diff --git a/tests/test_dpo_trainer.py b/tests/test_dpo_trainer.py
index 49282e0bac..18b3855fe7 100644
--- a/tests/test_dpo_trainer.py
+++ b/tests/test_dpo_trainer.py
@@ -1546,6 +1546,87 @@ def test_vdpo_trainer(self, model_id):
                     continue
                 self.assertFalse(torch.allclose(param, new_param, rtol=1e-12, atol=1e-12), f"Param {n} is not updated")
 
+    def test_dpo_trainer_gemma3_vision_model_detection(self):
+        """CPU-only check that Gemma 3 routes via vision path and preserves pixel tensors."""
+
+        # Minimal Gemma 3-like model
+        class _MinimalConfig:
+            def __init__(self):
+                self.model_type = "gemma3"
+                self.is_encoder_decoder = False
+                self._name_or_path = "dummy"
+
+        class _MinimalModel(torch.nn.Module):
+            def __init__(self):
+                super().__init__()
+                self.config = _MinimalConfig()
+                self.warnings_issued = {}
+
+        model = _MinimalModel()
+
+        # Mock tokenizer with required token IDs to avoid external dependencies
+        mock_tokenizer = MagicMock()
+        mock_tokenizer.pad_token_id = 0
+        mock_tokenizer.eos_token_id = 1
+        mock_tokenizer.bos_token_id = 2
+
+        def _tok_call(text, add_special_tokens=False):
+            return {"input_ids": [11, 22]}
+
+        mock_tokenizer.side_effect = _tok_call
+
+        # Mock processor that returns pixel_values to simulate vision processing
+        processor = MagicMock()
+        processor.tokenizer = mock_tokenizer
+        # Ensure DPOTrainer reads an integer pad_token_id
+        processor.pad_token_id = 0
+
+        def _proc_call(images=None, text=None, add_special_tokens=False):
+            return {
+                "input_ids": [[101, 102]],
+                "pixel_values": [np.zeros((3, 8, 8), dtype=np.float32)],
+            }
+
+        processor.side_effect = _proc_call
+
+        # Tiny dataset with one 16x16 image
+        img = Image.fromarray(np.zeros((16, 16, 3), dtype=np.uint8))
+        ds = Dataset.from_list(
+            [
+                {
+                    "prompt": "Describe the image.",
+                    "chosen": "Black square.",
+                    "rejected": "White circle.",
+                    "images": [img],
+                }
+            ]
+        )
+        # Test-optimized config to avoid multiprocessing and reference model creation
+        args = DPOConfig(
+            output_dir=self.tmp_dir,
+            dataset_num_proc=1,
+            precompute_ref_log_probs=True,
+            gradient_checkpointing=False,
+            report_to="none",
+        )
+
+        trainer = DPOTrainer(model=model, args=args, processing_class=processor, train_dataset=ds)
+
+        # 1) Model detected as vision-text
+        self.assertTrue(trainer.is_vision_model, "Expected Gemma 3 to be detected as vision-text model")
+
+        # 2) Dataset processed via process_row (pixel_values present)
+        row = trainer.train_dataset[0]
+        self.assertIn("pixel_values", row, "process_row did not add pixel_values")
+
+        # 3) Signature columns include vision fields
+        trainer._set_signature_columns_if_needed()
+        self.assertIn("pixel_values", trainer._signature_columns)
+
+        # 4) Collator preserves pixel tensors
+        batch = trainer.data_collator([row])
+        self.assertIn("pixel_values", batch, "pixel_values missing in collated batch")
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/trl/trainer/dpo_trainer.py b/trl/trainer/dpo_trainer.py
index 2cacb26e3f..3892bddd26 100644
--- a/trl/trainer/dpo_trainer.py
+++ b/trl/trainer/dpo_trainer.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
     is_mlflow_available,
     is_wandb_available,
 )
-from transformers.models.auto.modeling_auto import MODEL_FOR_VISION_2_SEQ_MAPPING_NAMES
+from transformers.models.auto.modeling_auto import MODEL_FOR_IMAGE_TEXT_TO_TEXT_MAPPING_NAMES
 from transformers.trainer_callback import TrainerCallback
 from transformers.trainer_utils import EvalLoopOutput
 from transformers.utils import is_liger_kernel_available, is_peft_available
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ def __init__(
             )
 
         self.is_encoder_decoder = model.config.is_encoder_decoder
-        self.is_vision_model = model.config.model_type in MODEL_FOR_VISION_2_SEQ_MAPPING_NAMES.keys()
+        self.is_vision_model = model.config.model_type in MODEL_FOR_IMAGE_TEXT_TO_TEXT_MAPPING_NAMES
         self.is_peft_model = is_peft_available() and isinstance(model, PeftModel)
         self.model_adapter_name = args.model_adapter_name
         self.ref_adapter_name = args.ref_adapter_name
@@ -788,6 +788,8 @@ def _set_signature_columns_if_needed(self):
                 "prompt_input_ids",
                 "chosen_input_ids",
                 "rejected_input_ids",
+                "pixel_values",
+                "pixel_attention_mask",
                 "image_sizes",
                 "ref_chosen_logps",
                 "ref_rejected_logps",