@@ -197,6 +197,8 @@ func DriverTestDiffApply(t testing.TB, fileCount int, drivername string, driverO

 	defer PutDriver(t)

 	base := stringid.GenerateRandomID()

 	upper := stringid.GenerateRandomID()

+	deleteFile := "file-remove.txt"

+	deleteFileContent := []byte("This file should get removed in upper!")

 	if err := driver.Create(base, "", "", nil); err != nil {

 		t.Fatal(err)

@@ -206,6 +208,10 @@ func DriverTestDiffApply(t testing.TB, fileCount int, drivername string, driverO

 		t.Fatal(err)

 	}

+	if err := addFile(driver, base, deleteFile, deleteFileContent); err != nil {

+		t.Fatal(err)

+	}

+

 	if err := driver.Create(upper, base, "", nil); err != nil {

 		t.Fatal(err)

 	}

@@ -213,6 +219,11 @@ func DriverTestDiffApply(t testing.TB, fileCount int, drivername string, driverO

 	if err := addManyFiles(driver, upper, fileCount, 6); err != nil {

 		t.Fatal(err)

 	}

+

+	if err := removeFile(driver, upper, deleteFile); err != nil {

+		t.Fatal(err)

+	}

+

 	diffSize, err := driver.DiffSize(upper, "")

 	if err != nil {

 		t.Fatal(err)

@@ -227,6 +238,10 @@ func DriverTestDiffApply(t testing.TB, fileCount int, drivername string, driverO

 		t.Fatal(err)

 	}

+	if err := checkFile(driver, diff, deleteFile, deleteFileContent); err != nil {

+		t.Fatal(err)

+	}

+

 	arch, err := driver.Diff(upper, base)

 	if err != nil {

 		t.Fatal(err)

@@ -248,9 +263,14 @@ func DriverTestDiffApply(t testing.TB, fileCount int, drivername string, driverO

 	if applyDiffSize != diffSize {

 		t.Fatalf("Apply diff size different, got %d, expected %d", applyDiffSize, diffSize)

 	}

+

 	if err := checkManyFiles(driver, diff, fileCount, 6); err != nil {

 		t.Fatal(err)

 	}

+

+	if err := checkFileRemoved(driver, diff, deleteFile); err != nil {

+		t.Fatal(err)

+	}

 }

 // DriverTestChanges tests computed changes on a layer matches changes made

@@ -78,6 +78,32 @@ func addFile(drv graphdriver.Driver, layer, filename string, content []byte) err

 	return ioutil.WriteFile(path.Join(root, filename), content, 0755)

 }

+func removeFile(drv graphdriver.Driver, layer, filename string) error {

+	root, err := drv.Get(layer, "")

+	if err != nil {

+		return err

+	}

+	defer drv.Put(layer)

+

+	return os.Remove(path.Join(root, filename))

+}

+

+func checkFileRemoved(drv graphdriver.Driver, layer, filename string) error {

+	root, err := drv.Get(layer, "")

+	if err != nil {

+		return err

+	}

+	defer drv.Put(layer)

+

+	if _, err := os.Stat(path.Join(root, filename)); err == nil {

+		return fmt.Errorf("file still exists: %s", path.Join(root, filename))

+	} else if !os.IsNotExist(err) {

+		return err

+	}

+

+	return nil

+}

+

 func addManyFiles(drv graphdriver.Driver, layer string, count int, seed int64) error {

 	root, err := drv.Get(layer, "")

 	if err != nil {

@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ func (ta *tarAppender) addTarFile(path, name string) error {

 		return err

 	}

-	if hdr.Typeflag == tar.TypeReg {

+	if hdr.Typeflag == tar.TypeReg && hdr.Size > 0 {

 		file, err := os.Open(path)

 		if err != nil {

 			return err

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ func (overlayWhiteoutConverter) ConvertWrite(hdr *tar.Header, path string, fi os

 		hdr.Name = WhiteoutPrefix + hdr.Name

 		hdr.Mode = 0600

 		hdr.Typeflag = tar.TypeReg

+		hdr.Size = 0

 	}

 	if fi.Mode()&os.ModeDir != 0 {