@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ import (

 	"fmt"

 	"sort"

 	"strings"

+	"time"

+	cerrdefs "github.com/containerd/containerd/errdefs"

 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/images"

 	"github.com/containerd/log"

 	"github.com/distribution/reference"

@@ -135,7 +137,7 @@ func (i *ImageService) ImageDelete(ctx context.Context, imageRef string, force,

 				}

 			}

 			return records, nil

-		} else if !force {

+		} else if len(all) > 1 && !force {

 			// Since only a single used reference, remove all active

 			// TODO: Consider keeping the conflict and changing active

 			// reference calculation in image checker.

@@ -145,6 +147,7 @@ func (i *ImageService) ImageDelete(ctx context.Context, imageRef string, force,

 		using := func(c *container.Container) bool {

 			return c.ImageID == imgID

 		}

+		// TODO: Should this also check parentage here?

 		ctr := i.containers.First(using)

 		if ctr != nil {

 			familiarRef := reference.FamiliarString(parsedRef)

@@ -372,6 +375,24 @@ func (i *ImageService) imageDeleteHelper(ctx context.Context, img images.Image,

 		return err

 	}

+	if !isDanglingImage(img) && len(all) == 1 && extra&conflictActiveReference != 0 {

+		children, err := i.Children(ctx, imgID)

+		if err != nil {

+			return err

+		}

+		if len(children) > 0 {

+			img := images.Image{

+				Name:      danglingImageName(img.Target.Digest),

+				Target:    img.Target,

+				CreatedAt: time.Now(),

+				Labels:    img.Labels,

+			}

+			if _, err = i.client.ImageService().Create(ctx, img); err != nil && !cerrdefs.IsAlreadyExists(err) {

+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to create dangling image: %w", err)

+			}

+		}

+	}

+

 	// TODO: Add target option

 	err = i.images.Delete(ctx, img.Name, images.SynchronousDelete())

 	if err != nil {

@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ RUN echo 2 #layer2

 	// should not be untagged without the -f flag

 	assert.ErrorContains(c, err, "")

 	assert.Assert(c, strings.Contains(out, cID[:12]))

-	assert.Assert(c, strings.Contains(out, "(must force)"))

+	assert.Assert(c, strings.Contains(out, "(must force)") || strings.Contains(out, "(must be forced)"))

 	// Add the -f flag and test again.

 	out = cli.DockerCmd(c, "rmi", "-f", newTag).Combined()

 	// should be allowed to untag with the -f flag