diff --git a/archive/archive.go b/archive/archive.go
index eea8db364d..01ed298733 100644
--- a/archive/archive.go
+++ b/archive/archive.go
@@ -390,10 +390,18 @@ func TarWithOptions(srcPath string, options *TarOptions) (io.ReadCloser, error)
 //  identity (uncompressed), gzip, bzip2, xz.
 // FIXME: specify behavior when target path exists vs. doesn't exist.
 func Untar(archive io.Reader, dest string, options *TarOptions) error {
+	if options == nil {
+		options = &TarOptions{}
+	}
+
 	if archive == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Empty archive")
 	}
 
+	if options.Excludes == nil {
+		options.Excludes = []string{}
+	}
+
 	decompressedArchive, err := DecompressStream(archive)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -406,6 +414,7 @@ func Untar(archive io.Reader, dest string, options *TarOptions) error {
 	var dirs []*tar.Header
 
 	// Iterate through the files in the archive.
+loop:
 	for {
 		hdr, err := tr.Next()
 		if err == io.EOF {
@@ -419,6 +428,12 @@ func Untar(archive io.Reader, dest string, options *TarOptions) error {
 		// Normalize name, for safety and for a simple is-root check
 		hdr.Name = filepath.Clean(hdr.Name)
 
+		for _, exclude := range options.Excludes {
+			if strings.HasPrefix(hdr.Name, exclude) {
+				continue loop
+			}
+		}
+
 		if !strings.HasSuffix(hdr.Name, "/") {
 			// Not the root directory, ensure that the parent directory exists
 			parent := filepath.Dir(hdr.Name)
@@ -448,7 +463,7 @@ func Untar(archive io.Reader, dest string, options *TarOptions) error {
 			}
 		}
 		trBuf.Reset(tr)
-		if err := createTarFile(path, dest, hdr, trBuf, options == nil || !options.NoLchown); err != nil {
+		if err := createTarFile(path, dest, hdr, trBuf, !options.NoLchown); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
diff --git a/archive/archive_test.go b/archive/archive_test.go
index 6afe298317..b46f953228 100644
--- a/archive/archive_test.go
+++ b/archive/archive_test.go
@@ -109,6 +109,9 @@ func TestTarUntar(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := ioutil.WriteFile(path.Join(origin, "2"), []byte("welcome!"), 0700); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
+	if err := ioutil.WriteFile(path.Join(origin, "3"), []byte("will be ignored"), 0700); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	for _, c := range []Compression{
 		Uncompressed,
@@ -116,13 +119,14 @@ func TestTarUntar(t *testing.T) {
 	} {
 		changes, err := tarUntar(t, origin, &TarOptions{
 			Compression: c,
+			Excludes:    []string{"3"},
 		})
 
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Error tar/untar for compression %s: %s", c.Extension(), err)
 		}
 
-		if len(changes) != 0 {
+		if len(changes) != 1 || changes[0].Path != "/3" {
 			t.Fatalf("Unexpected differences after tarUntar: %v", changes)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/graph/load.go b/graph/load.go
index 5d84b82c28..b34c83a65a 100644
--- a/graph/load.go
+++ b/graph/load.go
@@ -43,7 +43,17 @@ func (s *TagStore) CmdLoad(job *engine.Job) engine.Status {
 	if err := os.Mkdir(repoDir, os.ModeDir); err != nil {
 		return job.Error(err)
 	}
-	if err := archive.Untar(repoFile, repoDir, nil); err != nil {
+	images, err := s.graph.Map()
+	if err != nil {
+		return job.Error(err)
+	}
+	excludes := make([]string, len(images))
+	i := 0
+	for k := range images {
+		excludes[i] = k
+		i++
+	}
+	if err := archive.Untar(repoFile, repoDir, &archive.TarOptions{Excludes: excludes}); err != nil {
 		return job.Error(err)
 	}