diff --git a/pkg/patch/cmd.go b/pkg/patch/cmd.go
index c8a3f62b..388e3a44 100644
--- a/pkg/patch/cmd.go
+++ b/pkg/patch/cmd.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ type patchArgs struct {
 	ignoreError   bool
 	format        string
 	output        string
-	pushDest      string
+	push          bool
 }
 
 func NewPatchCmd() *cobra.Command {
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func NewPatchCmd() *cobra.Command {
 				ua.format,
 				ua.output,
 				ua.ignoreError,
-				ua.pushDest)
+				ua.push)
 		},
 	}
 	flags := patchCmd.Flags()
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func NewPatchCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	flags.BoolVar(&ua.ignoreError, "ignore-errors", false, "Ignore errors and continue patching")
 	flags.StringVarP(&ua.format, "format", "f", "openvex", "Output format, defaults to 'openvex'")
 	flags.StringVarP(&ua.output, "output", "o", "", "Output file path")
-	flags.StringVarP(&ua.pushDest, "push", "p", "", "Push patched image to destination registry. Format: <registry>/<image>:<tag>. Note: this takes precedence over tag flag if set. ")
+	flags.BoolVarP(&ua.push, "push", "p", false, "Push patched image to destination registry")
 
 	if err := patchCmd.MarkFlagRequired("image"); err != nil {
 		panic(err)
diff --git a/pkg/patch/patch.go b/pkg/patch/patch.go
index 7741f779..b2701357 100644
--- a/pkg/patch/patch.go
+++ b/pkg/patch/patch.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -29,13 +30,13 @@ const (
 )
 
 // Patch command applies package updates to an OCI image given a vulnerability report.
-func Patch(ctx context.Context, timeout time.Duration, buildkitAddr, image, reportFile, patchedTag, workingFolder, format, output string, ignoreError bool, pushDest string) error {
+func Patch(ctx context.Context, timeout time.Duration, buildkitAddr, image, reportFile, patchedTag, workingFolder, format, output string, ignoreError, push bool) error {
 	timeoutCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, timeout)
 	defer cancel()
 
 	ch := make(chan error)
 	go func() {
-		ch <- patchWithContext(timeoutCtx, buildkitAddr, image, reportFile, patchedTag, workingFolder, format, output, ignoreError, pushDest)
+		ch <- patchWithContext(timeoutCtx, buildkitAddr, image, reportFile, patchedTag, workingFolder, format, output, ignoreError, push)
 	}()
 
 	select {
@@ -60,31 +61,11 @@ func removeIfNotDebug(workingFolder string) {
 	}
 }
 
-func patchWithContext(ctx context.Context, buildkitAddr, image, reportFile, patchedTag, workingFolder, format, output string, ignoreError bool, pushDest string) error {
-	imageName, err := ref.ParseNamed(image)
+func patchWithContext(ctx context.Context, buildkitAddr, image, reportFile, patchedTag, workingFolder, format, output string, ignoreError, push bool) error {
+	patchedImageName, err := patchedImageTarget(image, patchedTag)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if ref.IsNameOnly(imageName) {
-		log.Warnf("Image name has no tag or digest, using latest as tag")
-		imageName = ref.TagNameOnly(imageName)
-	}
-	taggedName, ok := imageName.(ref.Tagged)
-	if !ok {
-		err := errors.New("unexpected: TagNameOnly did create Tagged ref")
-		log.Error(err)
-		return err
-	}
-	tag := taggedName.Tag()
-	if patchedTag == "" {
-		if tag == "" {
-			log.Warnf("No output tag specified for digest-referenced image, defaulting to `%s`", defaultPatchedTagSuffix)
-			patchedTag = defaultPatchedTagSuffix
-		} else {
-			patchedTag = fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", tag, defaultPatchedTagSuffix)
-		}
-	}
-	patchedImageName := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", imageName.Name(), patchedTag)
 
 	// Ensure working folder exists for call to InstallUpdates
 	if workingFolder == "" {
@@ -138,12 +119,12 @@ func patchWithContext(ctx context.Context, buildkitAddr, image, reportFile, patc
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if pushDest != "" {
-		if err = buildkit.SolveToRegistry(ctx, config.Client, patchedImageState, config.ConfigData, pushDest); err != nil {
+	if push {
+		if err = buildkit.SolveToRegistry(ctx, config.Client, patchedImageState, config.ConfigData, *patchedImageName); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	} else {
-		if err = buildkit.SolveToDocker(ctx, config.Client, patchedImageState, config.ConfigData, patchedImageName); err != nil {
+		if err = buildkit.SolveToDocker(ctx, config.Client, patchedImageState, config.ConfigData, *patchedImageName); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
@@ -166,3 +147,38 @@ func patchWithContext(ctx context.Context, buildkitAddr, image, reportFile, patc
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func patchedImageTarget(image, patchedTag string) (*string, error) {
+	imageName, err := ref.ParseNamed(image)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if ref.IsNameOnly(imageName) {
+		log.Warnf("Image name has no tag or digest, using latest as tag")
+		imageName = ref.TagNameOnly(imageName)
+	}
+	taggedName, ok := imageName.(ref.Tagged)
+	if !ok {
+		err := errors.New("unexpected: TagNameOnly did create Tagged ref")
+		log.Error(err)
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	tag := taggedName.Tag()
+	var patchedImageName string
+	if patchedTag == "" {
+		if tag == "" {
+			log.Warnf("No output tag specified for digest-referenced image, defaulting to `%s`", defaultPatchedTagSuffix)
+			patchedTag = defaultPatchedTagSuffix
+		} else {
+			patchedTag = fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", tag, defaultPatchedTagSuffix)
+		}
+	}
+	// this implies user has passed a destination image name, not just a tag
+	if strings.Contains(patchedTag, "/") {
+		patchedImageName = patchedTag
+	} else {
+		patchedImageName = fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", imageName.Name(), patchedTag)
+	}
+
+	return &patchedImageName, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/patch/patch_test.go b/pkg/patch/patch_test.go
index abc0acda..7e745bf1 100644
--- a/pkg/patch/patch_test.go
+++ b/pkg/patch/patch_test.go
@@ -49,3 +49,49 @@ func TestRemoveIfNotDebug(t *testing.T) {
 		os.RemoveAll(workingFolder)
 	})
 }
+
+func TestPatchedImageTarget(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name       string
+		image      string
+		patchedTag string
+		want       string
+		wantErr    bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:       "tag passed is empty",
+			image:      "docker.io/library/nginx:1.21.3",
+			patchedTag: "",
+			want:       "docker.io/library/nginx:1.21.3-patched",
+			wantErr:    false,
+		},
+
+		{
+			name:       "tag passed with value",
+			image:      "docker.io/library/nginx:1.21.3",
+			patchedTag: "custom",
+			want:       "docker.io/library/nginx:custom",
+			wantErr:    false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:       "tag passed and contains a slash(indicating registry)",
+			image:      "docker.io/library/nginx:1.21.3",
+			patchedTag: "my.registry/nginx:1.21.3-patched",
+			want:       "my.registry/nginx:1.21.3-patched",
+			wantErr:    false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := patchedImageTarget(tt.image, tt.patchedTag)
+			if (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
+				t.Errorf("patchedImageTarget() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
+				return
+			}
+			if *got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("patchedImageTarget() = %v, want %v", *got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}