diff --git a/src/client.c b/src/client.c
index 968d98d..6afde1e 100644
--- a/src/client.c
+++ b/src/client.c
@@ -1404,6 +1404,9 @@ int og_agent_state_process_response(struct og_client *cli)
 		if (err < 0)
 			og_resp_image_create_error(cli);
 		break;
+	case OG_CMD_IMAGE_UPDATE:
+		err = og_resp_image_create(root, cli);
+		break;
 	case OG_CMD_IMAGE_RESTORE:
 		err = og_resp_image_restore(root, cli);
 		if (!err)
diff --git a/src/rest.c b/src/rest.c
index 20c6780..6c43a2f 100644
--- a/src/rest.c
+++ b/src/rest.c
@@ -3836,6 +3836,7 @@ static int og_cmd_add_image(struct og_rest_ctx *ctx, bool update)
 	char repository_ip[OG_DB_IP_MAXLEN + 1];
 	char new_image_id[OG_DB_INT_MAXLEN + 1];
 	struct og_cmd_ctx cmd_ctx = {};
+	enum og_cmd_type cmd_type;
 	struct og_dbi *dbi;
 	json_t *body;
 	int err = 0;
@@ -3888,6 +3889,13 @@ static int og_cmd_add_image(struct og_rest_ctx *ctx, bool update)
 		snprintf(new_image_id, sizeof(new_image_id), "%lu", params->image.id);
 		params->id = new_image_id;
 	} else {
+		if (!update) {
+			syslog(LOG_ERR, "cannot create image file `%s', it already exists\n",
+			       params->image.name);
+			ctx->http_error = OG_HTTP_409_CONFLICT;
+			og_dbi_close(dbi);
+			return -1;
+		}
 		syslog(LOG_INFO, "updating existing image `%s'\n", params->image.name);
 		snprintf(new_image_id, sizeof(new_image_id), "%lu", params->image.id);
 		params->id = new_image_id;
@@ -3907,7 +3915,12 @@ static int og_cmd_add_image(struct og_rest_ctx *ctx, bool update)
 
 	cmd_ctx.image.id = params->image.id;
 
-	return og_send_request(OG_METHOD_POST, OG_CMD_IMAGE_CREATE, params,
+	if (update)
+		cmd_type = OG_CMD_IMAGE_UPDATE;
+	else
+		cmd_type = OG_CMD_IMAGE_CREATE;
+
+	return og_send_request(OG_METHOD_POST, cmd_type, params,
 			       body, &cmd_ctx);
 }