The command specified in /usr/share/applications/geeqie.desktop is 'geeqie -r %F'. The remote mode (-r) doesn't accept a simple filename, so the command has to be changed either in 'geeqie %F' or in 'geeqie -r view:%F'. Remote mode also accepts 'file:%F', but this works only if there's another geeqie window open, otherwise it hangs in the background until another geeqie instance is opened, then all hung images will display together.
I think the best option is removing '-r' entirely: remote mode detaches the image from the interface, doesn't show the toolbox/directory structure and maximizes the window. This is very different from default behavior.

This problem is easily reproducible by opening an image with geeqie through a filemanager like thunar.