diff --git a/lib/identify.c b/lib/identify.c
index 8d4a511..9ae9ee5 100644
--- a/lib/identify.c
+++ b/lib/identify.c
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ static void flood_fill_seed(struct quirc *q, int x, int y, int from, int to,
 	int left = x;
 	int right = x;
 	int i;
-	uint8_t *row = q->image + y * q->w;
+	quirc_pixel_t *row = q->pixels + y * q->w;
 
 	if (depth >= FLOOD_FILL_MAX_DEPTH)
 		return;
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ static void flood_fill_seed(struct quirc *q, int x, int y, int from, int to,
 
 	/* Seed new flood-fills */
 	if (y > 0) {
-		row = q->image + (y - 1) * q->w;
+		row = q->pixels + (y - 1) * q->w;
 
 		for (i = left; i <= right; i++)
 			if (row[i] == from)
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ static void flood_fill_seed(struct quirc *q, int x, int y, int from, int to,
 	}
 
 	if (y < q->h - 1) {
-		row = q->image + (y + 1) * q->w;
+		row = q->pixels + (y + 1) * q->w;
 
 		for (i = left; i <= right; i++)
 			if (row[i] == from)
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ static void threshold(struct quirc *q)
 	int avg_w = 0;
 	int avg_u = 0;
 	int threshold_s = q->w / THRESHOLD_S_DEN;
-	uint8_t *row = q->image;
+	quirc_pixel_t *row = q->pixels;
 
 	for (y = 0; y < q->h; y++) {
 		int row_average[q->w];
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ static int region_code(struct quirc *q, int x, int y)
 	if (x < 0 || y < 0 || x >= q->w || y >= q->h)
 		return -1;
 
-	pixel = q->image[y * q->w + x];
+	pixel = q->pixels[y * q->w + x];
 
 	if (pixel >= QUIRC_PIXEL_REGION)
 		return pixel;
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ static void test_capstone(struct quirc *q, int x, int y, int *pb)
 
 static void finder_scan(struct quirc *q, int y)
 {
-	uint8_t *row = q->image + y * q->w;
+	quirc_pixel_t *row = q->pixels + y * q->w;
 	int x;
 	int last_color;
 	int run_length = 0;
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ static int timing_scan(const struct quirc *q,
 		if (y < 0 || y >= q->h || x < 0 || x >= q->w)
 			break;
 
-		pixel = q->image[y * q->w + x];
+		pixel = q->pixels[y * q->w + x];
 
 		if (pixel) {
 			if (run_length >= 2)
@@ -670,7 +670,7 @@ static int read_cell(const struct quirc *q, int index, int x, int y)
 	if (p.y < 0 || p.y >= q->h || p.x < 0 || p.x >= q->w)
 		return 0;
 
-	return q->image[p.y * q->w + p.x] ? 1 : -1;
+	return q->pixels[p.y * q->w + p.x] ? 1 : -1;
 }
 
 static int fitness_cell(const struct quirc *q, int index, int x, int y)
@@ -689,7 +689,7 @@ static int fitness_cell(const struct quirc *q, int index, int x, int y)
 			if (p.y < 0 || p.y >= q->h || p.x < 0 || p.x >= q->w)
 				continue;
 
-			if (q->image[p.y * q->w + p.x])
+			if (q->pixels[p.y * q->w + p.x])
 				score++;
 			else
 				score--;
@@ -1066,6 +1066,20 @@ static void test_grouping(struct quirc *q, int i)
 	test_neighbours(q, i, &hlist, &vlist);
 }
 
+static void pixels_setup(struct quirc *q)
+{
+	if (sizeof(*q->image) == sizeof(*q->pixels)) {
+		q->pixels = (quirc_pixel_t *)q->image;
+	} else {
+		int x, y;
+		for (y = 0; y < q->h; y++) {
+			for (x = 0; x < q->w; x++) {
+				q->pixels[y * q->w + x] = q->image[y * q->w + x];
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 uint8_t *quirc_begin(struct quirc *q, int *w, int *h)
 {
 	q->num_regions = QUIRC_PIXEL_REGION;
@@ -1084,6 +1098,7 @@ void quirc_end(struct quirc *q)
 {
 	int i;
 
+	pixels_setup(q);
 	threshold(q);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < q->h; i++)
diff --git a/lib/quirc.c b/lib/quirc.c
index 3226ef0..62bc285 100644
--- a/lib/quirc.c
+++ b/lib/quirc.c
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ void quirc_destroy(struct quirc *q)
 {
 	if (q->image)
 		free(q->image);
+	if (sizeof(*q->image) != sizeof(*q->pixels))
+		free(q->pixels);
 
 	free(q);
 }
@@ -49,6 +51,14 @@ int quirc_resize(struct quirc *q, int w, int h)
 	if (!new_image)
 		return -1;
 
+	if (sizeof(*q->image) != sizeof(*q->pixels)) {
+		size_t new_size = w * h * sizeof(quirc_pixel_t);
+		quirc_pixel_t *new_pixels = realloc(q->pixels, new_size);
+		if (!new_pixels)
+			return -1;
+		q->pixels = new_pixels;
+	}
+
 	q->image = new_image;
 	q->w = w;
 	q->h = h;
diff --git a/lib/quirc_internal.h b/lib/quirc_internal.h
index b7aba4a..a2630e7 100644
--- a/lib/quirc_internal.h
+++ b/lib/quirc_internal.h
@@ -23,12 +23,22 @@
 #define QUIRC_PIXEL_BLACK	1
 #define QUIRC_PIXEL_REGION	2
 
+#ifndef QUIRC_MAX_REGIONS
 #define QUIRC_MAX_REGIONS	254
+#endif
 #define QUIRC_MAX_CAPSTONES	32
 #define QUIRC_MAX_GRIDS		8
 
 #define QUIRC_PERSPECTIVE_PARAMS	8
 
+#if QUIRC_MAX_REGIONS < UINT8_MAX
+typedef uint8_t quirc_pixel_t;
+#elif QUIRC_MAX_REGIONS < UINT16_MAX
+typedef uint16_t quirc_pixel_t;
+#else
+#error "QUIRC_MAX_REGIONS > 65534 is not supported"
+#endif
+
 struct quirc_region {
 	struct quirc_point	seed;
 	int			count;
@@ -66,6 +76,7 @@ struct quirc_grid {
 
 struct quirc {
 	uint8_t			*image;
+	quirc_pixel_t		*pixels;
 	int			w;
 	int			h;