diff --git a/cmd/skopeo/copy.go b/cmd/skopeo/copy.go
index e5d5b7d7..f5b2e9c5 100644
--- a/cmd/skopeo/copy.go
+++ b/cmd/skopeo/copy.go
@@ -89,10 +89,6 @@ func copyCmd(global *globalOptions) cli.Command {
 				Usage: "`MANIFEST TYPE` (oci, v2s1, or v2s2) to use when saving image to directory using the 'dir:' transport (default is manifest type of source)",
 				Value: newOptionalStringValue(&opts.format),
 			},
-			cli.BoolFlag{
-				Name:  "dest-compress",
-				Usage: "Compress tarball image layers when saving to directory using the 'dir' transport. (default is same compression type as source)",
-			},
 		}, srcFlags...), destFlags...),
 	}
 }
diff --git a/cmd/skopeo/utils.go b/cmd/skopeo/utils.go
index 26b16993..9a7ca3b0 100644
--- a/cmd/skopeo/utils.go
+++ b/cmd/skopeo/utils.go
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ func contextFromImageOptions(c *cli.Context, opts *imageOptions) (*types.SystemC
 		OSChoice:             opts.global.overrideOS,
 		DockerCertPath:       opts.dockerCertPath,
 		OCISharedBlobDirPath: opts.sharedBlobDir,
-		DirForceCompress:     c.Bool(opts.flagPrefix + "compress"),
 		AuthFilePath:         c.String("authfile"),
 		DockerDaemonHost:     opts.dockerDaemonHost,
 		DockerDaemonCertPath: opts.dockerCertPath,
@@ -102,7 +101,8 @@ func contextFromImageOptions(c *cli.Context, opts *imageOptions) (*types.SystemC
 // imageDestOptions is a superset of imageOptions specialized for iamge destinations.
 type imageDestOptions struct {
 	*imageOptions
-	osTreeTmpDir string // A directory to use for OSTree temporary files
+	osTreeTmpDir        string // A directory to use for OSTree temporary files
+	dirForceCompression bool   // Compress layers when saving to the dir: transport
 }
 
 // imageDestFlags prepares a collection of CLI flags writing into imageDestOptions, and the managed imageDestOptions structure.
@@ -116,6 +116,11 @@ func imageDestFlags(global *globalOptions, flagPrefix, credsOptionAlias string)
 			Usage:       "`DIRECTORY` to use for OSTree temporary files",
 			Destination: &opts.osTreeTmpDir,
 		},
+		cli.BoolFlag{
+			Name:        flagPrefix + "compress",
+			Usage:       "Compress tarball image layers when saving to directory using the 'dir' transport. (default is same compression type as source)",
+			Destination: &opts.dirForceCompression,
+		},
 	}...), &opts
 }
 
@@ -128,6 +133,7 @@ func contextFromImageDestOptions(c *cli.Context, opts *imageDestOptions) (*types
 	}
 
 	ctx.OSTreeTmpDirPath = opts.osTreeTmpDir
+	ctx.DirForceCompress = opts.dirForceCompression
 	return ctx, err
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/skopeo/utils_test.go b/cmd/skopeo/utils_test.go
index 3934c465..615a77f8 100644
--- a/cmd/skopeo/utils_test.go
+++ b/cmd/skopeo/utils_test.go
@@ -71,14 +71,6 @@ func TestContextFromImageOptions(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, &types.SystemContext{}, res)
 
-	// Explicitly set everything to default, except for when the default is “not present”
-	c, opts = fakeImageContext(t, "copy", "dest-", []string{}, []string{
-		"--dest-compress=false",
-	})
-	res, err = contextFromImageOptions(c, opts)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, &types.SystemContext{}, res)
-
 	// Set everything to non-default values.
 	c, opts = fakeImageContext(t, "copy", "dest-", []string{
 		"--registries.d", "/srv/registries.d",
@@ -88,7 +80,6 @@ func TestContextFromImageOptions(t *testing.T) {
 		"--authfile", "/srv/authfile",
 		"--dest-cert-dir", "/srv/cert-dir",
 		"--dest-shared-blob-dir", "/srv/shared-blob-dir",
-		"--dest-compress=true",
 		"--dest-daemon-host", "daemon-host.example.com",
 		"--dest-tls-verify=false",
 		"--dest-creds", "creds-user:creds-password",
@@ -107,7 +98,6 @@ func TestContextFromImageOptions(t *testing.T) {
 		DockerDaemonCertPath:              "/srv/cert-dir",
 		DockerDaemonHost:                  "daemon-host.example.com",
 		DockerDaemonInsecureSkipTLSVerify: true,
-		DirForceCompress:                  true,
 	}, res)
 
 	// Global/per-command tlsVerify behavior