diff --git a/libimage/image.go b/libimage/image.go
index 3897d2f00..da4ff8b7a 100644
--- a/libimage/image.go
+++ b/libimage/image.go
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ func (i *Image) removeRecursive(ctx context.Context, rmMap map[string]*RemoveIma
 	// have a closer look at the errors.  On top, image removal should be
 	// tolerant toward corrupted images.
 	handleError := func(err error) error {
-		if errors.Is(err, storage.ErrImageUnknown) || errors.Is(err, storage.ErrNotAnImage) || errors.Is(err, storage.ErrLayerUnknown) {
+		if ErrorIsImageUnknown(err) {
 			// The image or layers of the image may already have been removed
 			// in which case we consider the image to be removed.
 			return nil
diff --git a/libimage/layer_tree.go b/libimage/layer_tree.go
index c9de814a7..e6b012f90 100644
--- a/libimage/layer_tree.go
+++ b/libimage/layer_tree.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 
 	"github.com/containers/storage"
+	storageTypes "github.com/containers/storage/types"
 	ociv1 "github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/specs-go/v1"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
@@ -31,10 +32,19 @@ func (t *layerTree) node(layerID string) *layerNode {
 	return node
 }
 
+// ErrorIsImageUnknown returns true if the specified error indicates that an
+// image is unknown or has been partially removed (e.g., a missing layer).
+func ErrorIsImageUnknown(err error) bool {
+	return errors.Is(err, storage.ErrImageUnknown) ||
+		errors.Is(err, storageTypes.ErrLayerUnknown) ||
+		errors.Is(err, storageTypes.ErrSizeUnknown) ||
+		errors.Is(err, storage.ErrNotAnImage)
+}
+
 // toOCI returns an OCI image for the specified image.
 //
 // WARNING: callers are responsible for handling cases where the target image
-// has been removed and need to check for `storage.ErrImageUnknown`.
+// has been (partially) removed and can use `ErrorIsImageUnknown` to detect it.
 func (t *layerTree) toOCI(ctx context.Context, i *Image) (*ociv1.Image, error) {
 	var err error
 	oci, exists := t.ociCache[i.ID()]
@@ -159,7 +169,7 @@ func (t *layerTree) children(ctx context.Context, parent *Image, all bool) ([]*I
 	parentID := parent.ID()
 	parentOCI, err := t.toOCI(ctx, parent)
 	if err != nil {
-		if errors.Is(err, storage.ErrImageUnknown) {
+		if ErrorIsImageUnknown(err) {
 			return nil, nil
 		}
 		return nil, err
@@ -172,7 +182,7 @@ func (t *layerTree) children(ctx context.Context, parent *Image, all bool) ([]*I
 		}
 		childOCI, err := t.toOCI(ctx, child)
 		if err != nil {
-			if errors.Is(err, storage.ErrImageUnknown) {
+			if ErrorIsImageUnknown(err) {
 				return false, nil
 			}
 			return false, err
@@ -265,7 +275,7 @@ func (t *layerTree) parent(ctx context.Context, child *Image) (*Image, error) {
 	childID := child.ID()
 	childOCI, err := t.toOCI(ctx, child)
 	if err != nil {
-		if errors.Is(err, storage.ErrImageUnknown) {
+		if ErrorIsImageUnknown(err) {
 			return nil, nil
 		}
 		return nil, err
@@ -281,7 +291,7 @@ func (t *layerTree) parent(ctx context.Context, child *Image) (*Image, error) {
 			}
 			emptyOCI, err := t.toOCI(ctx, empty)
 			if err != nil {
-				if errors.Is(err, storage.ErrImageUnknown) {
+				if ErrorIsImageUnknown(err) {
 					return nil, nil
 				}
 				return nil, err
@@ -316,7 +326,7 @@ func (t *layerTree) parent(ctx context.Context, child *Image) (*Image, error) {
 		}
 		parentOCI, err := t.toOCI(ctx, parent)
 		if err != nil {
-			if errors.Is(err, storage.ErrImageUnknown) {
+			if ErrorIsImageUnknown(err) {
 				return nil, nil
 			}
 			return nil, err