diff --git a/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/image/image.py b/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/image/image.py
index c6098579..31c1c258 100644
--- a/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/image/image.py
+++ b/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/image/image.py
@@ -137,13 +137,7 @@ class Image(ImageBase):
             lambda: ImageLayerConfig(monitor=None, monitor_type="auto", source="auto")
         )
         super().__init__(
-            parent=parent,
-            main_image=ImageItem(parent_image=self),
-            config=config,
-            client=client,
-            gui_id=gui_id,
-            popups=popups,
-            **kwargs,
+            parent=parent, config=config, client=client, gui_id=gui_id, popups=popups, **kwargs
         )
         self.layer_removed.connect(self._on_layer_removed)
         self.scan_id = None
@@ -498,6 +492,7 @@ class Image(ImageBase):
         """
         Disconnect the image update signals and clean up the image.
         """
+        self.layer_removed.disconnect(self._on_layer_removed)
         for layer_name in list(self.subscriptions.keys()):
             config = self.subscriptions[layer_name]
             if config.monitor is not None:
diff --git a/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/image/image_base.py b/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/image/image_base.py
index 0382465b..1d110025 100644
--- a/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/image/image_base.py
+++ b/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/image/image_base.py
@@ -80,10 +80,12 @@ class ImageLayerManager:
 
     def __init__(
         self,
+        parent: ImageBase,
         plot_item: pg.PlotItem,
         on_add: SignalInstance | None = None,
         on_remove: SignalInstance | None = None,
     ):
+        self.parent = parent
         self.plot_item = plot_item
         self.on_add = on_add
         self.on_remove = on_remove
@@ -92,7 +94,6 @@ class ImageLayerManager:
     def add(
         self,
         name: str,
-        image: ImageItem,
         z_position: int | Literal["top", "bottom"] | None = None,
         sync: ImageLayerSync | None = None,
         **kwargs,
@@ -107,14 +108,17 @@ class ImageLayerManager:
             sync (ImageLayerSync | None): The synchronization settings for the image layer.
             **kwargs: ImageLayerSync settings. Only used if sync is None.
         """
+        if name in self.layers:
+            raise ValueError(f"Layer with name '{name}' already exists.")
         if sync is None:
             sync = ImageLayerSync(**kwargs)
         if z_position is None or z_position == "top":
             z_position = self._get_top_z_position()
         elif z_position == "bottom":
             z_position = self._get_bottom_z_position()
+        image = ImageItem(parent_image=self.parent, object_name=name)
         image.setZValue(z_position)
-        image.destroyed.connect(lambda: self._remove_destroyed_layer(name))
+        image.removed.connect(lambda: self._remove_destroyed_layer(name))
         self.layers[name] = ImageLayer(name=name, image=image, sync=sync)
         self.plot_item.addItem(image)
 
@@ -131,30 +135,28 @@ class ImageLayerManager:
         Args:
             layer (str): The name of the layer to remove.
         """
-        self.remove(layer, pop=True)
+        self.remove(layer)
         if self.on_remove is not None:
             self.on_remove.emit(layer)
 
-    def remove(self, layer: ImageLayer | str, pop=True):
+    def remove(self, layer: ImageLayer | str):
         """
         Remove an image layer from the widget.
 
         Args:
             layer (ImageLayer | str): The image layer to remove. Can be the layer object or the name of the layer.
-            pop (bool): Whether to remove the layer from the manager's layers dictionary. If False, the layer is only removed from the plot item.
         """
         if isinstance(layer, str):
             name = layer
         else:
             name = layer.name
-        if pop:
-            removed_layer = self.layers.pop(name, None)
-        else:
-            removed_layer = self.layers.get(name, None)
+
+        removed_layer = self.layers.pop(name, None)
+
         if not removed_layer:
             return
         self.plot_item.removeItem(removed_layer.image)
-        removed_layer.image.remove()
+        removed_layer.image.remove(emit=False)
         removed_layer.image.deleteLater()
         removed_layer.image = None
 
@@ -162,9 +164,9 @@ class ImageLayerManager:
         """
         Clear all image layers from the manager.
         """
-        for layer in self.layers.values():
+        for layer in list(self.layers.keys()):
             # Remove each layer from the plot item and delete it
-            self.remove(layer, pop=False)
+            self.remove(layer)
         self.layers.clear()
 
     def _get_top_z_position(self) -> int:
@@ -234,11 +236,9 @@ class ImageBase(PlotBase):
     layer_added = Signal(str)
     layer_removed = Signal(str)
 
-    def __init__(self, *args, main_image: ImageItem, **kwargs):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         """
         Initialize the ImageBase widget.
-        Args:
-            main_image (ImageItem): The main image item to be displayed. This is the main image layer, also used as reference for autoranging.
         """
         self.x_roi = None
         self.y_roi = None
@@ -248,9 +248,9 @@ class ImageBase(PlotBase):
         # Headless controller keeps the canonical list.
         self.roi_manager_dialog = None
         self.layers: ImageLayerManager = ImageLayerManager(
-            self.plot_item, on_add=self.layer_added, on_remove=self.layer_removed
+            self, plot_item=self.plot_item, on_add=self.layer_added, on_remove=self.layer_removed
         )
-        self.layers.add("main", main_image)
+        self.layers.add("main")
 
         self.autorange = True
         self.autorange_mode = "mean"
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ class ImageBase(PlotBase):
         else:
             x = coordinates[1]
             y = coordinates[2]
-        image = self.main_image.image
+        image = self.layers["main"].image.image
         if image is None:
             return
         max_row, max_col = image.shape[0] - 1, image.shape[1] - 1
diff --git a/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/image/image_item.py b/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/image/image_item.py
index 32091d64..92f8a687 100644
--- a/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/image/image_item.py
+++ b/bec_widgets/widgets/plots/image/image_item.py
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ class ImageItemConfig(ConnectionConfig):  # TODO review config
 
 
 class ImageItem(BECConnector, pg.ImageItem):
+
     RPC = True
     USER_ACCESS = [
         "color_map",
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ class ImageItem(BECConnector, pg.ImageItem):
     ]
 
     vRangeChangedManually = Signal(tuple)
+    removed = Signal()
 
     def __init__(
         self,
@@ -274,6 +276,8 @@ class ImageItem(BECConnector, pg.ImageItem):
         self.buffer = []
         self.max_len = 0
 
-    def remove(self):
+    def remove(self, emit: bool = True):
         self.clear()
         super().remove()
+        if emit:
+            self.removed.emit()
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/test_image_layer.py b/tests/unit_tests/test_image_layer.py
index e6cf6939..dc313151 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/test_image_layer.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/test_image_layer.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from bec_widgets.widgets.plots.image.image_item import ImageItem
 @pytest.fixture()
 def image_layer_manager():
     """Fixture to create an instance of ImageLayer."""
-    layer = ImageLayerManager(plot_item=mock.MagicMock(spec=pg.PlotItem))
+    layer = ImageLayerManager(parent=None, plot_item=mock.MagicMock(spec=pg.PlotItem))
     yield layer
     layer.clear()
 
@@ -23,27 +23,22 @@ def test_image_layer_manager_initialization(image_layer_manager):
 
 def test_add_image_layer(image_layer_manager):
     """Test adding an image layer to the ImageLayerManager."""
-    image = ImageItem()
-    layer = image_layer_manager.add(name="Test Layer", image=image)
+    layer = image_layer_manager.add(name="Test Layer")
     assert layer.image.zValue() == 0
 
-    image2 = ImageItem()
-    layer2 = image_layer_manager.add(name="Test Layer 2", image=image2)
+    layer2 = image_layer_manager.add(name="Test Layer 2")
     assert layer2.image.zValue() == 1
 
-    image3 = ImageItem()
-    layer3 = image_layer_manager.add(name="Test Layer 3", image=image3, z_position="top")
+    layer3 = image_layer_manager.add(name="Test Layer 3", z_position="top")
     assert layer3.image.zValue() == 2
 
-    image4 = ImageItem()
-    layer4 = image_layer_manager.add(name="Test Layer 4", image=image4, z_position="bottom")
+    layer4 = image_layer_manager.add(name="Test Layer 4", z_position="bottom")
     assert layer4.image.zValue() == -1
 
 
 def test_remove_image_layer(image_layer_manager):
     """Test removing an image layer from the ImageLayerManager."""
-    image = ImageItem()
-    layer = image_layer_manager.add(name="Test Layer", image=image)
+    layer = image_layer_manager.add(name="Test Layer")
     assert len(image_layer_manager) == 1
 
     image_layer_manager.remove(layer)
@@ -52,8 +47,7 @@ def test_remove_image_layer(image_layer_manager):
 
