diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 8f62d725b931..56aa7ccd0ed5 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/blang/semver/v4 v4.0.0
 	github.com/coredns/corefile-migration v1.0.21
 	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1
-	github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.2+incompatible
+	github.com/distribution/reference v0.5.0
 	github.com/drone/envsubst/v2 v2.0.0-20210730161058-179042472c46
 	github.com/evanphx/json-patch/v5 v5.7.0
 	github.com/fatih/color v1.15.0
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/coreos/go-systemd v0.0.0-20191104093116-d3cd4ed1dbcf // indirect
 	github.com/coreos/go-systemd/v22 v22.5.0 // indirect
 	github.com/daviddengcn/go-colortext v1.0.0 // indirect
+	github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.3+incompatible // indirect
 	github.com/emicklei/go-restful/v3 v3.9.0 // indirect
 	github.com/evanphx/json-patch v5.6.0+incompatible // indirect
 	github.com/exponent-io/jsonpath v0.0.0-20151013193312-d6023ce2651d // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 56204a38d42b..0ea054d12b5f 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -140,8 +140,10 @@ github.com/daviddengcn/go-colortext v1.0.0 h1:ANqDyC0ys6qCSvuEK7l3g5RaehL/Xck9EX
 github.com/daviddengcn/go-colortext v1.0.0/go.mod h1:zDqEI5NVUop5QPpVJUxE9UO10hRnmkD5G4Pmri9+m4c=
 github.com/dgrijalva/jwt-go v3.2.0+incompatible/go.mod h1:E3ru+11k8xSBh+hMPgOLZmtrrCbhqsmaPHjLKYnJCaQ=
 github.com/dgryski/go-sip13 v0.0.0-20181026042036-e10d5fee7954/go.mod h1:vAd38F8PWV+bWy6jNmig1y/TA+kYO4g3RSRF0IAv0no=
-github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.2+incompatible h1:T3de5rq0dB1j30rp0sA2rER+m322EBzniBPB6ZIzuh8=
-github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.2+incompatible/go.mod h1:J2gT2udsDAN96Uj4KfcMRqY0/ypR+oyYUYmja8H+y+w=
+github.com/distribution/reference v0.5.0 h1:/FUIFXtfc/x2gpa5/VGfiGLuOIdYa1t65IKK2OFGvA0=
+github.com/distribution/reference v0.5.0/go.mod h1:BbU0aIcezP1/5jX/8MP0YiH4SdvB5Y4f/wlDRiLyi3E=
+github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.3+incompatible h1:AtKxIZ36LoNK51+Z6RpzLpddBirtxJnzDrHLEKxTAYk=
+github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.3+incompatible/go.mod h1:J2gT2udsDAN96Uj4KfcMRqY0/ypR+oyYUYmja8H+y+w=
 github.com/drone/envsubst/v2 v2.0.0-20210730161058-179042472c46 h1:7QPwrLT79GlD5sizHf27aoY2RTvw62mO6x7mxkScNk0=
 github.com/drone/envsubst/v2 v2.0.0-20210730161058-179042472c46/go.mod h1:esf2rsHFNlZlxsqsZDojNBcnNs5REqIvRrWRHqX0vEU=
 github.com/dustin/go-humanize v1.0.1 h1:GzkhY7T5VNhEkwH0PVJgjz+fX1rhBrR7pRT3mDkpeCY=
diff --git a/hack/tools/go.mod b/hack/tools/go.mod
index f75f2e0653aa..a1806919c8e2 100644
--- a/hack/tools/go.mod
+++ b/hack/tools/go.mod
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@ require (
 	github.com/cespare/xxhash/v2 v2.2.0 // indirect
 	github.com/cloudflare/circl v1.3.3 // indirect
 	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 // indirect
-	github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.2+incompatible // indirect
+	github.com/distribution/reference v0.5.0 // indirect
+	github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.3+incompatible // indirect
 	github.com/docker/docker v24.0.6+incompatible // indirect
 	github.com/docker/go-connections v0.4.0 // indirect
 	github.com/docker/go-units v0.4.0 // indirect
diff --git a/hack/tools/go.sum b/hack/tools/go.sum
index 2bf503202d2b..9d72e42a42dc 100644
--- a/hack/tools/go.sum
+++ b/hack/tools/go.sum
@@ -91,8 +91,10 @@ github.com/creack/pty v1.1.9/go.mod h1:oKZEueFk5CKHvIhNR5MUki03XCEU+Q6VDXinZuGJ3
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.0/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 h1:vj9j/u1bqnvCEfJOwUhtlOARqs3+rkHYY13jYWTU97c=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
