diff --git a/commit.go b/commit.go
index 3c5958f2d..b25ec7029 100644
--- a/commit.go
+++ b/commit.go
@@ -105,10 +105,17 @@ func (b *Builder) Commit(ctx context.Context, dest types.ImageReference, options
 			logrus.Debugf("error destroying signature policy context: %v", err2)
 		}
 	}()
-	// Check if we're keeping everything in local storage.  If so, we can take certain shortcuts.
-	_, destIsStorage := dest.Transport().(is.StoreTransport)
-	exporting := !destIsStorage
-	src, err := b.makeImageRef(options.PreferredManifestType, options.Parent, exporting, options.Squash, options.Compression, options.HistoryTimestamp)
+	// Check if the base image is already in the destination and it's some kind of local
+	// storage.  If so, we can skip recompressing any layers that come from the base image.
+	exportBaseLayers := true
+	if transport, destIsStorage := dest.Transport().(is.StoreTransport); destIsStorage && b.FromImageID != "" {
+		if baseref, err := transport.ParseReference(b.FromImageID); baseref != nil && err == nil {
+			if img, err := transport.GetImage(baseref); img != nil && err == nil {
+				exportBaseLayers = false
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	src, err := b.makeImageRef(options.PreferredManifestType, options.Parent, exportBaseLayers, options.Squash, options.Compression, options.HistoryTimestamp)
 	if err != nil {
 		return imgID, errors.Wrapf(err, "error computing layer digests and building metadata")
 	}
diff --git a/tests/commit.bats b/tests/commit.bats
index a3ff37d43..4b90789be 100644
--- a/tests/commit.bats
+++ b/tests/commit.bats
@@ -40,3 +40,12 @@ load helpers
   [ $(wc -l <<< "$output") -eq 1 ]
   buildah rmi -a
 }
+
+@test "commit-alternate-storage" {
+  echo FROM
+  cid=$(buildah from --pull --signature-policy ${TESTSDIR}/policy.json openshift/hello-openshift)
+  echo COMMIT
+  buildah commit --signature-policy ${TESTSDIR}/policy.json $cid "containers-storage:[vfs@${TESTDIR}/root2+${TESTDIR}/runroot2]newimage"
+  echo FROM
+  buildah --storage-driver vfs --root ${TESTDIR}/root2 --runroot ${TESTDIR}/runroot2 from newimage
+}