diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2c0b3818..da768655 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ## Unreleased
 
 * config: Support for sysctl configuration [[GH-82](https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad-driver-podman/issues/82)]
+* config: Fixed a bug where we always pulled an image if image name has a transport prefix [[GH-88](https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad-driver-podman/pull/88)]
 
 ## 0.2.0
 
diff --git a/driver.go b/driver.go
index 405f0b16..a49534a6 100644
--- a/driver.go
+++ b/driver.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/plugins/shared/hclspec"
 	pstructs "github.com/hashicorp/nomad/plugins/shared/structs"
 
+	dockerref "github.com/docker/distribution/reference"
 	shelpers "github.com/hashicorp/nomad/helper/stats"
 	spec "github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec/specs-go"
 )
@@ -472,15 +473,24 @@ func (d *Driver) StartTask(cfg *drivers.TaskConfig) (*drivers.TaskHandle, *drive
 		// FIXME: there are more variations of image sources, we should handle it
 		//        e.g. oci-archive:/... etc
 		//        see also https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad-driver-podman/issues/69
+
+		imageName, tag, err := parseImage(createOpts.Image)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to start task, unable to parse image reference %s: %v", createOpts.Image, err)
+		}
+
 		// do we already have this image in local storage?
-		haveImage, err := d.podman.ImageExists(d.ctx, createOpts.Image)
+		haveImage, err := d.podman.ImageExists(d.ctx, fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", imageName, tag))
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to start task, unable to check for local image: %v", err)
+			d.logger.Warn("Unable to check for local image", "image", imageName, "err", err)
+			// do NOT fail this operation, instead try to pull the image
+			haveImage = false
 		}
 		if !haveImage {
+			d.logger.Debug("Pull image", "image", imageName)
 			// image is not in local storage, so we need to pull it
-			if err = d.podman.ImagePull(d.ctx, createOpts.Image); err != nil {
-				return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to start task, unable to pull image %s: %v", createOpts.Image, err)
+			if err = d.podman.ImagePull(d.ctx, imageName); err != nil {
+				return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to start task, unable to pull image %s: %v", imageName, err)
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -583,6 +593,36 @@ func memoryInBytes(strmem string) (int64, error) {
 	}
 }
 
+func parseImage(image string) (string, string, error) {
+	// strip http/https and docker transport prefix
+	for _, prefix := range []string{"http://", "https://", "docker://"} {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(image, prefix) {
+			image = strings.Replace(image, prefix, "", 1)
+		}
+	}
+
+	named, err := dockerref.ParseNormalizedNamed(image)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", "", nil
+	}
+
+	var tag, digest string
+
+	tagged, ok := named.(dockerref.Tagged)
+	if ok {
+		tag = tagged.Tag()
+	}
+
+	digested, ok := named.(dockerref.Digested)
+	if ok {
+		digest = digested.Digest().String()
+	}
+	if len(tag) == 0 && len(digest) == 0 {
+		tag = "latest"
+	}
+	return named.Name(), tag, nil
+}
+
 // WaitTask function is expected to return a channel that will send an *ExitResult when the task
 // exits or close the channel when the context is canceled. It is also expected that calling
 // WaitTask on an exited task will immediately send an *ExitResult on the returned channel.
diff --git a/driver_test.go b/driver_test.go
index a35e8ed2..47c53ccd 100644
--- a/driver_test.go
+++ b/driver_test.go
@@ -1341,6 +1341,38 @@ func TestPodmanDriver_Sysctl(t *testing.T) {
 
