diff --git a/common/libimage/manifest_list.go b/common/libimage/manifest_list.go
index 5093ea3e58..1a6004c01a 100644
--- a/common/libimage/manifest_list.go
+++ b/common/libimage/manifest_list.go
@@ -309,14 +309,14 @@ type ManifestListAddOptions struct {
 	Password string
 }
 
-func (m *ManifestList) parseNameToExtantReference(ctx context.Context, name string, manifestList bool, what string) (types.ImageReference, error) {
+func (m *ManifestList) parseNameToExtantReference(ctx context.Context, sys *types.SystemContext, name string, manifestList bool, what string) (types.ImageReference, error) {
 	ref, err := alltransports.ParseImageName(name)
 	if err != nil {
 		withDocker := fmt.Sprintf("%s://%s", docker.Transport.Name(), name)
 		ref, err = alltransports.ParseImageName(withDocker)
 		if err == nil {
 			var src types.ImageSource
-			src, err = ref.NewImageSource(ctx, nil)
+			src, err = ref.NewImageSource(ctx, sys)
 			if err == nil {
 				src.Close()
 			}
@@ -339,11 +339,6 @@ func (m *ManifestList) Add(ctx context.Context, name string, options *ManifestLi
 		options = &ManifestListAddOptions{}
 	}
 
-	ref, err := m.parseNameToExtantReference(ctx, name, false, "image to add to manifest list")
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-
 	// Now massage in the copy-related options into the system context.
 	systemContext := m.image.runtime.systemContextCopy()
 	if options.AuthFilePath != "" {
@@ -363,6 +358,12 @@ func (m *ManifestList) Add(ctx context.Context, name string, options *ManifestLi
 			Password: options.Password,
 		}
 	}
+
+	ref, err := m.parseNameToExtantReference(ctx, systemContext, name, false, "image to add to manifest list")
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
 	locker, err := manifests.LockerForImage(m.image.runtime.store, m.ID())
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
@@ -442,7 +443,7 @@ func (m *ManifestList) AddArtifact(ctx context.Context, options *ManifestListAdd
 		opts.LayerMediaType = &options.LayerType
 	}
 	if options.Subject != "" {
-		ref, err := m.parseNameToExtantReference(ctx, options.Subject, true, "subject for artifact manifest")
+		ref, err := m.parseNameToExtantReference(ctx, nil, options.Subject, true, "subject for artifact manifest")
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", err
 		}
@@ -547,7 +548,7 @@ func (m *ManifestList) AnnotateInstance(d digest.Digest, options *ManifestListAn
 		}
 	}
 	if options.Subject != "" {
-		ref, err := m.parseNameToExtantReference(ctx, options.Subject, true, "subject for image index")
+		ref, err := m.parseNameToExtantReference(ctx, nil, options.Subject, true, "subject for image index")
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}