-github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.2+incompatible h1:T3de5rq0dB1j30rp0sA2rER+m322EBzniBPB6ZIzuh8=
-github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.2+incompatible/go.mod h1:J2gT2udsDAN96Uj4KfcMRqY0/ypR+oyYUYmja8H+y+w=
+github.com/distribution/reference v0.5.0 h1:/FUIFXtfc/x2gpa5/VGfiGLuOIdYa1t65IKK2OFGvA0=
+github.com/distribution/reference v0.5.0/go.mod h1:BbU0aIcezP1/5jX/8MP0YiH4SdvB5Y4f/wlDRiLyi3E=
+github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.3+incompatible h1:AtKxIZ36LoNK51+Z6RpzLpddBirtxJnzDrHLEKxTAYk=
+github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.3+incompatible/go.mod h1:J2gT2udsDAN96Uj4KfcMRqY0/ypR+oyYUYmja8H+y+w=
 github.com/docker/docker v24.0.6+incompatible h1:hceabKCtUgDqPu+qm0NgsaXf28Ljf4/pWFL7xjWWDgE=
 github.com/docker/docker v24.0.6+incompatible/go.mod h1:eEKB0N0r5NX/I1kEveEz05bcu8tLC/8azJZsviup8Sk=
 github.com/docker/go-connections v0.4.0 h1:El9xVISelRB7BuFusrZozjnkIM5YnzCViNKohAFqRJQ=
diff --git a/test/go.mod b/test/go.mod
index 94d3bc9ddf01..49ba8bbf458d 100644
--- a/test/go.mod
+++ b/test/go.mod
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ require (
 	github.com/coreos/go-systemd v0.0.0-20191104093116-d3cd4ed1dbcf // indirect
 	github.com/coreos/go-systemd/v22 v22.5.0 // indirect
 	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 // indirect
-	github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.2+incompatible // indirect
+	github.com/distribution/reference v0.5.0 // indirect
+	github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.3+incompatible // indirect
 	github.com/docker/go-units v0.4.0 // indirect
 	github.com/drone/envsubst/v2 v2.0.0-20210730161058-179042472c46 // indirect
 	github.com/evanphx/json-patch v5.6.0+incompatible // indirect
diff --git a/test/go.sum b/test/go.sum
index 981bc6457846..222d7275ab7b 100644
--- a/test/go.sum
+++ b/test/go.sum
@@ -116,8 +116,10 @@ github.com/creack/pty v1.1.9/go.mod h1:oKZEueFk5CKHvIhNR5MUki03XCEU+Q6VDXinZuGJ3
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.0/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 h1:vj9j/u1bqnvCEfJOwUhtlOARqs3+rkHYY13jYWTU97c=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
-github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.2+incompatible h1:T3de5rq0dB1j30rp0sA2rER+m322EBzniBPB6ZIzuh8=
-github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.2+incompatible/go.mod h1:J2gT2udsDAN96Uj4KfcMRqY0/ypR+oyYUYmja8H+y+w=
+github.com/distribution/reference v0.5.0 h1:/FUIFXtfc/x2gpa5/VGfiGLuOIdYa1t65IKK2OFGvA0=
+github.com/distribution/reference v0.5.0/go.mod h1:BbU0aIcezP1/5jX/8MP0YiH4SdvB5Y4f/wlDRiLyi3E=
+github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.3+incompatible h1:AtKxIZ36LoNK51+Z6RpzLpddBirtxJnzDrHLEKxTAYk=
+github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.3+incompatible/go.mod h1:J2gT2udsDAN96Uj4KfcMRqY0/ypR+oyYUYmja8H+y+w=
 github.com/docker/docker v24.0.6+incompatible h1:hceabKCtUgDqPu+qm0NgsaXf28Ljf4/pWFL7xjWWDgE=
 github.com/docker/docker v24.0.6+incompatible/go.mod h1:eEKB0N0r5NX/I1kEveEz05bcu8tLC/8azJZsviup8Sk=
 github.com/docker/go-connections v0.4.0 h1:El9xVISelRB7BuFusrZozjnkIM5YnzCViNKohAFqRJQ=
diff --git a/util/container/image.go b/util/container/image.go
index 41ae708800da..0ff30eb8777e 100644
--- a/util/container/image.go
+++ b/util/container/image.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"path"
 	"regexp"
 
-	"github.com/docker/distribution/reference"
+	"github.com/distribution/reference"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
diff --git a/util/container/image_test.go b/util/container/image_test.go
index 28b99f8d3801..cb8aecdd1213 100644
--- a/util/container/image_test.go
+++ b/util/container/image_test.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
-	"github.com/docker/distribution/reference"
+	"github.com/distribution/reference"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
 )