diff --git a/cmd/podman/commit.go b/cmd/podman/commit.go
index 604e8d31c0..b4d249c669 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/commit.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/commit.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/containers/libpod/cmd/podman/cliconfig"
 	"github.com/containers/libpod/pkg/adapter"
-	"github.com/containers/libpod/pkg/util"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
@@ -65,17 +64,6 @@ func commitCmd(c *cliconfig.CommitValues) error {
 	if len(args) > 1 {
 		reference = args[1]
 	}
-	if c.Flag("change").Changed {
-		for _, change := range c.Change {
-			splitChange := strings.Split(strings.ToUpper(change), "=")
-			if len(splitChange) == 1 {
-				splitChange = strings.Split(strings.ToUpper(change), " ")
-			}
-			if !util.StringInSlice(splitChange[0], ChangeCmds) {
-				return errors.Errorf("invalid syntax for --change: %s", change)
-			}
-		}
-	}
 
 	iid, err := runtime.Commit(getContext(), c, container, reference)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/test/e2e/commit_test.go b/test/e2e/commit_test.go
index e9d2746494..d4503d5a83 100644
--- a/test/e2e/commit_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/commit_test.go
@@ -115,6 +115,25 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman commit", func() {
 		Expect(foundBlue).To(Equal(true))
 	})
 
+	It("podman commit container with change flag and JSON entrypoint with =", func() {
+		test := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"run", "--name", "test1", "-d", ALPINE, "ls"})
+		test.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(test.ExitCode()).To(Equal(0))
+		Expect(podmanTest.NumberOfContainers()).To(Equal(1))
+
+		session := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"commit", "--change", `ENTRYPOINT ["foo", "bar=baz"]`, "test1", "foobar.com/test1-image:latest"})
+		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(session.ExitCode()).To(Equal(0))
+
+		check := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"inspect", "foobar.com/test1-image:latest"})
+		check.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		data := check.InspectImageJSON()
+		Expect(len(data)).To(Equal(1))
+		Expect(len(data[0].Config.Entrypoint)).To(Equal(2))
+		Expect(data[0].Config.Entrypoint[0]).To(Equal("foo"))
+		Expect(data[0].Config.Entrypoint[1]).To(Equal("bar=baz"))
+	})
+
 	It("podman commit container with change CMD flag", func() {
 		test := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"run", "--name", "test1", "-d", ALPINE, "ls"})
 		test.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()