diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_image.py b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_image.py
index 6528c28b839..a860df59081 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_image.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_image.py
@@ -91,7 +91,8 @@ options:
     required: false
   repository:
     description:
-      - Full path to a repository. Use with state C(present) to tag the image into the repository.
+      - Full path to a repository. Use with state C(present) to tag the image into the repository. Expects
+        format I(repository:tag). If no tag is provided, will default to 'latest'.
     required: false
     version_added: "2.1"
   state:
@@ -425,13 +426,16 @@ class ImageManager(DockerBaseClass):
         :return: None
         '''
         repo, repo_tag = parse_repository_tag(repository)
+        if not repo_tag:
+            repo_tag = "latest"
         image = self.client.find_image(name=repo, tag=repo_tag)
         found = 'found' if image else 'not found'
         self.log("image %s was %s" % (repo, found))
+
         if not image or force:
-            self.log("tagging %s:%s to %s" % (name, tag, repository))
+            self.log("tagging %s:%s to %s:%s" % (name, tag, repo, repo_tag))
             self.results['changed'] = True
-            self.results['actions'].append("Tagged image %s:%s to %s" % (name, tag, repository))
+            self.results['actions'].append("Tagged image %s:%s to %s:%s" % (name, tag, repo, repo_tag))
             if not self.check_mode:
                 try:
                     # Finding the image does not always work, especially running a localhost registry. In those
@@ -439,14 +443,14 @@ class ImageManager(DockerBaseClass):
                     image_name = name
                     if tag and not re.search(tag, name):
                         image_name = "%s:%s" % (name, tag)
-                    tag_status = self.client.tag(image_name, repository, tag=tag, force=True)
+                    tag_status = self.client.tag(image_name, repo, tag=repo_tag, force=True)
                     if not tag_status:
                         raise Exception("Tag operation failed.")
                 except Exception as exc:
-                    self.fail("Error: failed to tag image %s - %s" % (name, str(exc)))
-                self.results['image'] = self.client.find_image(name=repository, tag=tag)
+                    self.fail("Error: failed to tag image - %s" % str(exc))
+                self.results['image'] = self.client.find_image(name=repo, tag=repo_tag)
                 if push:
-                    self.push_image(repository, tag)
+                    self.push_image(repo, repo_tag)
 
     def build_image(self):
         '''