diff --git a/reference/normalize_test.go b/reference/normalize_test.go
index 5fcb280a..a881972a 100644
--- a/reference/normalize_test.go
+++ b/reference/normalize_test.go
@@ -375,20 +375,23 @@ func TestParseAnyReference(t *testing.T) {
 			Equivalent: "docker.io/dmcgowan/myapp@sha256:dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c",
 		},
 		{
-			Reference: "dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c",
-			Expected:  digestReference("sha256:dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c"),
+			Reference:  "dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c",
+			Expected:   digestReference("sha256:dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c"),
+			Equivalent: "sha256:dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c",
 		},
 		{
-			Reference: "sha256:dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c",
-			Expected:  digestReference("sha256:dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c"),
+			Reference:  "sha256:dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c",
+			Expected:   digestReference("sha256:dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c"),
+			Equivalent: "sha256:dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c",
 		},
 		{
 			Reference:  "dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9",
 			Equivalent: "docker.io/library/dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9",
 		},
 		{
-			Reference: "dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9",
-			Expected:  digestReference("sha256:dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c"),
+			Reference:  "dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9",
+			Expected:   digestReference("sha256:dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c"),
+			Equivalent: "sha256:dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c",
 			Digests: []digest.Digest{
 				digest.Digest("sha256:dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c"),
 				digest.Digest("sha256:abcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c"),
@@ -402,8 +405,9 @@ func TestParseAnyReference(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			Reference: "dbcc1c",
-			Expected:  digestReference("sha256:dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c"),
+			Reference:  "dbcc1c",
+			Expected:   digestReference("sha256:dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c"),
+			Equivalent: "sha256:dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c",
 			Digests: []digest.Digest{
 				digest.Digest("sha256:dbcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c"),
 				digest.Digest("sha256:abcc1c35ac38df41fd2f5e4130b32ffdb93ebae8b3dbe638c23575912276fc9c"),
@@ -443,6 +447,9 @@ func TestParseAnyReference(t *testing.T) {
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Error parsing reference %s: %v", tcase.Reference, err)
 		}
+		if ref.String() != tcase.Equivalent {
+			t.Fatalf("Unexpected string: %s, expected %s", ref.String(), tcase.Equivalent)
+		}
 
 		expected := tcase.Expected
 		if expected == nil {
diff --git a/reference/reference.go b/reference/reference.go
index ec071cb9..fd3510e9 100644
--- a/reference/reference.go
+++ b/reference/reference.go
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ func (r repository) Path() string {
 type digestReference digest.Digest
 
 func (d digestReference) String() string {
-	return d.String()
+	return digest.Digest(d).String()
 }
 
 func (d digestReference) Digest() digest.Digest {