diff --git a/cmd/skopeo/main.go b/cmd/skopeo/main.go
index 85a80e1e..d5d2c69b 100644
--- a/cmd/skopeo/main.go
+++ b/cmd/skopeo/main.go
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ func createApp() (*cobra.Command, *globalOptions) {
 		loginCmd(&opts),
 		logoutCmd(&opts),
 		manifestDigestCmd(),
+		proxyCmd(&opts),
 		syncCmd(&opts),
 		standaloneSignCmd(),
 		standaloneVerifyCmd(),
diff --git a/cmd/skopeo/proxy.go b/cmd/skopeo/proxy.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..74d11686
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/skopeo/proxy.go
@@ -0,0 +1,606 @@
+//go:build !windows
+// +build !windows
+
+package main
+
+/*
+  This code is currently only intended to be used by ostree
+  to fetch content via containers.  The API is subject
+  to change.  A goal however is to stabilize the API
+  eventually as a full out-of-process interface to the
+  core containers/image library functionality.
+
+  To use this command, in a parent process create a
+  `socketpair()` of type `SOCK_SEQPACKET`.  Fork
+  off this command, and pass one half of the socket
+  pair to the child.  Providing it on stdin (fd 0)
+  is the expected default.
+
+  The protocol is JSON for the control layer,
+  and  a read side of a `pipe()` passed for large data.
+
+ Base JSON protocol:
+
+ request: { method: "MethodName": args: [arguments] }
+ reply: { success: bool, value: JSVAL, pipeid: number, error: string }
+
+ For any non-metadata i.e. payload data from `GetManifest`
+ and `GetBlob` the server will pass back the read half of a `pipe(2)` via FD passing,
+ along with a `pipeid` integer.
+
+ The expected flow looks like this:
+
+  - Initialize
+    And validate the returned protocol version versus
+	what your client supports.
+  - OpenImage docker://quay.io/someorg/example:latest
+    (returns an imageid)
+  - GetManifest imageid (and associated <pipeid>)
+  (Streaming read data from pipe)
+  - FinishPipe <pipeid>
+  - GetBlob imageid sha256:...
+  (Streaming read data from pipe)
+  - FinishPipe <pipeid>
+  - GetBlob imageid sha256:...
+  (Streaming read data from pipe)
+  - FinishPipe <pipeid>
+  - CloseImage imageid
+
+ You may interleave invocations of these methods, e.g. one
+ can also invoke `OpenImage` multiple times, as well as
+ starting multiple GetBlob requests before calling `FinishPipe`
+ on them.  The server will stream data into the pipefd
+ until `FinishPipe` is invoked.
+
+ Note that the pipe will not be closed by the server until
+ the client has invoked `FinishPipe`.  This is to ensure
+ that the client checks for errors.  For example, `GetBlob`
+ performs digest (e.g. sha256) verification and this must
+ be checked after all data has been written.
+*/
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"net"
+	"os"
+	"sync"
+	"syscall"
+
+	"github.com/containers/image/v5/image"
+	"github.com/containers/image/v5/manifest"
+	"github.com/containers/image/v5/pkg/blobinfocache"
+	"github.com/containers/image/v5/transports/alltransports"
+	"github.com/containers/image/v5/types"
+	"github.com/opencontainers/go-digest"
+	imgspecv1 "github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/specs-go/v1"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+)
+
+// protocolVersion is semantic version of the protocol used by this proxy.
+// The first version of the protocol has major version 0.2 to signify a
+// departure from the original code which used HTTP.  The minor version is 1
+// instead of 0 to help exercise semver parsers.
+const protocolVersion = "0.2.1"
+
+// maxMsgSize is the current limit on a packet size.
+// Note that all non-metadata (i.e. payload data) is sent over a pipe.
+const maxMsgSize = 32 * 1024
+
+// maxJSONFloat is ECMA Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER
+// https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Number/MAX_SAFE_INTEGER
+// We hard error if the input JSON numbers we expect to be
+// integers are above this.
+const maxJSONFloat = float64(1<<53 - 1)
+
+// request is the JSON serialization of a function call
+type request struct {
+	// Method is the name of the function
+	Method string `json:"method"`
+	// Args is the arguments (parsed inside the fuction)
+	Args []interface{} `json:"args"`
+}
+
+// reply is serialized to JSON as the return value from a function call.
