diff --git a/pulp_container/app/registry_api.py b/pulp_container/app/registry_api.py
index f60d75b80..2f1e6069d 100644
--- a/pulp_container/app/registry_api.py
+++ b/pulp_container/app/registry_api.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 import logging
 import hashlib
 import re
+import tarfile
 
 from aiohttp.client_exceptions import ClientResponseError
 from itertools import chain
@@ -929,14 +930,23 @@ def put(self, request, path, pk=None):
                 artifact.touch()
 
         blob = None
-        try:
+        if tarfile.is_tarfile(artifact.file):
+            blob = self.create_blob(artifact, digest)
+            repository.pending_blobs.add(blob)
+        else:
             raw_manifest = artifact.file.read().decode("utf-8")
             manifest = json.loads(raw_manifest)
             blob = self.create_config_blob(manifest, raw_manifest, digest)
             repository.pending_config_blobs.add(blob)
-        except UnicodeDecodeError:
-            blob = self.create_blob(artifact, digest)
-            repository.pending_blobs.add(blob)
+
+        #try:
+        #    raw_manifest = artifact.file.read().decode("utf-8")
+        #    manifest = json.loads(raw_manifest)
+        #    blob = self.create_config_blob(manifest, raw_manifest, digest)
+        #    repository.pending_config_blobs.add(blob)
+        #except UnicodeDecodeError:
+        #    blob = self.create_blob(artifact, digest)
+        #    repository.pending_blobs.add(blob)
         upload.delete()
 
         return BlobResponse(blob, path, 201, request)