diff --git a/scripts/bootstrapit_update.sh b/scripts/bootstrapit_update.sh
index c9ba26a..63be552 100644
--- a/scripts/bootstrapit_update.sh
+++ b/scripts/bootstrapit_update.sh
@@ -239,9 +239,13 @@ if [[ -z "$DOCKER_REGISTRY_URL" ]]; then
 fi
 
 if [[ -z "$DOCKER_BASE_IMAGE" ]]; then
-    DOCKER_BASE_IMAGE=${DOCKER_REGISTRY_URL}/base:latest
+    DOCKER_BASE_IMAGE=${DOCKER_REGISTRY_URL}/base
 fi
 
+# strip off ":latest"
+# https://medium.com/@mccode/the-misunderstood-docker-tag-latest-af3babfd6375
+DOCKER_BASE_IMAGE="$(dirname ${DOCKER_BASE_IMAGE})"/"$(basename ${DOCKER_BASE_IMAGE} ':latest')";
+
 if [[ -z "$MODULE_NAME" ]]; then
     MODULE_NAME=$( echo "${PACKAGE_NAME}" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' | sed -E -e 's;-;_;g'; );
 fi