diff --git a/pkg/api/handlers/compat/images_build.go b/pkg/api/handlers/compat/images_build.go
index 556cab49fb..2c300e492b 100644
--- a/pkg/api/handlers/compat/images_build.go
+++ b/pkg/api/handlers/compat/images_build.go
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ func BuildImage(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		OSVersion               string   `schema:"osversion"`
 		OutputFormat            string   `schema:"outputformat"`
 		Platform                []string `schema:"platform"`
-		Pull                    bool     `schema:"pull"`
+		Pull                    string   `schema:"pull"`
 		PullPolicy              string   `schema:"pullpolicy"`
 		Quiet                   bool     `schema:"q"`
 		Registry                string   `schema:"registry"`
@@ -578,8 +578,19 @@ func BuildImage(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		pullPolicy = buildahDefine.PolicyMap[query.PullPolicy]
 	} else {
 		if _, found := r.URL.Query()["pull"]; found {
-			if query.Pull {
+			switch strings.ToLower(query.Pull) {
+			case "false":
+				pullPolicy = buildahDefine.PullIfMissing
+			case "true":
 				pullPolicy = buildahDefine.PullAlways
+			default:
+				policyFromMap, foundPolicy := buildahDefine.PolicyMap[query.Pull]
+				if foundPolicy {
+					pullPolicy = policyFromMap
+				} else {
+					utils.BadRequest(w, "pull", query.Pull, fmt.Errorf("invalid pull policy: %q", query.Pull))
+					return
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/api/server/register_images.go b/pkg/api/server/register_images.go
index 318b1f1c70..7adfdd47f6 100644
--- a/pkg/api/server/register_images.go
+++ b/pkg/api/server/register_images.go
@@ -546,8 +546,8 @@ func (s *APIServer) registerImagesHandlers(r *mux.Router) error {
 	//      (As of version 1.xx)
 	//  - in: query
 	//    name: pull
-	//    type: boolean
-	//    default: false
+	//    type: string
+	//    default:
 	//    description: |
 	//      Attempt to pull the image even if an older image exists locally
 	//      (As of version 1.xx)
@@ -1453,8 +1453,8 @@ func (s *APIServer) registerImagesHandlers(r *mux.Router) error {
 	//      (As of version 1.xx)
 	//  - in: query
 	//    name: pull
-	//    type: boolean
-	//    default: false
+	//    type: string
+	//    default:
 	//    description: |
 	//      Attempt to pull the image even if an older image exists locally
 	//      (As of version 1.xx)
diff --git a/test/apiv2/10-images.at b/test/apiv2/10-images.at
index 3f6053d64c..347b126ef2 100644
--- a/test/apiv2/10-images.at
+++ b/test/apiv2/10-images.at
@@ -226,6 +226,11 @@ t POST "build?dockerfile=containerfile" $CONTAINERFILE_TAR application/json 200
 response_headers=$(cat "$WORKDIR/curl.headers.out")
 like "$response_headers" ".*application/json.*" "header does not contain application/json"
 
+# Build api response header must contain Content-type: application/json
+t POST "build?dockerfile=containerfile&pull=never" $CONTAINERFILE_TAR application/json 200
+response_headers=$(cat "$WORKDIR/curl.headers.out")
+like "$response_headers" ".*application/json.*" "header does not contain application/json"
+
 # PR #12091: output from compat API must now include {"aux":{"ID":"sha..."}}
 t POST "build?dockerfile=containerfile" $CONTAINERFILE_TAR 200 \
   '.aux|select(has("ID")).ID~^sha256:[0-9a-f]\{64\}$'