diff --git a/cache/filelist.go b/cache/filelist.go
index 0cb2e9b60..225a52004 100644
--- a/cache/filelist.go
+++ b/cache/filelist.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func (sr *immutableRef) FileList(ctx context.Context, s session.Group) ([]string
 		}
 
 		// lazy blobs need to be pulled first
-		if err := sr.Extract(ctx, s); err != nil {
+		if err := sr.ensureLocalContentBlob(ctx, s); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 
diff --git a/cache/manager.go b/cache/manager.go
index 2771f4f15..156dc59fc 100644
--- a/cache/manager.go
+++ b/cache/manager.go
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ func (cm *cacheManager) GetByBlob(ctx context.Context, desc ocispecs.Descriptor,
 
 	ref := rec.ref(true, descHandlers, nil)
 	if s := unlazySessionOf(opts...); s != nil {
-		if err := ref.unlazy(ctx, ref.descHandlers, ref.progress, s, true); err != nil {
+		if err := ref.unlazy(ctx, ref.descHandlers, ref.progress, s, true, false); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/cache/refs.go b/cache/refs.go
index 94792f7c0..0d1f089ce 100644
--- a/cache/refs.go
+++ b/cache/refs.go
@@ -992,6 +992,14 @@ func (sr *immutableRef) Mount(ctx context.Context, readonly bool, s session.Grou
 	return mnt, nil
 }
 
+func (sr *immutableRef) ensureLocalContentBlob(ctx context.Context, s session.Group) error {
+	if (sr.kind() == Layer || sr.kind() == BaseLayer) && !sr.getBlobOnly() {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return sr.unlazy(ctx, sr.descHandlers, sr.progress, s, true, true)
+}
+
 func (sr *immutableRef) Extract(ctx context.Context, s session.Group) (rerr error) {
 	if (sr.kind() == Layer || sr.kind() == BaseLayer) && !sr.getBlobOnly() {
 		return nil
@@ -1002,14 +1010,14 @@ func (sr *immutableRef) Extract(ctx context.Context, s session.Group) (rerr erro
 			if rerr = sr.prepareRemoteSnapshotsStargzMode(ctx, s); rerr != nil {
 				return
 			}
-			rerr = sr.unlazy(ctx, sr.descHandlers, sr.progress, s, true)
+			rerr = sr.unlazy(ctx, sr.descHandlers, sr.progress, s, true, false)
 		}); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		return rerr
 	}
 
-	return sr.unlazy(ctx, sr.descHandlers, sr.progress, s, true)
+	return sr.unlazy(ctx, sr.descHandlers, sr.progress, s, true, false)
 }
 
 func (sr *immutableRef) withRemoteSnapshotLabelsStargzMode(ctx context.Context, s session.Group, f func()) error {
@@ -1149,9 +1157,12 @@ func makeTmpLabelsStargzMode(labels map[string]string, s session.Group) (fields
 	return
 }
 
-func (sr *immutableRef) unlazy(ctx context.Context, dhs DescHandlers, pg progress.Controller, s session.Group, topLevel bool) error {
+func (sr *immutableRef) unlazy(ctx context.Context, dhs DescHandlers, pg progress.Controller, s session.Group, topLevel bool, ensureContentStore bool) error {
 	_, err := g.Do(ctx, sr.ID()+"-unlazy", func(ctx context.Context) (_ struct{}, rerr error) {
 		if _, err := sr.cm.Snapshotter.Stat(ctx, sr.getSnapshotID()); err == nil {
+			if !ensureContentStore {
+				return struct{}{}, nil
+			}
 			if blob := sr.getBlob(); blob == "" {
 				return struct{}{}, nil
 			}
@@ -1162,9 +1173,9 @@ func (sr *immutableRef) unlazy(ctx context.Context, dhs DescHandlers, pg progres
 
 		switch sr.kind() {
 		case Merge, Diff:
-			return struct{}{}, sr.unlazyDiffMerge(ctx, dhs, pg, s, topLevel)
+			return struct{}{}, sr.unlazyDiffMerge(ctx, dhs, pg, s, topLevel, ensureContentStore)
 		case Layer, BaseLayer:
-			return struct{}{}, sr.unlazyLayer(ctx, dhs, pg, s)
+			return struct{}{}, sr.unlazyLayer(ctx, dhs, pg, s, ensureContentStore)
 		}
 		return struct{}{}, nil
 	})
@@ -1172,7 +1183,7 @@ func (sr *immutableRef) unlazy(ctx context.Context, dhs DescHandlers, pg progres
 }
 
 // should be called within sizeG.Do call for this ref's ID
-func (sr *immutableRef) unlazyDiffMerge(ctx context.Context, dhs DescHandlers, pg progress.Controller, s session.Group, topLevel bool) (rerr error) {
+func (sr *immutableRef) unlazyDiffMerge(ctx context.Context, dhs DescHandlers, pg progress.Controller, s session.Group, topLevel bool, ensureContentStore bool) (rerr error) {
 	eg, egctx := errgroup.WithContext(ctx)
 	var diffs []snapshot.Diff
 	sr.layerWalk(func(sr *immutableRef) {
@@ -1182,13 +1193,13 @@ func (sr *immutableRef) unlazyDiffMerge(ctx context.Context, dhs DescHandlers, p
 			if sr.diffParents.lower != nil {
 				diff.Lower = sr.diffParents.lower.getSnapshotID()
 				eg.Go(func() error {
-					return sr.diffParents.lower.unlazy(egctx, dhs, pg, s, false)
+					return sr.diffParents.lower.unlazy(egctx, dhs, pg, s, false, ensureContentStore)
 				})
 			}
 			if sr.diffParents.upper != nil {
 				diff.Upper = sr.diffParents.upper.getSnapshotID()
 				eg.Go(func() error {
-					return sr.diffParents.upper.unlazy(egctx, dhs, pg, s, false)
+					return sr.diffParents.upper.unlazy(egctx, dhs, pg, s, false, ensureContentStore)
 				})
 			}
 		case Layer:
@@ -1197,7 +1208,7 @@ func (sr *immutableRef) unlazyDiffMerge(ctx context.Context, dhs DescHandlers, p
 		case BaseLayer:
 			diff.Upper = sr.getSnapshotID()
 			eg.Go(func() error {
-				return sr.unlazy(egctx, dhs, pg, s, false)
+				return sr.unlazy(egctx, dhs, pg, s, false, ensureContentStore)
 			})
 		}
 		diffs = append(diffs, diff)
@@ -1228,7 +1239,7 @@ func (sr *immutableRef) unlazyDiffMerge(ctx context.Context, dhs DescHandlers, p
 }
 
 // should be called within sizeG.Do call for this ref's ID
-func (sr *immutableRef) unlazyLayer(ctx context.Context, dhs DescHandlers, pg progress.Controller, s session.Group) (rerr error) {
+func (sr *immutableRef) unlazyLayer(ctx context.Context, dhs DescHandlers, pg progress.Controller, s session.Group, ensureContentStore bool) (rerr error) {
 	if !sr.getBlobOnly() {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -1255,7 +1266,7 @@ func (sr *immutableRef) unlazyLayer(ctx context.Context, dhs DescHandlers, pg pr
 	parentID := ""
 	if sr.layerParent != nil {
 		eg.Go(func() error {
-			if err := sr.layerParent.unlazy(egctx, dhs, pg, s, false); err != nil {
+			if err := sr.layerParent.unlazy(egctx, dhs, pg, s, false, ensureContentStore); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 			parentID = sr.layerParent.getSnapshotID()