diff --git a/cmd/cosign/cli/sign/sign.go b/cmd/cosign/cli/sign/sign.go
index 2eef8b90e88..45607cf0eb8 100644
--- a/cmd/cosign/cli/sign/sign.go
+++ b/cmd/cosign/cli/sign/sign.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/pem"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
@@ -106,6 +107,21 @@ func GetAttachedImageRef(ref name.Reference, attachment string, opts ...ociremot
 	return nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown attachment type %s", attachment)
 }
 
+// ParseOCIReference parses a string reference to an OCI image into a reference, warning if the reference did not include a digest.
+func ParseOCIReference(refStr string, out io.Writer) (name.Reference, error) {
+	ref, err := name.ParseReference(refStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("parsing reference: %w", err)
+	}
+	if _, ok := ref.(name.Digest); !ok {
+		msg := fmt.Sprintf(TagReferenceMessage, refStr)
+		if _, err := io.WriteString(out, msg); err != nil {
+			panic("cannot write")
+		}
+	}
+	return ref, nil
+}
+
 // nolint
 func SignCmd(ro *options.RootOptions, ko options.KeyOpts, regOpts options.RegistryOptions, annotations map[string]interface{},
 	imgs []string, certPath string, certChainPath string, upload bool, outputSignature, outputCertificate string,
@@ -145,24 +161,20 @@ func SignCmd(ro *options.RootOptions, ko options.KeyOpts, regOpts options.Regist
 		ErrDone = mutate.ErrSkipChildren
 	}
 
+	opts, err := regOpts.ClientOpts(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("constructing client options: %w", err)
+	}
 	for _, inputImg := range imgs {
-		ref, err := name.ParseReference(inputImg)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("parsing reference: %w", err)
-		}
-		opts, err := regOpts.ClientOpts(ctx)
+		ref, err := ParseOCIReference(inputImg, os.Stderr)
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("constructing client options: %w", err)
+			return err
 		}
 		ref, err = GetAttachedImageRef(ref, attachment, opts...)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("unable to resolve attachment %s for image %s", attachment, inputImg)
 		}
 
-		if _, ok := ref.(name.Tag); ok {
-			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, TagReferenceMessage, inputImg)
-		}
-
 		if digest, ok := ref.(name.Digest); ok && !recursive {
 			se, err := ociremote.SignedEntity(ref, opts...)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/cosign/cli/sign/sign_test.go b/cmd/cosign/cli/sign/sign_test.go
index 5b5266623b8..c8631ac08c8 100644
--- a/cmd/cosign/cli/sign/sign_test.go
+++ b/cmd/cosign/cli/sign/sign_test.go
@@ -204,3 +204,28 @@ func Test_signerFromKeyRefFailureEmptyChainFile(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected empty chain error, got %v", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func Test_ParseOCIReference(t *testing.T) {
+	var tests = []struct {
+		ref      string
+		expected string
+	}{
+		{"image:bytag", "WARNING: Image reference image:bytag uses a tag, not a digest"},
+		{"image:bytag@sha256:abcdef", ""},
+		{"image:@sha256:abcdef", ""},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		var buf strings.Builder
+		ParseOCIReference(tt.ref, &buf)
+		actual := buf.String()
+		if len(tt.expected) == 0 {
+			if len(actual) != 0 {
+				t.Errorf("expected no warning, got %s", actual)
+			}
+		} else {
+			if strings.Contains(tt.expected, actual) {
+				t.Errorf("bad warning: expected match for `%s`, got %s", tt.expected, actual)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}