diff --git a/osbuild/objectstore.py b/osbuild/objectstore.py
index 2754cff5..01dcaa1c 100644
--- a/osbuild/objectstore.py
+++ b/osbuild/objectstore.py
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ class ObjectStore(contextlib.AbstractContextManager):
 
         return obj
 
-    def commit(self, obj: Object, object_id: str, clone: bool = False) -> str:
+    def commit(self, obj: Object, object_id: str) -> str:
         """Commits a Object to the object store
 
         Move the contents of the obj (Object) to object directory
@@ -288,17 +288,23 @@ class ObjectStore(contextlib.AbstractContextManager):
         directory with the object_id as the name ('refs/{object_id}).
         If the link already exists, it will be atomically replaced.
 
+        If object_id is different from the id of the object, a copy
+        of the object will be stored.
+
         Returns: The name of the object
         """
 
+        # The supplied object_id is not the object's final id, so
+        # we have to make a copy first
+        if obj.id != object_id:
+            tmp = self.new(object_id)
+            tmp.init(obj)
+            obj = tmp
+
         # The object is stored in the objects directory using its unique
         # name. This means that each commit will always result in a new
         # object in the store, even if an identical one exists.
-        if clone:
-            object_name = str(uuid.uuid4())
-            obj.clone(os.path.join(self.objects, object_name))
-        else:
-            object_name = obj.store_tree()
+        object_name = obj.store_tree()
 
         # symlink the object_id (config hash) in the refs directory to the
         # object name in the objects directory. If a symlink by that name
diff --git a/osbuild/pipeline.py b/osbuild/pipeline.py
index c7d7a0ff..02f96bc0 100644
--- a/osbuild/pipeline.py
+++ b/osbuild/pipeline.py
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ class Pipeline:
                 return results
 
             if stage.checkpoint:
-                object_store.commit(tree, stage.id, clone=bool(todo))
+                object_store.commit(tree, stage.id)
 
         tree.finalize()
 
diff --git a/test/mod/test_objectstore.py b/test/mod/test_objectstore.py
index 05fe5a5f..af9ea98a 100644
--- a/test/mod/test_objectstore.py
+++ b/test/mod/test_objectstore.py
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ class TestObjectStore(unittest.TestCase):
                     data_inode = st.st_ino
 
                 # commit the object as "x", making a copy
-                store.commit(tree, "x", clone=True)
+                store.commit(tree, "x")
 
                 # check that "data" got indeed copied
                 tree = store.get("x")
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ class TestObjectStore(unittest.TestCase):
                 p.touch()
 
             assert not store.contains("a")
-            store.commit(tree, "a", clone=True)
+            store.commit(tree, "a")  # store via "a", creates a clone
             assert store.contains("a")
 
             with tree.write() as path: