diff --git a/planetstack/observer/steps/sync_images.py b/planetstack/observer/steps/sync_images.py
index 2dbd74d..6ee53fe 100644
--- a/planetstack/observer/steps/sync_images.py
+++ b/planetstack/observer/steps/sync_images.py
@@ -10,20 +10,28 @@
     requested_interval=0
 
     def fetch_pending(self):
+        # get list of images on disk
+        images_path = Config().observer_images_directory 
+        available_images = {}
+        for f in os.listdir(images_path):
+            if os.path.isfile(os.path.join(images_path ,f)):
+                available_images[f] = os.path.join(images_path ,f)
+
         images = Image.objects.all()
         image_names = [image.name for image in images]
+     
+        for image_name in available_images:
+            #remove file extension 
+            clean_name = ".".join(image_name.split('.')[:-1])
+            if image_name not in image_names:
+                image = Image(name=clean_name,
+                              disk_format='raw',
+                              container_format='bare', 
+                              path = available_images[image_name])
+                image.save()
        
-        new_images = []
-        glance_images = self.driver.shell.glance.get_images()
-        for glance_image in glance_images:
-            if glance_image['name'] not in image_names:
-                image = Image(image_id=glance_image['id'],
-                              name=glance_image['name'],
-                              disk_format=glance_image['disk_format'],
-                              container_format=glance_image['container_format'])
-                new_images.append(image)   
- 
-        return new_images
+        
+        return Image.objects.filter(Q(enacted__lt=F('updated')) | Q(enacted=None)) 
 
     def sync_record(self, image):
         image.save()