diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index ee59c8d..adc7a55 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ sync-images:
     - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "schedule"
     - if: $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_ID
       when: manual
+      allow_failure: true
   tags:
     - libvirt
   script:
@@ -67,4 +68,3 @@ sync-images:
     -  ./virter image pull $name $url
     -  ./virter image push $name ${LINBIT_DOCKER_REGISTRY}/vm/${name}:latest
     - done < <(./virter image ls --available | tail -n +2)
-    - ./virter image pull
diff --git a/cmd/image.go b/cmd/image.go
index 21295d3..25a47f8 100644
--- a/cmd/image.go
+++ b/cmd/image.go
@@ -114,8 +114,10 @@ func GetLocalImage(ctx context.Context, imageName string, source string, v *virt
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown pull policy %s", policy)
 	}
 
+	isHttpUrl := strings.HasPrefix(source, "http://") || strings.HasPrefix(source, "https://")
+
 	parsedRef, err := name.ParseReference(source, name.WithDefaultRegistry(""))
-	if err != nil || parsedRef.Context().Registry.Name() == "" {
+	if isHttpUrl || err != nil || parsedRef.Context().Registry.Name() == "" {
 		log.Tracef("Source %s failed to parse or has no registry location, trying non-registry pull", source)
 		return pullNonContainerRegistry(ctx, v, localName, source, p)
 	}