diff --git a/copy/copy.go b/copy/copy.go
index 9837972c53..b616e566cb 100644
--- a/copy/copy.go
+++ b/copy/copy.go
@@ -124,10 +124,10 @@ type ImageListSelection int
 
 // Options allows supplying non-default configuration modifying the behavior of CopyImage.
 type Options struct {
-	RemoveSignatures bool   // Remove any pre-existing signatures. SignBy will still add a new signature.
-	SignBy           string // If non-empty, asks for a signature to be added during the copy, and specifies a key ID, as accepted by signature.NewGPGSigningMechanism().SignDockerManifest(),
-	SignPassphrase   string // Passphare to use when signing with the key ID from `SignBy`.
-	SignIdentity     string // Identify to use when signing, defaults to the docker reference of the destination
+	RemoveSignatures bool            // Remove any pre-existing signatures. SignBy will still add a new signature.
+	SignBy           string          // If non-empty, asks for a signature to be added during the copy, and specifies a key ID, as accepted by signature.NewGPGSigningMechanism().SignDockerManifest(),
+	SignPassphrase   string          // Passphare to use when signing with the key ID from `SignBy`.
+	SignIdentity     reference.Named // Identify to use when signing, defaults to the docker reference of the destination
 	ReportWriter     io.Writer
 	SourceCtx        *types.SystemContext
 	DestinationCtx   *types.SystemContext
diff --git a/copy/sign.go b/copy/sign.go
index 0c203c29fb..4ebd484031 100644
--- a/copy/sign.go
+++ b/copy/sign.go
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 package copy
 
 import (
+	"github.com/containers/image/v5/docker/reference"
 	"github.com/containers/image/v5/signature"
 	"github.com/containers/image/v5/transports"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
 // createSignature creates a new signature of manifest using keyIdentity.
-func (c *copier) createSignature(manifest []byte, keyIdentity string, passphrase string, identity string) ([]byte, error) {
+func (c *copier) createSignature(manifest []byte, keyIdentity string, passphrase string, identity reference.Named) ([]byte, error) {
 	mech, err := signature.NewGPGSigningMechanism()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "initializing GPG")
@@ -17,16 +18,19 @@ func (c *copier) createSignature(manifest []byte, keyIdentity string, passphrase
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "Signing not supported")
 	}
 
-	if identity == "" {
-		dockerReference := c.dest.Reference().DockerReference()
-		if dockerReference == nil {
+	if identity != nil {
+		if reference.IsNameOnly(identity) {
+			return nil, errors.Errorf("Sign identity must be full a fully specified reference %s", identity)
+		}
+	} else {
+		identity = c.dest.Reference().DockerReference()
+		if identity == nil {
 			return nil, errors.Errorf("Cannot determine canonical Docker reference for destination %s", transports.ImageName(c.dest.Reference()))
 		}
-		identity = dockerReference.String()
 	}
 
 	c.Printf("Signing manifest\n")
-	newSig, err := signature.SignDockerManifestWithOptions(manifest, identity, mech, keyIdentity, &signature.SignOptions{Passphrase: passphrase})
+	newSig, err := signature.SignDockerManifestWithOptions(manifest, identity.String(), mech, keyIdentity, &signature.SignOptions{Passphrase: passphrase})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "creating signature")
 	}
diff --git a/copy/sign_test.go b/copy/sign_test.go
index 5f44cad621..1e9fc6738b 100644
--- a/copy/sign_test.go
+++ b/copy/sign_test.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containers/image/v5/manifest"
 	"github.com/containers/image/v5/signature"
 	"github.com/containers/image/v5/types"
+	"github.com/docker/distribution/reference"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ func TestCreateSignature(t *testing.T) {
 		dest:         imagedestination.FromPublic(dirDest),
 		reportWriter: ioutil.Discard,
 	}
-	_, err = c.createSignature(manifestBlob, testKeyFingerprint, "", "")
+	_, err = c.createSignature(manifestBlob, testKeyFingerprint, "", nil)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 
 	// Set up a docker: reference
@@ -65,14 +66,22 @@ func TestCreateSignature(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Signing with an unknown key fails
-	_, err = c.createSignature(manifestBlob, "this key does not exist", "", "")
+	_, err = c.createSignature(manifestBlob, "this key does not exist", "", nil)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 
-	// Signing without overriding the identity uses the docker reference
+	// Can't sign without a full reference
+	ref, err := reference.ParseNamed("myregistry.io/myrepo")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	_, err = c.createSignature(manifestBlob, testKeyFingerprint, "", ref)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+
+	// Mechanism for verifying the signatures
 	mech, err = signature.NewGPGSigningMechanism()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	defer mech.Close()
-	sig, err := c.createSignature(manifestBlob, testKeyFingerprint, "", "")
+
+	// Signing without overriding the identity uses the docker reference
+	sig, err := c.createSignature(manifestBlob, testKeyFingerprint, "", nil)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	verified, err := signature.VerifyDockerManifestSignature(sig, manifestBlob, "docker.io/library/busybox:latest", mech, testKeyFingerprint)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -80,10 +89,9 @@ func TestCreateSignature(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, manifestDigest, verified.DockerManifestDigest)
 
 	// Can override the identity with own
-	mech, err = signature.NewGPGSigningMechanism()
+	ref, err = reference.ParseNamed("myregistry.io/myrepo:mytag")
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	defer mech.Close()
-	sig, err = c.createSignature(manifestBlob, testKeyFingerprint, "", "myregistry.io/myrepo:mytag")
+	sig, err = c.createSignature(manifestBlob, testKeyFingerprint, "", ref)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	verified, err = signature.VerifyDockerManifestSignature(sig, manifestBlob, "myregistry.io/myrepo:mytag", mech, testKeyFingerprint)
 	require.NoError(t, err)