diff --git a/cmd/podman/images/build.go b/cmd/podman/images/build.go
index da7f5d8625..04fdeab0aa 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/images/build.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/images/build.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	buildahDefine "github.com/containers/buildah/define"
 	buildahCLI "github.com/containers/buildah/pkg/cli"
 	"github.com/containers/buildah/pkg/parse"
+	"github.com/containers/common/pkg/auth"
 	"github.com/containers/common/pkg/completion"
 	"github.com/containers/common/pkg/config"
 	encconfig "github.com/containers/ocicrypt/config"
@@ -330,6 +331,12 @@ func buildFlagsWrapperToOptions(c *cobra.Command, contextDir string, flags *buil
 		pullPolicy = buildahDefine.PullNever
 	}
 
+	if c.Flag("authfile").Changed {
+		if err := auth.CheckAuthFile(flags.Authfile); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
 	args := make(map[string]string)
 	if c.Flag("build-arg").Changed {
 		for _, arg := range flags.BuildArg {
diff --git a/test/system/070-build.bats b/test/system/070-build.bats
index 2e97c93e0b..5a887c71eb 100644
--- a/test/system/070-build.bats
+++ b/test/system/070-build.bats
@@ -752,6 +752,11 @@ EOF
     run_podman rmi -f build_test
 }
 
+@test "podman build --authfile bogus test" {
+    run_podman 125 build --authfile=/tmp/bogus - <<< "from scratch"
+    is "$output" ".*/tmp/bogus: no such file or directory"
+}
+
 function teardown() {
     # A timeout or other error in 'build' can leave behind stale images
     # that podman can't even see and which will cascade into subsequent