diff --git a/cmd/podman/images/save.go b/cmd/podman/images/save.go
index 6c896e2f10e..23176f4c1df 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/images/save.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/images/save.go
@@ -104,6 +104,9 @@ func save(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (finalErr error) {
 		tags      []string
 		succeeded = false
 	)
+	if strings.HasPrefix(args[0], "docker://") {
+		return fmt.Errorf("image %q is not in local storage; remove the docker:// prefix", args[0])
+	}
 	if cmd.Flag("compress").Changed && saveOpts.Format != define.V2s2ManifestDir {
 		return errors.New("--compress can only be set when --format is 'docker-dir'")
 	}
diff --git a/test/e2e/save_test.go b/test/e2e/save_test.go
index 0e3ae15159b..e4218629c83 100644
--- a/test/e2e/save_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/save_test.go
@@ -67,6 +67,12 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman save", func() {
 		Expect(save).To(ExitWithError(125, "repository name must be lowercase"))
 	})
 
+	It("podman save rejects docker transport", func() {
+		save := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"save", "-q", "docker://" + ALPINE})
+		save.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(save).To(ExitWithError(125, "is not in local storage; remove the docker:// prefix"))
+	})
+
 	It("podman save to directory with oci format", func() {
 		outdir := filepath.Join(podmanTest.TempDir, "save")