diff --git a/extensions/container-image/container-image-jib/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/container/image/jib/deployment/JibProcessor.java b/extensions/container-image/container-image-jib/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/container/image/jib/deployment/JibProcessor.java
index b2a716c6a2dd8d..989a4026e6306d 100644
--- a/extensions/container-image/container-image-jib/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/container/image/jib/deployment/JibProcessor.java
+++ b/extensions/container-image/container-image-jib/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/container/image/jib/deployment/JibProcessor.java
@@ -335,7 +335,13 @@ private RegistryImage toRegistryImage(ImageReference imageReference, Optional<St
             registryImage.addCredentialRetriever(credentialRetrieverFactory.dockerConfig());
             String dockerConfigEnv = System.getenv().get("DOCKER_CONFIG");
             if (dockerConfigEnv != null) {
-                registryImage.addCredentialRetriever(credentialRetrieverFactory.dockerConfig(Path.of(dockerConfigEnv)));
+                Path dockerConfigPath = Path.of(dockerConfigEnv);
+                if (Files.isDirectory(dockerConfigPath)) {
+                    // this matches jib's behaviour,
+                    // see https://github.com/GoogleContainerTools/jib/blob/master/jib-maven-plugin/README.md#authentication-methods
+                    dockerConfigPath = dockerConfigPath.resolve("config.json");
+                }
+                registryImage.addCredentialRetriever(credentialRetrieverFactory.dockerConfig(dockerConfigPath));
             }
         }
         return registryImage;
@@ -804,4 +810,4 @@ public boolean test(Path path) {
             return path.getFileName().toString().endsWith(".class");
         }
     }
-}
+}
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