diff --git a/common-functions b/common-functions
index 6b3e291..2b277a6 100755
--- a/common-functions
+++ b/common-functions
@@ -501,12 +501,18 @@ service_exposed_ports() {
 
 service_image_exists() {
   declare desc="check if the current image exists"
-  declare SERVICE="$1"
+  declare SERVICE="$1" PLUGIN_IMAGE="${2:-$PLUGIN_IMAGE}" PLUGIN_IMAGE_VERSION="${3:-$PLUGIN_IMAGE_VERSION}"
   local plugin_image="$PLUGIN_IMAGE"
   local plugin_image_version="$PLUGIN_IMAGE_VERSION"
 
-  [[ -f "$SERVICE_ROOT/IMAGE" ]] && plugin_image="$(cat "$SERVICE_ROOT/IMAGE")"
-  [[ -f "$SERVICE_ROOT/IMAGE_VERSION" ]] && plugin_image_version="$(cat "$SERVICE_ROOT/IMAGE_VERSION")"
+  if [[ -z "$PLUGIN_IMAGE" ]] && [[ -f "$SERVICE_ROOT/IMAGE" ]]; then
+    plugin_image="$(cat "$SERVICE_ROOT/IMAGE")"
+  fi
+
+  if [[ -z "$PLUGIN_IMAGE_VERSION" ]] && [[ -f "$SERVICE_ROOT/IMAGE_VERSION" ]]; then
+    plugin_image_version="$(cat "$SERVICE_ROOT/IMAGE_VERSION")"
+  fi
+
   local IMAGE="$plugin_image:$plugin_image_version"
 
   if [[ "$("$DOCKER_BIN" image ls -q "$IMAGE" 2>/dev/null)" == "" ]]; then
diff --git a/subcommands/upgrade b/subcommands/upgrade
index 880f7cd..788c767 100755
--- a/subcommands/upgrade
+++ b/subcommands/upgrade
@@ -28,17 +28,7 @@ service-upgrade-cmd() {
 
   service_parse_args "${@:2}"
 
-  if ! service_image_exists "$SERVICE"; then
-    dokku_log_fail "Unable to proceed with upgrade, image ${PLUGIN_IMAGE}:${PLUGIN_IMAGE_VERSION} does not exist"
-  fi
-
-  local NEW_PLUGIN_IMAGE_TAG="$PLUGIN_IMAGE:$PLUGIN_IMAGE_VERSION"
-  if [[ "$(service_version "$SERVICE")" == "$NEW_PLUGIN_IMAGE_TAG" ]]; then
-    dokku_log_info1 "Service $SERVICE already running $NEW_PLUGIN_IMAGE_TAG"
-    return
-  fi
-
-  if ! service_image_exists "$SERVICE"; then
+  if ! service_image_exists "$SERVICE" "$PLUGIN_IMAGE" "$PLUGIN_IMAGE_VERSION"; then
     if [[ "$PLUGIN_DISABLE_PULL" == "true" ]]; then
       dokku_log_warn "${PLUGIN_DISABLE_PULL_VARIABLE} environment variable detected. Not running pull command." 1>&2
       dokku_log_warn "   docker image pull ${IMAGE}" 1>&2
@@ -48,6 +38,12 @@ service-upgrade-cmd() {
     "$DOCKER_BIN" image pull "$PLUGIN_IMAGE:$PLUGIN_IMAGE_VERSION" || dokku_log_fail "$PLUGIN_SERVICE image $PLUGIN_IMAGE:$PLUGIN_IMAGE_VERSION pull failed"
   fi
 
+  local NEW_PLUGIN_IMAGE_TAG="$PLUGIN_IMAGE:$PLUGIN_IMAGE_VERSION"
+  if [[ "$(service_version "$SERVICE")" == "$NEW_PLUGIN_IMAGE_TAG" ]]; then
+    dokku_log_info1 "Service $SERVICE already running $NEW_PLUGIN_IMAGE_TAG"
+    return
+  fi
+
   service_commit_config "$SERVICE"
 
   dokku_log_info2 "Upgrading $SERVICE to $NEW_PLUGIN_IMAGE_TAG"