diff --git a/libvips/foreign/ppmload.c b/libvips/foreign/ppmload.c
index f4298246..7f16cb65 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/ppmload.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/ppmload.c
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@
  * 	- add ppmload_source
  * 22/11/20
  * 	- fix msb_first default [ewelot]
+ * 26/12/20
+ * 	- don't byteswap ascii formats
+ * 	- set metadata for map loads
+ * 	- byteswap binary loads
  */
 
 /*
@@ -705,7 +709,10 @@ vips_foreign_load_ppm_load( VipsForeignLoad *load )
 		vips_amiMSBfirst() != ppm->msb_first );
 #endif /*DEBUG*/
 
+	/* Don't byteswap the ascii formats.
+	 */
 	if( vips__byteswap_bool( t[0], &t[1],
+			!ppm->ascii &&
                         vips_amiMSBfirst() != ppm->msb_first ) ||
 		vips_image_write( t[1], load->real ) ) 
 		return( -1 );
diff --git a/test/test-suite/test_foreign.py b/test/test-suite/test_foreign.py
index b146c9bd..92104d08 100644
--- a/test/test-suite/test_foreign.py
+++ b/test/test-suite/test_foreign.py
@@ -891,6 +891,20 @@ class TestForeign:
         self.save_load("%s.ppm", self.mono)
         self.save_load("%s.ppm", self.colour)
 
+        self.save_load_file("%s.ppm", "[ascii]", self.mono, 0)
+        self.save_load_file("%s.ppm", "[ascii]", self.colour, 0)
+
+        self.save_load_file("%s.ppm", "[ascii,bitdepth=1]", self.onebit, 0)
+
+        rgb16 = self.colour.colourspace("rgb16")
+        grey16 = self.mono.colourspace("rgb16")
+
+        self.save_load("%s.ppm", grey16)
+        self.save_load("%s.ppm", rgb16)
+
+        self.save_load_file("%s.ppm", "[ascii]", grey16, 0)
+        self.save_load_file("%s.ppm", "[ascii]", rgb16, 0)
+
     @skip_if_no("radload")
     def test_rad(self):
         self.save_load("%s.hdr", self.colour)