diff --git a/pkg/compose/image_loader.go b/pkg/compose/image_loader.go
index 0a262d1..da1062b 100644
--- a/pkg/compose/image_loader.go
+++ b/pkg/compose/image_loader.go
@@ -5,12 +5,13 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"path"
+
 	"github.com/docker/docker/client"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/jsonmessage"
 	"github.com/foundriesio/composeapp/internal/progress"
 	v1 "github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/specs-go/v1"
-	"io"
-	"path"
 )
 
 type (
@@ -67,6 +68,12 @@ type (
 		r  *io.PipeReader
 		w  *io.PipeWriter
 	}
+
+	imageURI2RefCounter struct {
+		URI string
+		// reference counter to this image URI, this is how many times "dockerd" reports this image is loaded
+		refCounter int
+	}
 )
 
 const (
@@ -200,7 +207,7 @@ func LoadImages(ctx context.Context,
 	curLayerID := ""
 	p := &LoadImageProgress{
 		State:   ImageLoadStateImageWaiting,
-		ImageID: imageURIs[curImageIndex],
+		ImageID: imageURIs[curImageIndex].URI,
 	}
 
 	for {
@@ -222,18 +229,18 @@ func LoadImages(ctx context.Context,
 		case ImageLoadStateImageWaiting:
 			{
 				if jm.Progress == nil {
-					p.State = ImageLoadStateImageExist
-					reportProgressIfEnabled(options, p)
-
-					curImageIndex++
-					curLayerID = ""
-					p.State = ImageLoadStateImageWaiting
-					if curImageIndex < len(imageURIs) {
-						p.ImageID = imageURIs[curImageIndex]
+					if imageURIs[curImageIndex].refCounter--; imageURIs[curImageIndex].refCounter == 0 {
+						p.State = ImageLoadStateImageExist
+						reportProgressIfEnabled(options, p)
+
+						curImageIndex++
+						curLayerID = ""
+						p.State = ImageLoadStateImageWaiting
+						p.ImageID = getImageID(imageURIs, curImageIndex)
 					}
 				} else {
 					curLayerID = jm.ID
-					p.ImageID = imageURIs[curImageIndex]
+					p.ImageID = getImageID(imageURIs, curImageIndex)
 					if _, ok := layersMap[curLayerID]; ok {
 						p.ID = layersMap[curLayerID][:7]
 					} else {
@@ -260,15 +267,16 @@ func LoadImages(ctx context.Context,
 		case ImageLoadStateLayerSyncing:
 			{
 				if jm.Progress == nil {
-					p.State = ImageLoadStateImageLoaded
-					reportProgressIfEnabled(options, p)
-
-					curImageIndex++
-					curLayerID = ""
-					p.State = ImageLoadStateImageWaiting
-					if curImageIndex < len(imageURIs) {
-						p.ImageID = imageURIs[curImageIndex]
+					if imageURIs[curImageIndex].refCounter--; imageURIs[curImageIndex].refCounter == 0 {
+						p.State = ImageLoadStateImageLoaded
+						reportProgressIfEnabled(options, p)
+
+						curImageIndex++
+						curLayerID = ""
+						p.ImageID = getImageID(imageURIs, curImageIndex)
+						p.State = ImageLoadStateImageWaiting
 					}
+
 				} else if curLayerID != jm.ID {
 					p.State = ImageLoadStateLayerLoaded
 					reportProgressIfEnabled(options, p)
@@ -302,7 +310,7 @@ func reportProgressIfEnabled(opts *LoadImageOptions, p *LoadImageProgress) {
 	opts.ProgressReporter.Update(*p)
 }
 
-func generateImageLoadingManifestForApp(ctx context.Context, app App, blobsRoot string, options *LoadImageOptions) (imageLoadManifests []*imageLoadManifest, imageURIs []string, layersMap map[string]string, err error) {
+func generateImageLoadingManifestForApp(ctx context.Context, app App, blobsRoot string, options *LoadImageOptions) (imageLoadManifests []*imageLoadManifest, imageURIs []imageURI2RefCounter, layersMap map[string]string, err error) {
 	layersMap = make(map[string]string)
 	// Generate the image load manifests
 	for _, imageRoot := range app.GetComposeRoot().Children {
@@ -313,7 +321,16 @@ func generateImageLoadingManifestForApp(ctx context.Context, app App, blobsRoot
 			break
 		}
 		imageLoadManifests = append(imageLoadManifests, manifest)
-		imageURIs = append(imageURIs, imageRoot.Ref())
+		var refCounter int
+		if options.RefWithDigest {
+			refCounter = 1
+		} else {
+			refCounter = len(manifest.RepoTags)
+		}
+		imageURIs = append(imageURIs, imageURI2RefCounter{
+			URI:        imageRoot.Ref(),
+			refCounter: refCounter,
+		})
 		for index, diffID := range imageConfig.RootFS.DiffIDs {
 			// The first 12 characters of the diffID are used as a key to the layers map,
 			// the map between the diffID and the layer distribution hash.
@@ -404,3 +421,12 @@ func generateImageLoadManifest(
 
 	return loadManifest, &imageConfig, nil
 }
+
+func getImageID(imageURIs []imageURI2RefCounter, imageIndex int) string {
+	if imageIndex < len(imageURIs) {
+		return imageURIs[imageIndex].URI
+	} else {
+		fmt.Printf("Warning: image index %d is out of range (max %d)\n", imageIndex, len(imageURIs))
+		return "unknown"
+	}
+}