diff --git a/commit.go b/commit.go
index 9807db9ab..e068a94b0 100644
--- a/commit.go
+++ b/commit.go
@@ -155,8 +155,8 @@ func (b *Builder) Commit(ctx context.Context, dest types.ImageReference, options
 	if err != nil {
 		return imgID, nil, "", errors.Wrapf(err, "error computing layer digests and building metadata for container %q", b.ContainerID)
 	}
-	var maybeCachedSrc types.ImageReference = src
-	var maybeCachedDest types.ImageReference = dest
+	var maybeCachedSrc = types.ImageReference(src)
+	var maybeCachedDest = types.ImageReference(dest)
 	if options.BlobDirectory != "" {
 		compress := types.PreserveOriginal
 		if options.Compression != archive.Uncompressed {
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ func Push(ctx context.Context, image string, dest types.ImageReference, options
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, "", err
 	}
-	var maybeCachedSrc types.ImageReference = src
+	var maybeCachedSrc = types.ImageReference(src)
 	if options.BlobDirectory != "" {
 		compress := types.PreserveOriginal
 		if options.Compression != archive.Uncompressed {
diff --git a/pull.go b/pull.go
index dc18741c8..5eec1b3dd 100644
--- a/pull.go
+++ b/pull.go
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ func pullImage(ctx context.Context, store storage.Store, srcRef types.ImageRefer
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "error parsing image name %q", destName)
 	}
-	var maybeCachedDestRef types.ImageReference = destRef
+	var maybeCachedDestRef = types.ImageReference(destRef)
 	if options.BlobDirectory != "" {
 		cachedRef, err := blobcache.NewBlobCache(destRef, options.BlobDirectory, types.PreserveOriginal)
 		if err != nil {