+type reply struct {
+	// Success is true if and only if the call succeeded.
+	Success bool `json:"success"`
+	// Value is an arbitrary value (or values, as array/map) returned from the call.
+	Value interface{} `json:"value"`
+	// PipeID is an index into open pipes, and should be passed to FinishPipe
+	PipeID uint32 `json:"pipeid"`
+	// Error should be non-empty if Success == false
+	Error string `json:"error"`
+}
+
+// replyBuf is our internal deserialization of reply plus optional fd
+type replyBuf struct {
+	// value will be converted to a reply Value
+	value interface{}
+	// fd is the read half of a pipe, passed back to the client
+	fd *os.File
+	// pipeid will be provided to the client as PipeID, an index into our open pipes
+	pipeid uint32
+}
+
+// activePipe is an open pipe to the client.
+// It contains an error value
+type activePipe struct {
+	// w is the write half of the pipe
+	w *os.File
+	// wg is completed when our worker goroutine is done
+	wg sync.WaitGroup
+	// err may be set in our worker goroutine
+	err error
+}
+
+// openImage is an opened image reference
+type openImage struct {
+	// id is an opaque integer handle
+	id  uint32
+	src types.ImageSource
+	img types.Image
+}
+
+// proxyHandler is the state associated with our socket.
+type proxyHandler struct {
+	// lock protects everything else in this structure.
+	lock sync.Mutex
+	// opts is CLI options
+	opts   *proxyOptions
+	sysctx *types.SystemContext
+	cache  types.BlobInfoCache
+
+	// imageSerial is a counter for open images
+	imageSerial uint32
+	// images holds our opened images
+	images map[uint32]*openImage
+	// activePipes maps from "pipeid" to a pipe + goroutine pair
+	activePipes map[uint32]*activePipe
+}
+
+// Initialize performs one-time initialization, and returns the protocol version
+func (h *proxyHandler) Initialize(args []interface{}) (replyBuf, error) {
+	h.lock.Lock()
+	defer h.lock.Unlock()
+
+	var ret replyBuf
+
+	if len(args) != 0 {
+		return ret, fmt.Errorf("invalid request, expecting zero arguments")
+	}
+
+	if h.sysctx != nil {
+		return ret, fmt.Errorf("already initialized")
+	}
+
+	sysctx, err := h.opts.imageOpts.newSystemContext()
+	if err != nil {
+		return ret, err
+	}
+	h.sysctx = sysctx
+	h.cache = blobinfocache.DefaultCache(sysctx)
+
+	r := replyBuf{
+		value: protocolVersion,
+	}
+	return r, nil
+}
+
+// OpenImage accepts a string image reference i.e. TRANSPORT:REF - like `skopeo copy`.
+// The return value is an opaque integer handle.
+func (h *proxyHandler) OpenImage(args []interface{}) (replyBuf, error) {
+	h.lock.Lock()
+	defer h.lock.Unlock()
+	var ret replyBuf
+
+	if h.sysctx == nil {
+		return ret, fmt.Errorf("Must invoke Initialize")
+	}
+	if len(args) != 1 {
+		return ret, fmt.Errorf("invalid request, expecting one argument")
+	}
+	imageref, ok := args[0].(string)
+	if !ok {
+		return ret, fmt.Errorf("Expecting string imageref, not %T", args[0])
+	}
+
+	imgRef, err := alltransports.ParseImageName(imageref)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ret, err
+	}
+	imgsrc, err := imgRef.NewImageSource(context.Background(), h.sysctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ret, err
+	}
+	img, err := image.FromUnparsedImage(context.Background(), h.sysctx, image.UnparsedInstance(imgsrc, nil))
+	if err != nil {
+		return ret, fmt.Errorf("failed to load image: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	h.imageSerial++
+	openimg := &openImage{
+		id:  h.imageSerial,
+		src: imgsrc,
+		img: img,
+	}
+	h.images[openimg.id] = openimg
+	ret.value = openimg.id
+
+	return ret, nil
+}
+
+func (h *proxyHandler) CloseImage(args []interface{}) (replyBuf, error) {
+	h.lock.Lock()
+	defer h.lock.Unlock()
+	var ret replyBuf
+
+	if h.sysctx == nil {
+		return ret, fmt.Errorf("Must invoke Initialize")
+	}
+	if len(args) != 1 {
+		return ret, fmt.Errorf("invalid request, expecting one argument")
+	}
+	imgref, err := h.parseImageFromID(args[0])
+	if err != nil {