 }
 
+func Test_parseImage(t *testing.T) {
+	if !tu.IsCI() {
+		t.Parallel()
+	}
+
+	testCases := []struct {
+		Input string
+		Repo  string
+		Tag   string
+	}{
+		{Input: "quay.io/prometheus/busybox:glibc", Repo: "quay.io/prometheus/busybox", Tag: "glibc"},
+		{Input: "root", Repo: "docker.io/library/root", Tag: "latest"},
+		{Input: "root:tag", Repo: "docker.io/library/root", Tag: "tag"},
+		{Input: "docker://root", Repo: "docker.io/library/root", Tag: "latest"},
+		{Input: "user/repo", Repo: "docker.io/user/repo", Tag: "latest"},
+		{Input: "https://busybox", Repo: "docker.io/library/busybox", Tag: "latest"},
+		{Input: "user/repo:tag", Repo: "docker.io/user/repo", Tag: "tag"},
+		{Input: "url:5000/repo", Repo: "url:5000/repo", Tag: "latest"},
+		{Input: "http://busybox", Repo: "docker.io/library/busybox", Tag: "latest"},
+		{Input: "url:5000/repo:tag", Repo: "url:5000/repo", Tag: "tag"},
+		{Input: "https://quay.io/busybox", Repo: "quay.io/busybox", Tag: "latest"},
+	}
+	for _, testCase := range testCases {
+		repo, tag, err := parseImage(testCase.Input)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("parseImage(%s) failed: %v", testCase.Input, err)
+		} else if repo != testCase.Repo || tag != testCase.Tag {
+			t.Errorf("Expected repo: %q, tag: %q, but got %q and %q", testCase.Repo, testCase.Tag, repo, tag)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // read a tasks logfile into a string, fail on error
 func readLogfile(t *testing.T, task *drivers.TaskConfig) string {
 	logfile := filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(task.StdoutPath), fmt.Sprintf("%s.stdout.0", task.Name))
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index aa7a0c74..f7ac34a1 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ require (
 	github.com/StackExchange/wmi v0.0.0-20190523213315-cbe66965904d // indirect
 	github.com/container-storage-interface/spec v1.2.0 // indirect
 	github.com/containernetworking/plugins v0.8.5 // indirect
+	github.com/distribution/distribution v2.7.1+incompatible // indirect
+	github.com/docker/distribution v2.7.1+incompatible
 	github.com/docker/go-metrics v0.0.1 // indirect
 	github.com/go-ole/go-ole v1.2.4 // indirect
 	github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.0 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index c76bd55c..dd6707e5 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -222,6 +222,8 @@ github.com/digitalocean/godo v1.10.0 h1:uW1/FcvZE/hoixnJcnlmIUvTVNdZCLjRLzmDtRi1
 github.com/digitalocean/godo v1.10.0/go.mod h1:h6faOIcZ8lWIwNQ+DN7b3CgX4Kwby5T+nbpNqkUIozU=
 github.com/dimchansky/utfbom v1.1.0 h1:FcM3g+nofKgUteL8dm/UpdRXNC9KmADgTpLKsu0TRo4=
 github.com/dimchansky/utfbom v1.1.0/go.mod h1:rO41eb7gLfo8SF1jd9F8HplJm1Fewwi4mQvIirEdv+8=
+github.com/distribution/distribution v2.7.1+incompatible h1:aGFx4EvJWKEh//lHPLwFhFgwFHKH06TzNVPamrMn04M=
