@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ func (r DockerClientSearcher) Search(precise bool, terms ...string) (ComponentMa

 		termMatches := ScoredComponentMatches{}

 		// first look for the image in the remote docker registry

-		if r.RegistrySearcher != nil && ref.String() != "*" {

+		if r.RegistrySearcher != nil {

 			glog.V(4).Infof("checking remote registry for %q", ref.String())

 			matches, err := r.RegistrySearcher.Search(precise, term)

 			errs = append(errs, err...)

@@ -308,6 +308,13 @@ func ValidateImageStreamImport(isi *api.ImageStreamImport) field.ErrorList {

 			if len(spec.From.Name) == 0 {

 				errs = append(errs, field.Required(imagesPath.Index(i).Child("from", "name"), ""))

 			} else {

+				// The ParseDockerImageReference qualifies '*' as a wrong name.

+				// The legacy clients use this character to look up imagestreams.

+				// TODO: This should be removed in 1.6

+				// See for more info: https://github.com/openshift/origin/pull/11774#issuecomment-258905994

+				if spec.From.Name == "*" {

+					continue

+				}

 				if ref, err := api.ParseDockerImageReference(spec.From.Name); err != nil {

 					errs = append(errs, field.Invalid(imagesPath.Index(i).Child("from", "name"), spec.From.Name, err.Error()))

 				} else {

@@ -110,10 +110,20 @@ func (i *ImageStreamImporter) importImages(ctx gocontext.Context, retriever Repo

 		if from.Kind != "DockerImage" {

 			continue

 		}

-		ref, err := api.ParseDockerImageReference(from.Name)

-		if err != nil {

-			isi.Status.Images[i].Status = invalidStatus("", field.Invalid(field.NewPath("from", "name"), from.Name, fmt.Sprintf("invalid name: %v", err)))

-			continue

+		// TODO: This should be removed in 1.6

+		// See for more info: https://github.com/openshift/origin/pull/11774#issuecomment-258905994

+		var (

+			err error

+			ref api.DockerImageReference

+		)

+		if from.Name != "*" {

+			ref, err = api.ParseDockerImageReference(from.Name)

+			if err != nil {

+				isi.Status.Images[i].Status = invalidStatus("", field.Invalid(field.NewPath("from", "name"), from.Name, fmt.Sprintf("invalid name: %v", err)))

+				continue

+			}

+		} else {

+			ref = api.DockerImageReference{Name: from.Name}

 		}

 		defaultRef := ref.DockerClientDefaults()

 		repoName := defaultRef.RepositoryName()

@@ -217,11 +227,22 @@ func (i *ImageStreamImporter) importFromRepository(ctx gocontext.Context, retrie

 	if from.Kind != "DockerImage" {

 		return

 	}

-	ref, err := api.ParseDockerImageReference(from.Name)

-	if err != nil {

-		status.Status = invalidStatus("", field.Invalid(field.NewPath("from", "name"), from.Name, fmt.Sprintf("invalid name: %v", err)))

-		return

+	// TODO: This should be removed in 1.6

+	// See for more info: https://github.com/openshift/origin/pull/11774#issuecomment-258905994

+	var (

+		err error

+		ref api.DockerImageReference

+	)

+	if from.Name != "*" {

+		ref, err = api.ParseDockerImageReference(from.Name)

+		if err != nil {

+			status.Status = invalidStatus("", field.Invalid(field.NewPath("from", "name"), from.Name, fmt.Sprintf("invalid name: %v", err)))

+			return

+		}

+	} else {

+		ref = api.DockerImageReference{Name: from.Name}

 	}

+

 	defaultRef := ref.DockerClientDefaults()

 	repoName := defaultRef.RepositoryName()

 	registryURL := defaultRef.RegistryURL()