diff --git a/api/client/commands.go b/api/client/commands.go
index 787a2bdc7d..77e1ccc8fb 100644
--- a/api/client/commands.go
+++ b/api/client/commands.go
@@ -1052,16 +1052,19 @@ func (cli *DockerCli) CmdImport(args ...string) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	var src, repository, tag string
+	var (
+		v          = url.Values{}
+		src        = cmd.Arg(0)
+		repository = cmd.Arg(1)
+	)
+
+	v.Set("fromSrc", src)
+	v.Set("repo", repository)
 
 	if cmd.NArg() == 3 {
 		fmt.Fprintf(cli.err, "[DEPRECATED] The format 'URL|- [REPOSITORY [TAG]]' as been deprecated. Please use URL|- [REPOSITORY[:TAG]]\n")
-		src, repository, tag = cmd.Arg(0), cmd.Arg(1), cmd.Arg(2)
-	} else {
-		src = cmd.Arg(0)
-		repository, tag = utils.ParseRepositoryTag(cmd.Arg(1))
+		v.Set("tag", cmd.Arg(2))
 	}
-	v := url.Values{}
 
 	if repository != "" {
 		//Check if the given image name can be resolved
@@ -1070,10 +1073,6 @@ func (cli *DockerCli) CmdImport(args ...string) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	v.Set("repo", repository)
-	v.Set("tag", tag)
-	v.Set("fromSrc", src)
-
 	var in io.Reader
 
 	if src == "-" {
@@ -1159,12 +1158,18 @@ func (cli *DockerCli) CmdPull(args ...string) error {
 		cmd.Usage()
 		return nil
 	}
+	var (
+		v      = url.Values{}
+		remote = cmd.Arg(0)
+	)
+
+	v.Set("fromImage", remote)
 
-	remote, parsedTag := utils.ParseRepositoryTag(cmd.Arg(0))
 	if *tag == "" {
-		*tag = parsedTag
+		v.Set("tag", *tag)
 	}
 
+	remote, _ = utils.ParseRepositoryTag(remote)
 	// Resolve the Repository name from fqn to hostname + name
 	hostname, _, err := registry.ResolveRepositoryName(remote)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -1175,9 +1180,6 @@ func (cli *DockerCli) CmdPull(args ...string) error {
 
 	// Resolve the Auth config relevant for this server
 	authConfig := cli.configFile.ResolveAuthConfig(hostname)
-	v := url.Values{}
-	v.Set("fromImage", remote)
-	v.Set("tag", *tag)
 
 	pull := func(authConfig registry.AuthConfig) error {
 		buf, err := json.Marshal(authConfig)
diff --git a/api/server/server.go b/api/server/server.go
index b3a0590fda..6d6ed3e773 100644
--- a/api/server/server.go
+++ b/api/server/server.go
@@ -468,6 +468,7 @@ func postImagesCreate(eng *engine.Engine, version version.Version, w http.Respon
 
 	var (
 		image = r.Form.Get("fromImage")
+		repo  = r.Form.Get("repo")
 		tag   = r.Form.Get("tag")
 		job   *engine.Job
 	)
@@ -482,18 +483,24 @@ func postImagesCreate(eng *engine.Engine, version version.Version, w http.Respon
 		}
 	}
 	if image != "" { //pull
+		if tag == "" {
+			image, tag = utils.ParseRepositoryTag(image)
+		}
 		metaHeaders := map[string][]string{}
 		for k, v := range r.Header {
 			if strings.HasPrefix(k, "X-Meta-") {
 				metaHeaders[k] = v
 			}
 		}
-		job = eng.Job("pull", r.Form.Get("fromImage"), tag)
+		job = eng.Job("pull", image, tag)
 		job.SetenvBool("parallel", version.GreaterThan("1.3"))
 		job.SetenvJson("metaHeaders", metaHeaders)
 		job.SetenvJson("authConfig", authConfig)
 	} else { //import
-		job = eng.Job("import", r.Form.Get("fromSrc"), r.Form.Get("repo"), tag)
+		if tag == "" {
+			repo, tag = utils.ParseRepositoryTag(repo)
+		}
+		job = eng.Job("import", r.Form.Get("fromSrc"), repo, tag)
 		job.Stdin.Add(r.Body)
 	}