+github.com/distribution/distribution v2.7.1+incompatible/go.mod h1:EgLm2NgWtdKgzF9NpMzUKgzmR7AMmb0VQi2B+ZzDRjc=
 github.com/dnaeon/go-vcr v1.0.1/go.mod h1:aBB1+wY4s93YsC3HHjMBMrwTj2R9FHDzUr9KyGc8n1E=
 github.com/docker/cli v0.0.0-20200303215952-eb310fca4956 h1:5/ZRsUbguX7xFNLlbxVQY/yhD3Psy+vylKZrNme5BJs=
 github.com/docker/cli v0.0.0-20200303215952-eb310fca4956/go.mod h1:JLrzqnKDaYBop7H2jaqPtU4hHvMKP+vjCwu2uszcLI8=
diff --git a/tools/go.mod b/tools/go.mod
index 7230d334..0680bcc2 100644
--- a/tools/go.mod
+++ b/tools/go.mod
@@ -5,6 +5,6 @@ go 1.14
 require (
 	github.com/client9/misspell v0.3.4
 	github.com/golangci/golangci-lint v1.24.0
-	github.com/hashicorp/go-hclog/hclogvet v0.1.4-0.20201116205511-59fbd7b93270
-	gotest.tools/gotestsum v0.6.0
+	github.com/hashicorp/go-hclog/hclogvet v0.1.4-0.20210108181059-a2184e57a2d4
+	gotest.tools/gotestsum v1.6.1
 )
diff --git a/tools/go.sum b/tools/go.sum
index c2381544..7a8eaf80 100644
--- a/tools/go.sum
+++ b/tools/go.sum
@@ -132,6 +132,8 @@ github.com/grpc-ecosystem/go-grpc-prometheus v1.2.0/go.mod h1:8NvIoxWQoOIhqOTXgf
 github.com/grpc-ecosystem/grpc-gateway v1.9.0/go.mod h1:vNeuVxBJEsws4ogUvrchl83t/GYV9WGTSLVdBhOQFDY=
 github.com/hashicorp/go-hclog/hclogvet v0.1.4-0.20201116205511-59fbd7b93270 h1:sf11XTIhELLKzn/M8CLKYp1RhH4cSBzRPOMg4Tv4CUA=
 github.com/hashicorp/go-hclog/hclogvet v0.1.4-0.20201116205511-59fbd7b93270/go.mod h1:f0uAs1kAopX4JXFgR4kMixWftM8qLha6edaFVawdNtg=
+github.com/hashicorp/go-hclog/hclogvet v0.1.4-0.20210108181059-a2184e57a2d4 h1:enjElMLR8g18mbWLgwkgoz5+V4hAsX8uniIJoLKnbd0=
+github.com/hashicorp/go-hclog/hclogvet v0.1.4-0.20210108181059-a2184e57a2d4/go.mod h1:f0uAs1kAopX4JXFgR4kMixWftM8qLha6edaFVawdNtg=
 github.com/hashicorp/hcl v1.0.0 h1:0Anlzjpi4vEasTeNFn2mLJgTSwt0+6sfsiTG8qcWGx4=
 github.com/hashicorp/hcl v1.0.0/go.mod h1:E5yfLk+7swimpb2L/Alb/PJmXilQ/rhwaUYs4T20WEQ=
 github.com/hpcloud/tail v1.0.0 h1:nfCOvKYfkgYP8hkirhJocXT2+zOD8yUNjXaWfTlyFKI=
@@ -395,6 +397,8 @@ gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.2.7 h1:VUgggvou5XRW9mHwD/yXxIYSMtY0zoKQf/v226p2nyo=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.2.7/go.mod h1:hI93XBmqTisBFMUTm0b8Fm+jr3Dg1NNxqwp+5A1VGuI=
 gotest.tools/gotestsum v0.6.0 h1:0zIxynXq9gkAcRpboAi3qOQIkZkCt/stfQzd7ab7Czs=
 gotest.tools/gotestsum v0.6.0/go.mod h1:LEX+ioCVdeWhZc8GYfiBRag360eBhwixWJ62R9eDQtI=
+gotest.tools/gotestsum v1.6.1 h1:stfd/+B+OaI9CEKHP6uiSNYhmMwT6RnzMp8LyDjnYYQ=
+gotest.tools/gotestsum v1.6.1/go.mod h1:LEX+ioCVdeWhZc8GYfiBRag360eBhwixWJ62R9eDQtI=
 gotest.tools/v3 v3.0.3 h1:4AuOwCGf4lLR9u3YOe2awrHygurzhO/HeQ6laiA6Sx0=
 gotest.tools/v3 v3.0.3/go.mod h1:Z7Lb0S5l+klDB31fvDQX8ss/FlKDxtlFlw3Oa8Ymbl8=
 honnef.co/go/tools v0.0.0-20190102054323-c2f93a96b099/go.mod h1:rf3lG4BRIbNafJWhAfAdb/ePZxsR/4RtNHQocxwk9r4=