request.headers.get('Referer')
-            log.msg('Image (uptodate): Downloaded %s from %s referred in <%s>' % \
-                    (self.MEDIA_TYPE, request, referer), level=log.DEBUG, domain=info.domain)
-            return relative
+        expired, mtime = image_expired(absolute)
+        if not expired:
+            mod_date = datetime.utcfromtimestamp(mtime)
+            request.headers['If-Modified-Since'] = mod_date.strftime('%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S GMT')
 
     def media_downloaded(self, response, request, info):
         mtype = self.MEDIA_TYPE
@@ -75,8 +74,15 @@ class ImagesPipeline(MediaPipeline):
         return result
 
     def media_failed(self, failure, request, info):
+        mtype = self.MEDIA_TYPE
         referer = request.headers.get('Referer')
         errmsg = str(failure.value) if isinstance(failure.value, HttpException) else str(failure)
+
+        if '304 Not Modified' in errmsg:
+            msg = 'Image (notmodified): Downloaded %s from %s referred in <%s>' % (mtype, request, referer)
+            log.msg(msg, level=log.DEBUG, domain=info.domain)
+            return self._get_paths(request)[0]
+
         msg = 'Image (http-error): Error downloading %s from %s referred in <%s>: %s' % (self.MEDIA_TYPE, request, referer, errmsg)
         log.msg(msg, level=log.WARNING, domain=info.domain)
         raise ImageException(msg)
@@ -118,16 +124,17 @@ class ImagesPipeline(MediaPipeline):
 
 
 
-def should_download(path):
-    """Should the image downloader download the image to the location specified
+def image_expired(path):
+    """
+    Is the image older than the expiration time?
     """
     try:
         mtime = os.path.getmtime(path)
         age_seconds = time.time() - mtime
         age_days = age_seconds / 60 / 60 / 24
-        return age_days > IMAGE_EXPIRES
+        return (age_days > IMAGE_EXPIRES, mtime)
     except:
-        return True
+        return (True, 0)
 
 _MULTIPLE_SLASHES_REGEXP = re.compile(r"\/{2,}")
 _FINAL_SLASH_REGEXP = re.compile(r"\/$")