+		return ret, err
+	}
+	imgref.src.Close()
+	delete(h.images, imgref.id)
+
+	return ret, nil
+}
+
+func parseImageID(v interface{}) (uint32, error) {
+	imgidf, ok := v.(float64)
+	if !ok {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("Expecting integer imageid, not %T", v)
+	}
+	return uint32(imgidf), nil
+}
+
+// parseUint64 validates that a number fits inside a JavaScript safe integer
+func parseUint64(v interface{}) (uint64, error) {
+	f, ok := v.(float64)
+	if !ok {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("Expecting numeric, not %T", v)
+	}
+	if f > maxJSONFloat {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("Out of range integer for numeric %f", f)
+	}
+	return uint64(f), nil
+}
+
+func (h *proxyHandler) parseImageFromID(v interface{}) (*openImage, error) {
+	imgid, err := parseImageID(v)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	imgref, ok := h.images[imgid]
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("No image %v", imgid)
+	}
+	return imgref, nil
+}
+
+func (h *proxyHandler) allocPipe() (*os.File, *activePipe, error) {
+	piper, pipew, err := os.Pipe()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, err
+	}
+	f := activePipe{
+		w: pipew,
+	}
+	h.activePipes[uint32(pipew.Fd())] = &f
+	f.wg.Add(1)
+	return piper, &f, nil
+}
+
+// GetManifest returns a copy of the manifest, converted to OCI format, along with the original digest.
+func (h *proxyHandler) GetManifest(args []interface{}) (replyBuf, error) {
+	h.lock.Lock()
+	defer h.lock.Unlock()
+
+	var ret replyBuf
+
+	if h.sysctx == nil {
+		return ret, fmt.Errorf("Must invoke Initialize")
+	}
+	if len(args) != 1 {
+		return ret, fmt.Errorf("invalid request, expecting one argument")
+	}
+	imgref, err := h.parseImageFromID(args[0])
+	if err != nil {
+		return ret, err
+	}
+
+	ctx := context.TODO()
+	rawManifest, manifestType, err := imgref.img.Manifest(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ret, err
+	}
+	// We only support OCI and docker2schema2.  We know docker2schema2 can be easily+cheaply
+	// converted into OCI, so consumers only need to see OCI.
+	switch manifestType {
+	case imgspecv1.MediaTypeImageManifest, manifest.DockerV2Schema2MediaType:
+		break
+	// Explicitly reject e.g. docker schema 1 type with a "legacy" note
+	case manifest.DockerV2Schema1MediaType, manifest.DockerV2Schema1SignedMediaType:
+		return ret, fmt.Errorf("Unsupported legacy manifest MIME type: %s", manifestType)
+	default:
+		return ret, fmt.Errorf("Unsupported manifest MIME type: %s", manifestType)
+	}
+
+	// We always return the original digest, as that's what clients need to do pull-by-digest
+	// and in general identify the image.
+	digest, err := manifest.Digest(rawManifest)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ret, err
+	}
+	var serialized []byte
+	// But, we convert to OCI format on the wire if it's not already.  The idea here is that by reusing the containers/image
+	// stack, clients to this proxy can pretend the world is OCI only, and not need to care about e.g.
+	// docker schema and MIME types.
+	if manifestType != imgspecv1.MediaTypeImageManifest {
+		manifestUpdates := types.ManifestUpdateOptions{ManifestMIMEType: imgspecv1.MediaTypeImageManifest}
+		ociImage, err := imgref.img.UpdatedImage(ctx, manifestUpdates)
+		if err != nil {
+			return ret, err
+		}
+
+		ociSerialized, _, err := ociImage.Manifest(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return ret, err
+		}
+		serialized = ociSerialized
+	} else {
+		serialized = rawManifest
+	}
+	piper, f, err := h.allocPipe()
+	if err != nil {
+		return ret, err
+	}
+
+	go func() {
+		// Signal completion when we return
+		defer f.wg.Done()
+		_, err = io.Copy(f.w, bytes.NewReader(serialized))
+		if err != nil {
+			f.err = err
+		}
+	}()
+
+	ret.value = digest.String()
+	ret.fd = piper
+	ret.pipeid = uint32(f.w.Fd())
+	return ret, nil
+}
+
+// GetBlob fetches a blob, performing digest verification.
