diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/docker/image.go b/pkg/skaffold/docker/image.go
index b16d9174431..bbb468970ef 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/docker/image.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/docker/image.go
@@ -540,6 +540,10 @@ func (l *localDaemon) TagWithImageID(ctx context.Context, ref string, imageID st
 		return "", err
 	}
 
+	if imageID == "" {
+		log.Entry(ctx).Debugf("generating tag for %s: empty image id\n", ref)
+		return "", nil
+	}
 	uniqueTag := parsed.BaseName + ":" + strings.TrimPrefix(imageID, "sha256:")
 	if err := l.Tag(ctx, imageID, uniqueTag); err != nil {
 		return "", err
diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/docker/image_test.go b/pkg/skaffold/docker/image_test.go
index 0b26ea3b0eb..7f3bdcd7bde 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/docker/image_test.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/docker/image_test.go
@@ -537,6 +537,10 @@ func TestTagWithImageID(t *testing.T) {
 			imageName:   "!!invalid!!",
 			shouldErr:   true,
 		},
+		{
+			description: "empty image id",
+			imageName:   "ref",
+		},
 	}
 	for _, test := range tests {
 		testutil.Run(t, test.description, func(t *testutil.T) {