diff --git a/cmd/buildah/rmi.go b/cmd/buildah/rmi.go
index c66015670d5..796d6766661 100644
--- a/cmd/buildah/rmi.go
+++ b/cmd/buildah/rmi.go
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@ package main
 import (
 	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
+	"github.com/containers/image/storage"
+	"github.com/containers/image/transports"
+	"github.com/containers/image/transports/alltransports"
+	"github.com/containers/image/types"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
 )
 
@@ -20,7 +25,7 @@ var (
 func rmiCmd(c *cli.Context) error {
 	args := c.Args()
 	if len(args) == 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("image ID must be specified")
+		return fmt.Errorf("image name or ID must be specified")
 	}
 
 	store, err := getStore(c)
@@ -29,7 +34,64 @@ func rmiCmd(c *cli.Context) error {
 	}
 
 	for _, id := range args {
-		_, err := store.DeleteImage(id, true)
+		// If it's an exact name or ID match with the underlying
+		// storage library's information about the image, then it's
+		// enough.
+		_, err = store.DeleteImage(id, true)
+		if err != nil {
+			var ref types.ImageReference
+			// If it's looks like a proper image reference, parse
+			// it and check if it corresponds to an image that
+			// actually exists.
+			if ref2, err2 := alltransports.ParseImageName(id); err2 == nil {
+				if img, err2 := ref2.NewImage(nil); err2 == nil {
+					img.Close()
+					ref = ref2
+				} else {
+					logrus.Debugf("error confirming presence of image %q: %v", transports.ImageName(ref2), err2)
+				}
+			} else {
+				logrus.Debugf("error parsing %q as an image reference: %v", id, err2)
+			}
+			if ref == nil {
+				// If it's looks like an image reference that's
+				// relative to our storage, parse it and check
+				// if it corresponds to an image that actually
+				// exists.
+				if ref2, err2 := storage.Transport.ParseStoreReference(store, id); err2 == nil {
+					if img, err2 := ref2.NewImage(nil); err2 == nil {
+						img.Close()
+						ref = ref2
+					} else {
+						logrus.Debugf("error confirming presence of image %q: %v", transports.ImageName(ref2), err2)
+					}
+				} else {
+					logrus.Debugf("error parsing %q as a store reference: %v", id, err2)
+				}
+			}
+			if ref == nil {
+				// If it might be an ID that's relative to our
+				// storage, parse it and check if it
+				// corresponds to an image that actually
+				// exists.  This _should_ be redundant, since
+				// we already tried deleting the image using
+				// the ID directly above, but it can't hurt,
+				// either.
+				if ref2, err2 := storage.Transport.ParseStoreReference(store, "@"+id); err2 == nil {
+					if img, err2 := ref2.NewImage(nil); err2 == nil {
+						img.Close()
+						ref = ref2
+					} else {
+						logrus.Debugf("error confirming presence of image %q: %v", transports.ImageName(ref2), err2)
+					}
+				} else {
+					logrus.Debugf("error parsing %q as an image reference: %v", "@"+id, err2)
+				}
+			}
+			if ref != nil {
+				err = ref.DeleteImage(nil)
+			}
+		}
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("error removing image %q: %v", id, err)
 		}
diff --git a/tests/basic.bats b/tests/basic.bats
index a32d2a629b3..7b0534fc2ce 100644
--- a/tests/basic.bats
+++ b/tests/basic.bats
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ load helpers
   [ "$status" -eq 1 ]
   buildah commit --signature-policy ${TESTSDIR}/policy.json $newcid containers-storage:another-new-image
   buildah commit --signature-policy ${TESTSDIR}/policy.json $newcid yet-another-new-image
+  buildah commit --signature-policy ${TESTSDIR}/policy.json $newcid containers-storage:gratuitous-new-image
   buildah unmount $newcid
   buildah rm $newcid
 
@@ -92,5 +93,16 @@ load helpers
   cmp ${TESTDIR}/randomfile $yetanothernewroot/randomfile
   test -s $yetanothernewroot/other-randomfile
   cmp ${TESTDIR}/other-randomfile $yetanothernewroot/other-randomfile
-  buildah rm $yetanothernewcid
+  buildah delete $yetanothernewcid
+
+  buildah rmi containers-storage:other-new-image
+  buildah rmi another-new-image
+  run buildah --debug=false images -q
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+  [ "$output" != "" ]
+  for id in $output ; do
+    buildah rmi $id
+  done
+  run buildah --debug=false images -q
+  [ "$output" == "" ]
 }