diff --git a/src/main/java/com/github/dockerjava/api/command/BuildImageCmd.java b/src/main/java/com/github/dockerjava/api/command/BuildImageCmd.java
index ac98db2f9..0c9b7f5a4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/github/dockerjava/api/command/BuildImageCmd.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/github/dockerjava/api/command/BuildImageCmd.java
@@ -117,6 +117,8 @@ public interface BuildImageCmd extends AsyncDockerCmd<BuildImageCmd, BuildRespon
 
     BuildImageCmd withDockerfile(File dockerfile);
 
+    BuildImageCmd withDockerfilePath(String dockerfilePath);
+
     BuildImageCmd withNoCache(Boolean noCache);
 
     BuildImageCmd withRemove(Boolean rm);
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/github/dockerjava/core/command/BuildImageCmdImpl.java b/src/main/java/com/github/dockerjava/core/command/BuildImageCmdImpl.java
index c34b05155..bced21726 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/github/dockerjava/core/command/BuildImageCmdImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/github/dockerjava/core/command/BuildImageCmdImpl.java
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ public class BuildImageCmdImpl extends AbstrAsyncDockerCmd<BuildImageCmd, BuildR
 
     private File dockerFile;
 
+    private String dockerFilePath;
+
     private File baseDirectory;
 
     private String cpusetcpus;
@@ -119,7 +121,9 @@ public Boolean hasPullEnabled() {
 
     @Override
     public String getPathToDockerfile() {
-        if (baseDirectory != null && dockerFile != null) {
+        if (dockerFilePath != null) {
+            return dockerFilePath;
+        } else if (baseDirectory != null && dockerFile != null) {
             return FilePathUtil.relativize(baseDirectory, dockerFile);
         } else {
             return null;
@@ -287,6 +291,13 @@ public BuildImageCmdImpl withDockerfile(File dockerfile) {
         return this;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public BuildImageCmd withDockerfilePath(String dockerfilePath) {
+        checkNotNull(dockerfilePath, "dockerfilePath is null");
+        this.dockerFilePath = dockerfilePath;
+        return this;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public BuildImageCmdImpl withTarInputStream(InputStream tarInputStream) {
         checkNotNull(tarInputStream, "tarInputStream is null");
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/github/dockerjava/core/command/BuildImageCmdImplTest.java b/src/test/java/com/github/dockerjava/core/command/BuildImageCmdImplTest.java
index cb4c1b2a8..3337d3320 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/github/dockerjava/core/command/BuildImageCmdImplTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/github/dockerjava/core/command/BuildImageCmdImplTest.java
@@ -83,6 +83,15 @@ public void buildImageFromTar() throws Exception {
         assertThat(response, containsString("Successfully executed testrun.sh"));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void buildImageFromTarWithDockerfileNotInBaseDirectory() throws Exception {
+        File baseDir = fileFromBuildTestResource("dockerfileNotInBaseDirectory");
+        Collection<File> files = FileUtils.listFiles(baseDir, TrueFileFilter.INSTANCE, TrueFileFilter.INSTANCE);
+        File tarFile = CompressArchiveUtil.archiveTARFiles(baseDir, files, UUID.randomUUID().toString());
+        String response = dockerfileBuild(new FileInputStream(tarFile), "dockerfileFolder/Dockerfile");
+        assertThat(response, containsString("Successfully executed testrun.sh"));
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void onBuild() throws Exception {
         File baseDir = fileFromBuildTestResource("ONBUILD/parent");
@@ -123,6 +132,11 @@ public void addFolder() throws Exception {
         assertThat(response, containsString("Successfully executed testAddFolder.sh"));
     }
 
+    private String dockerfileBuild(InputStream tarInputStream, String dockerFilePath) throws Exception {
+
+        return execBuild(dockerClient.buildImageCmd().withTarInputStream(tarInputStream).withDockerfilePath(dockerFilePath));
+    }
+
     private String dockerfileBuild(InputStream tarInputStream) throws Exception {
 
         return execBuild(dockerClient.buildImageCmd().withTarInputStream(tarInputStream));
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/github/dockerjava/netty/exec/BuildImageCmdExecTest.java b/src/test/java/com/github/dockerjava/netty/exec/BuildImageCmdExecTest.java
index f567dcfc8..63fcf7ea1 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/github/dockerjava/netty/exec/BuildImageCmdExecTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/github/dockerjava/netty/exec/BuildImageCmdExecTest.java
@@ -88,6 +88,15 @@ public void buildImageFromTar() throws Exception {
         assertThat(response, containsString("Successfully executed testrun.sh"));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void buildImageFromTarWithDockerfileNotInBaseDirectory() throws Exception {
+        File baseDir = fileFromBuildTestResource("dockerfileNotInBaseDirectory");
+        Collection<File> files = FileUtils.listFiles(baseDir, TrueFileFilter.INSTANCE, TrueFileFilter.INSTANCE);
+        File tarFile = CompressArchiveUtil.archiveTARFiles(baseDir, files, UUID.randomUUID().toString());
+        String response = dockerfileBuild(new FileInputStream(tarFile), "dockerfileFolder/Dockerfile");
+        assertThat(response, containsString("Successfully executed testrun.sh"));
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void onBuild() throws Exception {
         File baseDir = fileFromBuildTestResource("ONBUILD/parent");
@@ -128,6 +137,11 @@ public void addFolder() throws Exception {
         assertThat(response, containsString("Successfully executed testAddFolder.sh"));
     }
 
+    private String dockerfileBuild(InputStream tarInputStream, String dockerFilePath) throws Exception {
+
+        return execBuild(dockerClient.buildImageCmd().withTarInputStream(tarInputStream).withDockerfilePath(dockerFilePath));
+    }
+
     private String dockerfileBuild(InputStream tarInputStream) throws Exception {
 
         return execBuild(dockerClient.buildImageCmd().withTarInputStream(tarInputStream));