diff --git a/pkg/storage/runtime.go b/pkg/storage/runtime.go
index 08c451f5..85b03145 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/runtime.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/runtime.go
@@ -167,7 +167,11 @@ func (r *runtimeService) createContainerOrPodSandbox(systemContext *types.System
 			ref, err = istorage.Transport.ParseStoreReference(r.image.GetStore(), otherRef.DockerReference().FullName())
 		}
 		if err != nil {
-			return ContainerInfo{}, err
+			// maybe it's just imageID
+			ref, err = istorage.Transport.ParseStoreReference(r.image.GetStore(), "@"+imageID)
+			if err != nil {
+				return ContainerInfo{}, err
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	img, err := istorage.Transport.GetStoreImage(r.image.GetStore(), ref)
diff --git a/server/container_create.go b/server/container_create.go
index e4354607..722ad21c 100644
--- a/server/container_create.go
+++ b/server/container_create.go
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ func (s *Server) createSandboxContainer(ctx context.Context, containerID string,
 	attempt := metadata.GetAttempt()
 	containerInfo, err := s.storage.CreateContainer(s.imageContext,
 		sb.name, sb.id,
-		image, "",
+		image, image,
 		containerName, containerID,
 		metaname,
 		attempt,
diff --git a/test/helpers.bash b/test/helpers.bash
index 33d66d65..c9a97ae3 100644
--- a/test/helpers.bash
+++ b/test/helpers.bash
@@ -142,8 +142,9 @@ function start_ocid() {
 
 	run ocic image status --id=redis
 	if [ "$status" -ne 0 ] ; then
-		ocic image pull docker://redis:latest
+		ocic image pull redis:latest
 	fi
+	REDIS_IMAGEID=$(ocic image status --id=redis | head -1 | sed -e "s/ID: //g")
 }
 
 function cleanup_ctrs() {
diff --git a/test/image.bats b/test/image.bats
index 88b2ac73..f571ac3c 100644
--- a/test/image.bats
+++ b/test/image.bats
@@ -8,6 +8,21 @@ function teardown() {
 	cleanup_test
 }
 
+@test "run container in pod with image ID" {
+	start_ocid
+	run ocic pod run --config "$TESTDATA"/sandbox_config.json
+	echo "$output"
+	[ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+	pod_id="$output"
+	sed -e "s/%VALUE%/$REDIS_IMAGEID/g" "$TESTDATA"/container_config_by_imageid.json > "$TESTDIR"/ctr_by_imageid.json
+	run ocic ctr create --config "$TESTDIR"/ctr_by_imageid.json --pod "$pod_id"
+	echo "$output"
+	[ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+	cleanup_ctrs
+	cleanup_pods
+	stop_ocid
+}
+
 @test "image pull" {
 	start_ocid "" "" --no-pause-image
 	run ocic image pull "$IMAGE"
diff --git a/test/testdata/container_config_by_imageid.json b/test/testdata/container_config_by_imageid.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6cfb3556
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/testdata/container_config_by_imageid.json
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+{
+	"metadata": {
+		"name": "container1",
+		"attempt": 1
+	},
+	"image": {
+		"image": "%VALUE%"
+	},
+	"command": [
+		"/bin/bash"
+	],
+	"args": [
+		"/bin/ls"
+	],
+	"working_dir": "/",
+	"envs": [
+		{
+			"key": "PATH",
+			"value": "/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin"
+		},
+		{
+			"key": "TERM",
+			"value": "xterm"
+		},
+		{
+			"key": "TESTDIR",
+			"value": "test/dir1"
+		},
+		{
+			"key": "TESTFILE",
+			"value": "test/file1"
+		}
+	],
+	"labels": {
+		"type": "small",
+		"batch": "no"
+	},
+	"annotations": {
+		"owner": "dragon",
+		"daemon": "ocid"
+	},
+	"privileged": true,
+	"readonly_rootfs": true,
+	"log_path": "container.log",
+	"stdin": false,
+	"stdin_once": false,
+	"tty": false,
+	"linux": {
+		"resources": {
+			"cpu_period": 10000,
+			"cpu_quota": 20000,
+			"cpu_shares": 512,
+			"memory_limit_in_bytes": 88000000,
+			"oom_score_adj": 30
+		},
+		"capabilities": {
+			"add_capabilities": [
+				"setuid",
+				"setgid"
+			],
+			"drop_capabilities": [
+				"audit_write",
+				"audit_read"
+			]
+		},
+		"selinux_options": {
+			"user": "system_u",
+			"role": "system_r",
+			"type": "container_t",
+			"level": "s0:c4,c5"
+		},
+		"user": {
+			"uid": 5,
+			"gid": 300,
+			"additional_gids": [
+				400,
+				401,
+				402
+			]
+		}
+	}
+}