diff --git a/build/lib/release.sh b/build/lib/release.sh
index fa3975562e..117b05cdbb 100644
--- a/build/lib/release.sh
+++ b/build/lib/release.sh
@@ -253,7 +253,8 @@ function kube::release::create_docker_images_for_server() {
         if [[ -n "${KUBE_DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG-}" && -n "${KUBE_DOCKER_REGISTRY-}" ]]; then
           local release_docker_image_tag="${KUBE_DOCKER_REGISTRY}/${binary_name}-${arch}:${KUBE_DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG}"
           kube::log::status "Tagging docker image ${docker_image_tag} as ${release_docker_image_tag}"
-          "${DOCKER[@]}" tag -f "${docker_image_tag}" "${release_docker_image_tag}" 2>/dev/null
+          docker rmi "${release_docker_image_tag}" || true
+          "${DOCKER[@]}" tag "${docker_image_tag}" "${release_docker_image_tag}" 2>/dev/null
         fi
 
         kube::log::status "Deleting docker image ${docker_image_tag}"
diff --git a/build/pause/Makefile b/build/pause/Makefile
index aff62415eb..6cc0433c0b 100644
--- a/build/pause/Makefile
+++ b/build/pause/Makefile
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ container: .container-$(ARCH)
 .container-$(ARCH): bin/$(BIN)-$(ARCH)
 	docker build -t $(IMAGE):$(TAG) --build-arg ARCH=$(ARCH) .
 ifeq ($(ARCH),amd64)
-	docker tag -f $(IMAGE):$(TAG) $(LEGACY_AMD64_IMAGE):$(TAG)
+	docker rmi $(LEGACY_AMD64_IMAGE):$(TAG) || true
+	docker tag $(IMAGE):$(TAG) $(LEGACY_AMD64_IMAGE):$(TAG)
 endif
 	touch $@
 
diff --git a/cluster/addons/addon-manager/Makefile b/cluster/addons/addon-manager/Makefile
index 698f19be7a..e68588b6f0 100644
--- a/cluster/addons/addon-manager/Makefile
+++ b/cluster/addons/addon-manager/Makefile
@@ -66,7 +66,8 @@ push: build
 	gcloud docker -- push $(IMAGE)-$(ARCH):$(VERSION)
 ifeq ($(ARCH),amd64)
 	# Backward compatibility. TODO: deprecate this image tag
-	docker tag -f $(IMAGE)-$(ARCH):$(VERSION) $(IMAGE):$(VERSION)
+	docker rmi $(IMAGE):$(VERSION) || true
+	docker tag $(IMAGE)-$(ARCH):$(VERSION) $(IMAGE):$(VERSION)
 	gcloud docker -- push $(IMAGE):$(VERSION)
 endif
 
diff --git a/cluster/common.sh b/cluster/common.sh
index 2557d6ff16..ddac6b8610 100755
--- a/cluster/common.sh
+++ b/cluster/common.sh
@@ -496,7 +496,8 @@ function stage-images() {
     local docker_tag="$(cat ${temp_dir}/kubernetes/server/bin/${binary}.docker_tag)"
     (
       "${docker_cmd[@]}" load -i "${temp_dir}/kubernetes/server/bin/${binary}.tar"
-      "${docker_cmd[@]}" tag -f "gcr.io/google_containers/${binary}:${docker_tag}" "${KUBE_DOCKER_REGISTRY}/${binary}:${KUBE_IMAGE_TAG}"
+	  docker rmi "${KUBE_DOCKER_REGISTRY}/${binary}:${KUBE_IMAGE_TAG}" || true
+	  "${docker_cmd[@]}" tag "gcr.io/google_containers/${binary}:${docker_tag}" "${KUBE_DOCKER_REGISTRY}/${binary}:${KUBE_IMAGE_TAG}"
       "${docker_push_cmd[@]}" push "${KUBE_DOCKER_REGISTRY}/${binary}:${KUBE_IMAGE_TAG}"
     ) &> "${temp_dir}/${binary}-push.log" &
   done
diff --git a/cluster/images/hyperkube/Makefile b/cluster/images/hyperkube/Makefile
index a21fc62ab8..7514140f6e 100644
--- a/cluster/images/hyperkube/Makefile
+++ b/cluster/images/hyperkube/Makefile
@@ -107,7 +107,8 @@ endif
 push: build
 	gcloud docker -- push ${REGISTRY}/hyperkube-${ARCH}:${VERSION}
 ifeq ($(ARCH),amd64)
-	docker tag -f ${REGISTRY}/hyperkube-${ARCH}:${VERSION} ${REGISTRY}/hyperkube:${VERSION}
+	docker rmi ${REGISTRY}/hyperkube:${VERSION} || true
+	docker tag ${REGISTRY}/hyperkube-${ARCH}:${VERSION} ${REGISTRY}/hyperkube:${VERSION}
 	gcloud docker -- push ${REGISTRY}/hyperkube:${VERSION}
 endif