diff --git a/src/c++/perf_analyzer/genai-perf/genai_perf/llm_inputs/dataset_retriever.py b/src/c++/perf_analyzer/genai-perf/genai_perf/llm_inputs/dataset_retriever.py
index cd00ade9a..804365e1f 100644
--- a/src/c++/perf_analyzer/genai-perf/genai_perf/llm_inputs/dataset_retriever.py
+++ b/src/c++/perf_analyzer/genai-perf/genai_perf/llm_inputs/dataset_retriever.py
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ def from_url(url: str, starting_index: int, length: int) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]
         ]
         return formatted_rows
 
+    # (TMA-2018) decouple output_format from this method
     @staticmethod
     def from_file(file_path: Path, output_format: OutputFormat) -> List[Dict[str, str]]:
         contents = DatasetRetriever._load_file_content(file_path)
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ def from_file(file_path: Path, output_format: OutputFormat) -> List[Dict[str, st
 
             if output_format == OutputFormat.OPENAI_VISION:
                 img_filename = content.get("image", "")
-                encoded_img = DatasetRetriever._encode_image_to_base64(img_filename)
+                encoded_img = DatasetRetriever._read_image_content(img_filename)
                 data["image"] = encoded_img
 
             dataset.append(data)
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ def _load_file_content(file_path: Path) -> List[Dict[str, str]]:
         return contents
 
     @staticmethod
-    def _encode_image_to_base64(filename: str) -> str:
+    def _read_image_content(filename: str) -> str:
         try:
             img = Image.open(filename)
         except:
diff --git a/src/c++/perf_analyzer/genai-perf/genai_perf/llm_inputs/llm_inputs.py b/src/c++/perf_analyzer/genai-perf/genai_perf/llm_inputs/llm_inputs.py
index a02afe2ea..48e8afdde 100644
--- a/src/c++/perf_analyzer/genai-perf/genai_perf/llm_inputs/llm_inputs.py
+++ b/src/c++/perf_analyzer/genai-perf/genai_perf/llm_inputs/llm_inputs.py
@@ -102,12 +102,6 @@ def create_llm_inputs(
         random.seed(random_seed)
 
         if input_type == PromptSource.DATASET:
-            # (TMA-1990) support VLM input from public dataset
-            if output_format == OutputFormat.OPENAI_VISION:
-                raise GenAIPerfException(
-                    f"{OutputFormat.OPENAI_VISION.to_lowercase()} currently "
-                    "does not support dataset as input."
-                )
             dataset = DatasetRetriever.from_url(
                 cls.dataset_url_map[dataset_name], starting_index, length
             )
@@ -169,6 +163,7 @@ def validate_args(
                 PromptSource.DATASET,
             ],
             OutputFormat.RANKINGS: [PromptSource.DATASET, PromptSource.SYNTHETIC],
+            OutputFormat.OPENAI_VISION: [PromptSource.DATASET],
         }
 
         if input_type in unsupported_combinations.get(output_format, []):
diff --git a/src/c++/perf_analyzer/genai-perf/tests/test_llm_inputs.py b/src/c++/perf_analyzer/genai-perf/tests/test_llm_inputs.py
index 68b7a1edf..c3b4d202c 100644
--- a/src/c++/perf_analyzer/genai-perf/tests/test_llm_inputs.py
+++ b/src/c++/perf_analyzer/genai-perf/tests/test_llm_inputs.py
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ def test_get_input_file_with_multiple_prompts(self, mock_file, mock_exists):
 
     @patch("pathlib.Path.exists", return_value=True)
     @patch(
-        "genai_perf.llm_inputs.dataset_retriever.DatasetRetriever._encode_image_to_base64",
+        "genai_perf.llm_inputs.dataset_retriever.DatasetRetriever._read_image_content",
         return_value="data:image/png;base64,...",
     )
     @patch(