diff --git a/builder/builder-next/adapters/containerimage/pull.go b/builder/builder-next/adapters/containerimage/pull.go
index 0cf7358822..9deb5c21a5 100644
--- a/builder/builder-next/adapters/containerimage/pull.go
+++ b/builder/builder-next/adapters/containerimage/pull.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"path"
-	"runtime"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -563,7 +562,7 @@ func (p *puller) Snapshot(ctx context.Context, g session.Group) (cache.Immutable
 	}()
 
 	r := image.NewRootFS()
-	rootFS, release, err := p.is.DownloadManager.Download(ctx, *r, runtime.GOOS, layers, pkgprogress.ChanOutput(pchan))
+	rootFS, release, err := p.is.DownloadManager.Download(ctx, *r, layers, pkgprogress.ChanOutput(pchan))
 	stopProgress()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/builder/builder-next/worker/worker.go b/builder/builder-next/worker/worker.go
index b02e206470..ebf149d351 100644
--- a/builder/builder-next/worker/worker.go
+++ b/builder/builder-next/worker/worker.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	nethttp "net/http"
-	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -356,7 +355,7 @@ func (w *Worker) FromRemote(ctx context.Context, remote *solver.Remote) (cache.I
 	}()
 
 	r := image.NewRootFS()
-	rootFS, release, err := w.DownloadManager.Download(ctx, *r, runtime.GOOS, layers, &discardProgress{})
+	rootFS, release, err := w.DownloadManager.Download(ctx, *r, layers, &discardProgress{})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/distribution/pull_v2.go b/distribution/pull_v2.go
index 296f47372b..07cc1e5b86 100644
--- a/distribution/pull_v2.go
+++ b/distribution/pull_v2.go
@@ -547,7 +547,7 @@ func (p *v2Puller) pullSchema1(ctx context.Context, ref reference.Reference, unv
 		descriptors = append(descriptors, layerDescriptor)
 	}
 
-	resultRootFS, release, err := p.config.DownloadManager.Download(ctx, *rootFS, runtime.GOOS, descriptors, p.config.ProgressOutput)
+	resultRootFS, release, err := p.config.DownloadManager.Download(ctx, *rootFS, descriptors, p.config.ProgressOutput)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", "", err
 	}
@@ -665,6 +665,12 @@ func (p *v2Puller) pullSchema2Layers(ctx context.Context, target distribution.De
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Assume that the operating system is the host OS if blank, and validate it
+	// to ensure we don't cause a panic by an invalid index into the layerstores.
+	if layerStoreOS != "" && !system.IsOSSupported(layerStoreOS) {
+		return "", system.ErrNotSupportedOperatingSystem
+	}
+
 	if p.config.DownloadManager != nil {
 		go func() {
 			var (
@@ -672,7 +678,7 @@ func (p *v2Puller) pullSchema2Layers(ctx context.Context, target distribution.De
 				rootFS image.RootFS
 			)
 			downloadRootFS := *image.NewRootFS()
-			rootFS, release, err = p.config.DownloadManager.Download(ctx, downloadRootFS, layerStoreOS, descriptors, p.config.ProgressOutput)
+			rootFS, release, err = p.config.DownloadManager.Download(ctx, downloadRootFS, descriptors, p.config.ProgressOutput)
 			if err != nil {
 				// Intentionally do not cancel the config download here
 				// as the error from config download (if there is one)
diff --git a/distribution/xfer/download.go b/distribution/xfer/download.go
index 847152d081..6eddfac0dd 100644
--- a/distribution/xfer/download.go
+++ b/distribution/xfer/download.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
-	"runtime"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/docker/distribution"
@@ -14,7 +13,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/archive"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/ioutils"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/progress"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/system"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
@@ -106,7 +104,7 @@ type DownloadDescriptorWithRegistered interface {
 // Download method is called to get the layer tar data. Layers are then
 // registered in the appropriate order.  The caller must call the returned
 // release function once it is done with the returned RootFS object.
-func (ldm *LayerDownloadManager) Download(ctx context.Context, initialRootFS image.RootFS, os string, layers []DownloadDescriptor, progressOutput progress.Output) (image.RootFS, func(), error) {
+func (ldm *LayerDownloadManager) Download(ctx context.Context, initialRootFS image.RootFS, layers []DownloadDescriptor, progressOutput progress.Output) (image.RootFS, func(), error) {
 	var (
 		topLayer       layer.Layer
 		topDownload    *downloadTransfer
@@ -116,16 +114,6 @@ func (ldm *LayerDownloadManager) Download(ctx context.Context, initialRootFS ima
 		downloadsByKey = make(map[string]*downloadTransfer)
 	)
 
-	// Assume that the operating system is the host OS if blank, and validate it
-	// to ensure we don't cause a panic by an invalid index into the layerstores.
-	// TODO remove now that LCOW is no longer a thing
-	if os == "" {
-		os = runtime.GOOS
-	}
-	if !system.IsOSSupported(os) {
-		return image.RootFS{}, nil, system.ErrNotSupportedOperatingSystem
-	}
-
 	rootFS := initialRootFS
 	for _, descriptor := range layers {
 		key := descriptor.Key()
diff --git a/distribution/xfer/download_test.go b/distribution/xfer/download_test.go
index fbf7f541af..8253c75f1a 100644
--- a/distribution/xfer/download_test.go
+++ b/distribution/xfer/download_test.go
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ func TestSuccessfulDownload(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	firstDescriptor.diffID = l.DiffID()
 
-	rootFS, releaseFunc, err := ldm.Download(context.Background(), *image.NewRootFS(), runtime.GOOS, descriptors, progress.ChanOutput(progressChan))
+	rootFS, releaseFunc, err := ldm.Download(context.Background(), *image.NewRootFS(), descriptors, progress.ChanOutput(progressChan))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("download error: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ func TestCancelledDownload(t *testing.T) {
 	}()
 
 	descriptors := downloadDescriptors(nil)
-	_, _, err := ldm.Download(ctx, *image.NewRootFS(), runtime.GOOS, descriptors, progress.ChanOutput(progressChan))
+	_, _, err := ldm.Download(ctx, *image.NewRootFS(), descriptors, progress.ChanOutput(progressChan))
 	if err != context.Canceled {
 		t.Fatal("expected download to be cancelled")
 	}
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ func TestMaxDownloadAttempts(t *testing.T) {
 			descriptors := downloadDescriptors(&currentDownloads)
 			descriptors[4].(*mockDownloadDescriptor).simulateRetries = tc.simulateRetries
 
-			_, _, err := ldm.Download(context.Background(), *image.NewRootFS(), runtime.GOOS, descriptors, progress.ChanOutput(progressChan))
+			_, _, err := ldm.Download(context.Background(), *image.NewRootFS(), descriptors, progress.ChanOutput(progressChan))
 			if tc.expectedErr == "" {
 				assert.NilError(t, err)
 			} else {