 def test_clear_image_layers(image_layer_manager):
     """Test clearing all image layers from the ImageLayerManager."""
-    image = ImageItem()
-    layer = image_layer_manager.add(name="Test Layer", image=image)
+    layer = image_layer_manager.add(name="Test Layer")
     assert len(image_layer_manager) == 1
 
     image_layer_manager.clear()
@@ -62,8 +56,7 @@ def test_clear_image_layers(image_layer_manager):
 
 def test_image_layer_manager_getitem(image_layer_manager):
     """Test getting an image layer by index."""
-    image = ImageItem()
-    layer = image_layer_manager.add(name="Test Layer", image=image)
+    layer = image_layer_manager.add(name="Test Layer")
     assert image_layer_manager["Test Layer"] == layer
 
     with pytest.raises(TypeError):
@@ -75,10 +68,8 @@ def test_image_layer_manager_getitem(image_layer_manager):
 
 def test_image_layer_iteration(image_layer_manager):
     """Test iterating over image layers."""
-    image = ImageItem()
-    layer = image_layer_manager.add(name="Test Layer", image=image)
+    layer = image_layer_manager.add(name="Test Layer")
     assert list(image_layer_manager) == [layer]
 
-    image2 = ImageItem()
-    layer2 = image_layer_manager.add(name="Test Layer 2", image=image2)
+    layer2 = image_layer_manager.add(name="Test Layer 2")
     assert list(image_layer_manager) == [layer, layer2]
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/test_image_view_next_gen.py b/tests/unit_tests/test_image_view_next_gen.py
index 2d3fd7ae..3385c8eb 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/test_image_view_next_gen.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/test_image_view_next_gen.py
@@ -117,8 +117,8 @@ def test_image_setup_image_2d(qtbot, mocked_client):
     bec_image_view = create_widget(qtbot, Image, client=mocked_client)
     bec_image_view.image(monitor="eiger", monitor_type="2d")
     assert bec_image_view.monitor == "eiger"
-    assert bec_image_view.main_image.config.source == "device_monitor_2d"
-    assert bec_image_view.main_image.config.monitor_type == "2d"
+    assert bec_image_view.subscriptions["main"].source == "device_monitor_2d"
+    assert bec_image_view.subscriptions["main"].monitor_type == "2d"
     assert bec_image_view.main_image.raw_data is None
     assert bec_image_view.main_image.image is None
 
@@ -127,8 +127,8 @@ def test_image_setup_image_1d(qtbot, mocked_client):
     bec_image_view = create_widget(qtbot, Image, client=mocked_client)
     bec_image_view.image(monitor="eiger", monitor_type="1d")
     assert bec_image_view.monitor == "eiger"
-    assert bec_image_view.main_image.config.source == "device_monitor_1d"
-    assert bec_image_view.main_image.config.monitor_type == "1d"
+    assert bec_image_view.subscriptions["main"].source == "device_monitor_1d"
+    assert bec_image_view.subscriptions["main"].monitor_type == "1d"
     assert bec_image_view.main_image.raw_data is None
     assert bec_image_view.main_image.image is None
 
@@ -137,8 +137,8 @@ def test_image_setup_image_auto(qtbot, mocked_client):
     bec_image_view = create_widget(qtbot, Image, client=mocked_client)
     bec_image_view.image(monitor="eiger", monitor_type="auto")
     assert bec_image_view.monitor == "eiger"
-    assert bec_image_view.main_image.config.source == "auto"
-    assert bec_image_view.main_image.config.monitor_type == "auto"
+    assert bec_image_view.subscriptions["main"].source == "auto"
+    assert bec_image_view.subscriptions["main"].monitor_type == "auto"
     assert bec_image_view.main_image.raw_data is None
     assert bec_image_view.main_image.image is None
 
@@ -235,8 +235,8 @@ def test_setup_image_from_toolbar(qtbot, mocked_client):
     bec_image_view.selection_bundle.dim_combo_box.setCurrentText("2d")
 
     assert bec_image_view.monitor == "eiger"
-    assert bec_image_view.main_image.config.source == "device_monitor_2d"
-    assert bec_image_view.main_image.config.monitor_type == "2d"
+    assert bec_image_view.subscriptions["main"].source == "device_monitor_2d"
+    assert bec_image_view.subscriptions["main"].monitor_type == "2d"
     assert bec_image_view.main_image.raw_data is None
     assert bec_image_view.main_image.image is None