diff --git a/src/openpi/shared/image_tools.py b/src/openpi/shared/image_tools.py
index 8cde353520..fec2226bb3 100644
--- a/src/openpi/shared/image_tools.py
+++ b/src/openpi/shared/image_tools.py
@@ -70,16 +70,21 @@ def resize_with_pad_torch(
     Returns:
         Resized and padded tensor with same shape format as input
     """
+    # Track whether a batch dimension has to be added so the original rank can be
+    # restored on return, matching the JAX resize_with_pad which preserves the
+    # input rank even for a single-image batch (issue #805).
+    added_batch_dim = images.dim() == 3
+
     # Check if input is in channels-last format [*b, h, w, c] or channels-first [*b, c, h, w]
     if images.shape[-1] <= 4:  # Assume channels-last format
         channels_last = True
         # Convert to channels-first for torch operations
-        if images.dim() == 3:
+        if added_batch_dim:
             images = images.unsqueeze(0)  # Add batch dimension
         images = images.permute(0, 3, 1, 2)  # [b, h, w, c] -> [b, c, h, w]
     else:
         channels_last = False
-        if images.dim() == 3:
+        if added_batch_dim:
             images = images.unsqueeze(0)  # Add batch dimension
 
     batch_size, channels, cur_height, cur_width = images.shape
@@ -120,7 +125,10 @@ def resize_with_pad_torch(
     # Convert back to original format if needed
     if channels_last:
         padded_images = padded_images.permute(0, 2, 3, 1)  # [b, c, h, w] -> [b, h, w, c]
-        if batch_size == 1 and images.shape[0] == 1:
-            padded_images = padded_images.squeeze(0)  # Remove batch dimension if it was added
+
+    # Only drop the batch dimension we added ourselves, so a genuine size-1 batch
+    # is preserved (matches the JAX resize_with_pad).
+    if added_batch_dim:
+        padded_images = padded_images.squeeze(0)
 
     return padded_images
diff --git a/src/openpi/shared/image_tools_test.py b/src/openpi/shared/image_tools_test.py
index c19bee2ed1..4b2c8b080a 100644
--- a/src/openpi/shared/image_tools_test.py
+++ b/src/openpi/shared/image_tools_test.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import jax.numpy as jnp
+import torch
 
 from openpi.shared import image_tools
 
@@ -35,3 +36,17 @@ def test_resize_with_pad_shapes():
     resized_images = image_tools.resize_with_pad(images, height, width)
     assert resized_images.shape == (1, height, width, 3)
     assert jnp.all(resized_images == 0)
+
+
+def test_resize_with_pad_torch_preserves_batch_dim():
+    # Regression test for #805: resize_with_pad_torch must preserve the input
+    # rank, matching the JAX resize_with_pad. A channels-last batch of size 1
+    # (4D) must stay 4D and not be squeezed down to a single 3D image.
+    images = torch.zeros((1, 480, 640, 3), dtype=torch.float32)
+    resized = image_tools.resize_with_pad_torch(images, 224, 224)
+    assert tuple(resized.shape) == (1, 224, 224, 3)
+
+    # A genuinely unbatched 3D image still returns unbatched.
+    single = torch.zeros((480, 640, 3), dtype=torch.float32)
+    resized_single = image_tools.resize_with_pad_torch(single, 224, 224)
+    assert tuple(resized_single.shape) == (224, 224, 3)