+func (h *proxyHandler) GetBlob(args []interface{}) (replyBuf, error) {
+	h.lock.Lock()
+	defer h.lock.Unlock()
+
+	var ret replyBuf
+
+	if h.sysctx == nil {
+		return ret, fmt.Errorf("Must invoke Initialize")
+	}
+	if len(args) != 3 {
+		return ret, fmt.Errorf("found %d args, expecting (imgid, digest, size)", len(args))
+	}
+	imgref, err := h.parseImageFromID(args[0])
+	if err != nil {
+		return ret, err
+	}
+	digestStr, ok := args[1].(string)
+	if !ok {
+		return ret, fmt.Errorf("expecting string blobid")
+	}
+	size, err := parseUint64(args[2])
+	if err != nil {
+		return ret, err
+	}
+
+	ctx := context.TODO()
+	d, err := digest.Parse(digestStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ret, err
+	}
+	blobr, blobSize, err := imgref.src.GetBlob(ctx, types.BlobInfo{Digest: d, Size: int64(size)}, h.cache)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ret, err
+	}
+
+	piper, f, err := h.allocPipe()
+	if err != nil {
+		return ret, err
+	}
+	go func() {
+		// Signal completion when we return
+		defer f.wg.Done()
+		verifier := d.Verifier()
+		tr := io.TeeReader(blobr, verifier)
+		n, err := io.Copy(f.w, tr)
+		if err != nil {
+			f.err = err
+			return
+		}
+		if n != int64(size) {
+			f.err = fmt.Errorf("Expected %d bytes in blob, got %d", size, n)
+		}
+		if !verifier.Verified() {
+			f.err = fmt.Errorf("corrupted blob, expecting %s", d.String())
+		}
+	}()
+
+	ret.value = blobSize
+	ret.fd = piper
+	ret.pipeid = uint32(f.w.Fd())
+	return ret, nil
+}
+
+// FinishPipe waits for the worker goroutine to finish, and closes the write side of the pipe.
+func (h *proxyHandler) FinishPipe(args []interface{}) (replyBuf, error) {
+	h.lock.Lock()
+	defer h.lock.Unlock()
+
+	var ret replyBuf
+
+	pipeidf, ok := args[0].(float64)
+	if !ok {
+		return ret, fmt.Errorf("finishpipe: expecting pipeid, not %T", args[0])
+	}
+	pipeid := uint32(pipeidf)
+
+	f, ok := h.activePipes[pipeid]
+	if !ok {
+		return ret, fmt.Errorf("finishpipe: no active pipe %d", pipeid)
+	}
+
+	// Wait for the goroutine to complete
+	f.wg.Wait()
+	// And only now do we close the write half; this forces the client to call this API
+	f.w.Close()
+	// Propagate any errors from the goroutine worker
+	err := f.err
+	delete(h.activePipes, pipeid)
+	return ret, err
+}
+
+// send writes a reply buffer to the socket
+func (buf replyBuf) send(conn *net.UnixConn, err error) error {
+	replyToSerialize := reply{
+		Success: err == nil,
+		Value:   buf.value,
+		PipeID:  buf.pipeid,
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		replyToSerialize.Error = err.Error()
+	}
+	serializedReply, err := json.Marshal(&replyToSerialize)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// We took ownership of the FD - close it when we're done.
+	defer func() {
+		if buf.fd != nil {
+			buf.fd.Close()
+		}
+	}()
+	// Copy the FD number to the socket ancillary buffer
+	fds := make([]int, 0)
+	if buf.fd != nil {
+		fds = append(fds, int(buf.fd.Fd()))
+	}
+	oob := syscall.UnixRights(fds...)
