diff --git a/core/common.go b/core/common.go
index 701b38ac..9f4de878 100644
--- a/core/common.go
+++ b/core/common.go
@@ -240,27 +240,34 @@ func buildFindLocalImageOptions(image string) docker.ListImagesOptions {
 }
 
 func buildPullOptions(image string) (docker.PullImageOptions, docker.AuthConfiguration) {
-	tag := "latest"
-	registry := ""
+	repository, tag := docker.ParseRepositoryTag(image)
 
-	parts := strings.Split(image, ":")
-	if len(parts) == 2 {
-		tag = parts[1]
-	}
+	registry := parseRegistry(repository)
 
-	name := parts[0]
-	parts = strings.Split(name, "/")
-	if len(parts) > 2 {
-		registry = parts[0]
+	if tag == "" {
+		tag = "latest"
 	}
 
 	return docker.PullImageOptions{
-		Repository: name,
+		Repository: repository,
 		Registry:   registry,
-		Tag:        tag,
+		Tag:	tag,
 	}, buildAuthConfiguration(registry)
 }
 
+func parseRegistry(repository string) string {
+	parts := strings.Split(repository, "/")
+	if len(parts) < 2 {
+		return ""
+	}
+
+	if strings.ContainsAny(parts[0], ".:") || len(parts) > 2 {
+		return parts[0]
+	}
+
+	return ""
+}
+
 func buildAuthConfiguration(registry string) docker.AuthConfiguration {
 	var auth docker.AuthConfiguration
 	if dockercfg == nil {
diff --git a/core/common_test.go b/core/common_test.go
index dc0cae55..d7430e5b 100644
--- a/core/common_test.go
+++ b/core/common_test.go
@@ -316,3 +316,10 @@ func (*TestLogger) Debugf(format string, args ...interface{})    {}
 func (*TestLogger) Errorf(format string, args ...interface{})    {}
 func (*TestLogger) Noticef(format string, args ...interface{})   {}
 func (*TestLogger) Warningf(format string, args ...interface{})  {}
+
+func (s *SuiteCommon) TestParseRegistry(c *C) {
+	c.Assert(parseRegistry("example.com:port/dir/image"), Equals, "example.com:port")
+	c.Assert(parseRegistry("example.com:port/image"), Equals, "example.com:port")
+	c.Assert(parseRegistry("dir/image"), Equals, "")
+	c.Assert(parseRegistry("image"), Equals, "")
+}