diff --git a/crates/typst-layout/src/image.rs b/crates/typst-layout/src/image.rs
index 84a602823..628fe10d6 100644
--- a/crates/typst-layout/src/image.rs
+++ b/crates/typst-layout/src/image.rs
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ pub fn layout_image(
         elem.alt(styles),
         engine.world,
         &families(styles).collect::<Vec<_>>(),
+        elem.flatten_text(styles),
     )
     .at(span)?;
 
diff --git a/crates/typst-library/src/visualize/image/mod.rs b/crates/typst-library/src/visualize/image/mod.rs
index 868a3c5b4..fddb4acb9 100644
--- a/crates/typst-library/src/visualize/image/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/typst-library/src/visualize/image/mod.rs
@@ -94,6 +94,12 @@ pub struct ImageElem {
     /// ```
     #[default(ImageFit::Cover)]
     pub fit: ImageFit,
+
+    /// Whether text in SVG images should be converted into paths before
+    /// embedding. This will result in the text becoming unselectable in
+    /// the output.
+    #[default(false)]
+    pub flatten_text: bool,
 }
 
 #[scope]
@@ -246,13 +252,14 @@ impl Image {
         alt: Option<EcoString>,
         world: Tracked<dyn World + '_>,
         families: &[&str],
+        flatten_text: bool,
     ) -> StrResult<Image> {
         let kind = match format {
             ImageFormat::Raster(format) => {
                 ImageKind::Raster(RasterImage::new(data, format)?)
             }
             ImageFormat::Vector(VectorFormat::Svg) => {
-                ImageKind::Svg(SvgImage::with_fonts(data, world, families)?)
+                ImageKind::Svg(SvgImage::with_fonts(data, world, flatten_text, families)?)
             }
         };
 
diff --git a/crates/typst-library/src/visualize/image/svg.rs b/crates/typst-library/src/visualize/image/svg.rs
index f7a498a83..6b6a1b6b2 100644
--- a/crates/typst-library/src/visualize/image/svg.rs
+++ b/crates/typst-library/src/visualize/image/svg.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ pub struct SvgImage(Arc<Repr>);
 struct Repr {
     data: Bytes,
     size: Axes<f64>,
+    flatten_text: bool,
     font_hash: u128,
     tree: usvg::Tree,
 }
@@ -32,7 +33,13 @@ impl SvgImage {
     pub fn new(data: Bytes) -> StrResult<SvgImage> {
         let tree =
             usvg::Tree::from_data(&data, &base_options()).map_err(format_usvg_error)?;
-        Ok(Self(Arc::new(Repr { data, size: tree_size(&tree), font_hash: 0, tree })))
+        Ok(Self(Arc::new(Repr {
+            data,
+            size: tree_size(&tree),
+            font_hash: 0,
+            flatten_text: false,
+            tree,
+        })))
     }
 
     /// Decode an SVG image with access to fonts.
@@ -40,6 +47,7 @@ impl SvgImage {
     pub fn with_fonts(
         data: Bytes,
         world: Tracked<dyn World + '_>,
+        flatten_text: bool,
         families: &[&str],
     ) -> StrResult<SvgImage> {
         let book = world.book();
@@ -60,7 +68,13 @@ impl SvgImage {
         )
         .map_err(format_usvg_error)?;
         let font_hash = resolver.into_inner().unwrap().finish();
-        Ok(Self(Arc::new(Repr { data, size: tree_size(&tree), font_hash, tree })))
+        Ok(Self(Arc::new(Repr {
+            data,
+            size: tree_size(&tree),
+            font_hash,
+            flatten_text,
+            tree,
+        })))
     }
 
     /// The raw image data.
@@ -73,6 +87,11 @@ impl SvgImage {
         self.0.size.x
     }
 
+    /// Whether the SVG's text should be flattened.
+    pub fn flatten_text(&self) -> bool {
+        self.0.flatten_text
+    }
+
     /// The SVG's height in pixels.
     pub fn height(&self) -> f64 {
         self.0.size.y
diff --git a/crates/typst-pdf/src/image.rs b/crates/typst-pdf/src/image.rs
index 9651d31ba..bff7bfefa 100644
--- a/crates/typst-pdf/src/image.rs
+++ b/crates/typst-pdf/src/image.rs
@@ -208,7 +208,11 @@ fn encode_svg(
 ) -> Result<(Chunk, Ref), svg2pdf::ConversionError> {
     svg2pdf::to_chunk(
         svg.tree(),
-        svg2pdf::ConversionOptions { pdfa, ..Default::default() },
+        svg2pdf::ConversionOptions {
+            pdfa,
+            embed_text: !svg.flatten_text(),
+            ..Default::default()
+        },
     )
 }