diff --git a/image/copy/copy.go b/image/copy/copy.go
index 577473718b..a17c6f5e1b 100644
--- a/image/copy/copy.go
+++ b/image/copy/copy.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package copy
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
@@ -154,6 +155,13 @@ type Options struct {
 	// is slightly pessimistic if the destination image doesn't exist, or is not equivalent.
 	OptimizeDestinationImageAlreadyExists bool
 
+	// When OmitPrimaryManifestUpdateIfUnchanged is set, the image's primary manifest is not
+	// written to the destination if the destination already contains a byte-for-byte identical
+	// one. That way a copy which changes nothing does not fail against destinations which reject
+	// writing to a name that already exists, e.g. registries enforcing tag immutability.
+	// Manifest instances of a manifest list are not affected, see (*copier).putManifest.
+	OmitPrimaryManifestUpdateIfUnchanged bool
+
 	// Download layer contents with "nondistributable" media types ("foreign" layers) and translate the layer media type
 	// to not indicate "nondistributable".
 	DownloadForeignLayers bool
@@ -425,6 +433,44 @@ func (c *copier) Printf(format string, a ...any) {
 	fmt.Fprintf(c.reportWriter, format, a...)
 }
 
+// putManifest writes man to c.dest, with instanceDigest interpreted as in
+// private.ImageDestination.PutManifest.
+//
+// If c.options.OmitPrimaryManifestUpdateIfUnchanged is set, the write is skipped when the
+// destination already contains a byte-for-byte identical primary manifest; some destinations
+// reject writing to a name that already exists, so an otherwise no-op copy would fail there.
+//
+// That check costs an extra read from the destination, so it is deliberately limited to the
+// primary manifest (instanceDigest == nil): instances of a manifest list are written by digest,
+// which such destinations don't restrict, and there can be arbitrarily many of them.
+func (c *copier) putManifest(ctx context.Context, man []byte, instanceDigest *digest.Digest) error {
+	if c.options.OmitPrimaryManifestUpdateIfUnchanged && instanceDigest == nil {
+		if unchanged, err := c.destinationManifestEqual(ctx, man); err != nil {
+			// Not being able to read the destination is not fatal, we can still just write.
+			logrus.Debugf("Error reading manifest from destination, writing unconditionally: %v", err)
+		} else if unchanged {
+			logrus.Debugf("Skipping manifest write, destination already contains an identical manifest")
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+	return c.dest.PutManifest(ctx, man, instanceDigest)
+}
+
+// destinationManifestEqual reports whether the primary manifest currently stored at the
+// destination is byte-for-byte identical to man.
+func (c *copier) destinationManifestEqual(ctx context.Context, man []byte) (bool, error) {
+	src, err := c.dest.Reference().NewImageSource(ctx, c.options.DestinationCtx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	defer src.Close()
+	destManifest, _, err := src.GetManifest(ctx, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	return bytes.Equal(man, destManifest), nil
+}
+
 // close tears down state owned by copier.
 func (c *copier) close() {
 	for i, s := range c.signersToClose {
diff --git a/image/copy/copy_test.go b/image/copy/copy_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..eceb1524f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/image/copy/copy_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+package copy
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	digest "github.com/opencontainers/go-digest"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"go.podman.io/image/v5/directory"
+	"go.podman.io/image/v5/internal/imagedestination"
+	"go.podman.io/image/v5/internal/private"
+)
+
+// putManifestCountingDestination counts the PutManifest calls that reach the underlying destination.
+type putManifestCountingDestination struct {
+	private.ImageDestination
+	putManifestCalls int
+}
+
+func (d *putManifestCountingDestination) PutManifest(ctx context.Context, manifest []byte, instanceDigest *digest.Digest) error {
