diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index f99ea94c..5ec6841d 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ ci:
   autoupdate_schedule: quarterly
 repos:
   - repo: https://github.com/astral-sh/ruff-pre-commit
-    rev: "v0.6.8"
+    rev: "v0.6.9"
     hooks:
       - id: ruff
         args: [--fix, --exit-non-zero-on-fix]
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 492f2c85..c850e576 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ All notable changes to this library are documented in this file.
 
 - Discontinue raw SPS product text within the database.
 - Ensure raw text products into `WMOProduct` end with a line feed.
+- Stop postprocessing the `MapPlot` figure into 8bit colorspace.
 
 ### New Features
 
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ generating plots of HRRR ptype.
 
 - Accomodate ancient LSRs using `TRACE` as the magnitude field.
 - Ensure geometries going into masking helper are CCW, to mask outside of.
+- Properly check USDM service response prior to parsing it.
 
 ## **1.21.0** (6 Sep 2024)
 
diff --git a/src/pyiem/plot/geoplot.py b/src/pyiem/plot/geoplot.py
index faacae95..4c5e734a 100644
--- a/src/pyiem/plot/geoplot.py
+++ b/src/pyiem/plot/geoplot.py
@@ -296,8 +296,9 @@ def draw_usdm(self, valid=None, filled=True, hatched=False, **kwargs):
             valid = valid.strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
         url = f"http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/geojson/usdm.py?date={valid}"
         try:
-            req = requests.get(url, timeout=30)
-            df = gpd.GeoDataFrame().from_features(req.json())
+            resp = requests.get(url, timeout=30)
+            resp.raise_for_status()
+            df = gpd.GeoDataFrame().from_features(resp.json())
         except Exception as exp:
             warnings.warn(
                 f"draw_usdm IEM USDM Webservice failed: {exp}", stacklevel=1
@@ -1357,31 +1358,19 @@ def postprocess(self, **kwargs):
         """
         with BytesIO() as ram:
             self.fig.savefig(ram, format="png")
-            ram.seek(0)
-            im = Image.open(ram)
-            im2 = im.convert("RGB").convert(
-                "P", palette=Image.Palette.ADAPTIVE
+            imgdata = ram.getvalue()
+        if kwargs.get("memcache") and kwargs.get("memcachekey"):
+            kwargs["memcache"].set(
+                kwargs["memcachekey"],
+                imgdata,
+                time=kwargs.get("memcacheexpire", 300),
             )
-            im.close()
-            if kwargs.get("memcache") and kwargs.get("memcachekey"):
-                ram = BytesIO()
-                im2.save(ram, format="png")
-                ram.seek(0)
-                r = ram.read()
-                kwargs["memcache"].set(
-                    kwargs["memcachekey"],
-                    r,
-                    time=kwargs.get("memcacheexpire", 300),
-                )
         if kwargs.get("web", False):
             ssw("Content-Type: image/png\n\n")
-            im2.save(getattr(sys.stdout, "buffer", sys.stdout), format="png")
-            im2.close()
+            sys.stdout.buffer.write(imgdata)
             return
-        tmpfd = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(delete=False)
-        im2.save(tmpfd, format="PNG")
-        im2.close()
-        tmpfd.close()
+        with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(delete=False) as tmpfd:
+            tmpfd.write(imgdata)
         if kwargs.get("pqstr") is not None:
             subprocess.call(["pqinsert", "-p", kwargs["pqstr"], tmpfd.name])
         if kwargs.get("filename") is not None:
diff --git a/tests/plot/test_geoplot.py b/tests/plot/test_geoplot.py
index 79919175..e2a1fd2b 100644
--- a/tests/plot/test_geoplot.py
+++ b/tests/plot/test_geoplot.py
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@
 def test_exercise_usdm():
     """Test the various checks in the usdm method."""
     mp = MapPlot()
-    mp.draw_usdm()
+    with pytest.warns(UserWarning) as _:
+        mp.draw_usdm()
     mp.draw_usdm(utc())
     with pytest.warns(UserWarning) as _:
         assert mp.draw_usdm("qqq") is None