+	n, oobn, err := conn.WriteMsgUnix(serializedReply, oob, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// Validate that we sent the full packet
+	if n != len(serializedReply) || oobn != len(oob) {
+		return io.ErrShortWrite
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+type proxyOptions struct {
+	global    *globalOptions
+	imageOpts *imageOptions
+	sockFd    int
+}
+
+func proxyCmd(global *globalOptions) *cobra.Command {
+	sharedFlags, sharedOpts := sharedImageFlags()
+	imageFlags, imageOpts := imageFlags(global, sharedOpts, nil, "", "")
+	opts := proxyOptions{global: global, imageOpts: imageOpts}
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "experimental-image-proxy [command options] IMAGE",
+		Short: "Interactive proxy for fetching container images (EXPERIMENTAL)",
+		Long:  `Run skopeo as a proxy, supporting HTTP requests to fetch manifests and blobs.`,
+		RunE:  commandAction(opts.run),
+		Args:  cobra.ExactArgs(0),
+		// Not stabilized yet
+		Hidden:  true,
+		Example: `skopeo experimental-image-proxy --sockfd 3`,
+	}
+	adjustUsage(cmd)
+	flags := cmd.Flags()
+	flags.AddFlagSet(&sharedFlags)
+	flags.AddFlagSet(&imageFlags)
+	flags.IntVar(&opts.sockFd, "sockfd", 0, "Serve on opened socket pair (default 0/stdin)")
+	return cmd
+}
+
+// processRequest dispatches a remote request.
+// replyBuf is the result of the invocation.
+// terminate should be true if processing of requests should halt.
+func (h *proxyHandler) processRequest(req request) (rb replyBuf, terminate bool, err error) {
+	// Dispatch on the method
+	switch req.Method {
+	case "Initialize":
+		rb, err = h.Initialize(req.Args)
+	case "OpenImage":
+		rb, err = h.OpenImage(req.Args)
+	case "CloseImage":
+		rb, err = h.CloseImage(req.Args)
+	case "GetManifest":
+		rb, err = h.GetManifest(req.Args)
+	case "GetBlob":
+		rb, err = h.GetBlob(req.Args)
+	case "FinishPipe":
+		rb, err = h.FinishPipe(req.Args)
+	case "Shutdown":
+		terminate = true
+	default:
+		err = fmt.Errorf("unknown method: %s", req.Method)
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+// Implementation of podman experimental-image-proxy
+func (opts *proxyOptions) run(args []string, stdout io.Writer) error {
+	handler := &proxyHandler{
+		opts:        opts,
+		images:      make(map[uint32]*openImage),
+		activePipes: make(map[uint32]*activePipe),
+	}
+
+	// Convert the socket FD passed by client into a net.FileConn
+	fd := os.NewFile(uintptr(opts.sockFd), "sock")
+	fconn, err := net.FileConn(fd)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	conn := fconn.(*net.UnixConn)
+
+	// Allocate a buffer to copy the packet into
+	buf := make([]byte, maxMsgSize)
+	for {
+		n, _, err := conn.ReadFrom(buf)
+		if err != nil {
+			if errors.Is(err, io.EOF) {
+				return nil
+			}
+			return fmt.Errorf("reading socket: %v", err)
+		}
+		// Parse the request JSON
+		readbuf := buf[0:n]
+		var req request
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(readbuf, &req); err != nil {
+			rb := replyBuf{}
+			rb.send(conn, fmt.Errorf("invalid request: %v", err))
+		}
+
+		rb, terminate, err := handler.processRequest(req)
+		if terminate {
+			return nil
+		}
+		rb.send(conn, err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/skopeo/proxy_windows.go b/cmd/skopeo/proxy_windows.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..332b0c2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/skopeo/proxy_windows.go
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+//go:build windows
+// +build windows
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+)
+
+type proxyOptions struct {
+	global *globalOptions
+}
+
+func proxyCmd(global *globalOptions) *cobra.Command {
+	opts := proxyOptions{global: global}
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{
+		RunE: commandAction(opts.run),
+		Args: cobra.ExactArgs(0),
+		// Not stabilized yet
+		Hidden: true,
+	}
+	return cmd
+}
+
+func (opts *proxyOptions) run(args []string, stdout io.Writer) error {
+	return fmt.Errorf("This command is not supported on Windows")
+}