+	d.putManifestCalls++
+	return d.ImageDestination.PutManifest(ctx, manifest, instanceDigest)
+}
+
+func TestCopierPutManifest(t *testing.T) {
+	const manifestContents = `{"schemaVersion":2,"mediaType":"application/vnd.oci.image.manifest.v1+json"}`
+	instance := digest.FromString("instance")
+
+	for _, c := range []struct {
+		name string
+		// omitIfUnchanged is the value of Options.OmitPrimaryManifestUpdateIfUnchanged.
+		omitIfUnchanged bool
+		// instanceDigest is passed to putManifest; nil writes the primary manifest.
+		instanceDigest *digest.Digest
+		// existing is what the destination already contains, "" for nothing at all.
+		existing string
+		// expectWrite is whether the destination is expected to be written to.
+		expectWrite bool
+	}{
+		{name: "option not set", omitIfUnchanged: false, existing: manifestContents, expectWrite: true},
+		{name: "unchanged primary manifest", omitIfUnchanged: true, existing: manifestContents, expectWrite: false},
+		{name: "changed primary manifest", omitIfUnchanged: true, existing: `{"schemaVersion":2}`, expectWrite: true},
+		{name: "nothing at the destination", omitIfUnchanged: true, existing: "", expectWrite: true},
+		// Instances are written by digest, so they are never skipped, even if unchanged.
+		{name: "unchanged instance", omitIfUnchanged: true, instanceDigest: &instance, existing: manifestContents, expectWrite: true},
+	} {
+		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			ctx := context.Background()
+			ref, err := directory.NewReference(t.TempDir())
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			publicDest, err := ref.NewImageDestination(ctx, nil)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			defer publicDest.Close()
+			dest := &putManifestCountingDestination{ImageDestination: imagedestination.FromPublic(publicDest)}
+
+			if c.existing != "" {
+				err := dest.PutManifest(ctx, []byte(c.existing), c.instanceDigest)
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+				dest.putManifestCalls = 0
+			}
+
+			copier := &copier{
+				dest:    dest,
+				options: &Options{OmitPrimaryManifestUpdateIfUnchanged: c.omitIfUnchanged},
+			}
+			err = copier.putManifest(ctx, []byte(manifestContents), c.instanceDigest)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			if c.expectWrite {
+				assert.Equal(t, 1, dest.putManifestCalls)
+			} else {
+				assert.Equal(t, 0, dest.putManifestCalls)
+			}
+
+			// Either way, the destination ends up containing the manifest.
+			src, err := ref.NewImageSource(ctx, nil)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			defer src.Close()
+			m, _, err := src.GetManifest(ctx, c.instanceDigest)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, manifestContents, string(m))
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/image/copy/multiple.go b/image/copy/multiple.go
index cb43ea7186..1430328956 100644
--- a/image/copy/multiple.go
+++ b/image/copy/multiple.go
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ func (c *copier) copyMultipleImages(ctx context.Context) (copiedManifest []byte,
 		}
 
 		// Save the manifest list.
-		err = c.dest.PutManifest(ctx, attemptedManifestList, nil)
+		err = c.putManifest(ctx, attemptedManifestList, nil)
 		if err != nil {
 			logrus.Debugf("Upload of manifest list type %s failed: %v", thisListType, err)
 			errs = append(errs, fmt.Sprintf("%s(%v)", thisListType, err))
diff --git a/image/copy/single.go b/image/copy/single.go
index 8a2af47af7..32157b64d9 100644
--- a/image/copy/single.go
+++ b/image/copy/single.go
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ func (ic *imageCopier) copyUpdatedConfigAndManifest(ctx context.Context, instanc
 	if instanceDigest != nil {
 		instanceDigest = &manifestDigest
 	}
-	if err := ic.c.dest.PutManifest(ctx, man, instanceDigest); err != nil {
+	if err := ic.c.putManifest(ctx, man, instanceDigest); err != nil {
 		logrus.Debugf("Error %v while writing manifest %q", err, string(man))
 		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("writing manifest: %w", err)
 	}