diff --git a/src/datastore_mad/remotes/fs/clone b/src/datastore_mad/remotes/fs/clone
index 2ac4ea9fe7..257e930427 100755
--- a/src/datastore_mad/remotes/fs/clone
+++ b/src/datastore_mad/remotes/fs/clone
@@ -47,18 +47,28 @@ while IFS= read -r -d '' element; do
     XPATH_ELEMENTS[i++]="$element"
 done < <($XPATH     /DS_DRIVER_ACTION_DATA/DATASTORE/BASE_PATH \
                     /DS_DRIVER_ACTION_DATA/DATASTORE/TEMPLATE/BRIDGE_LIST \
+                    /DS_DRIVER_ACTION_DATA/DATASTORE/TEMPLATE/DRIVER \
                     /DS_DRIVER_ACTION_DATA/IMAGE/PATH)
 
 unset i
 
 BASE_PATH="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[i++]}"
 BRIDGE_LIST="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[i++]}"
+DRIVER="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[i++]}"
 SRC="${XPATH_ELEMENTS[i++]}"
 
 set_up_datastore "$BASE_PATH" "$RESTRICTED_DIRS" "$SAFE_DIRS"
 
 DST=`generate_image_path`
 
+# ------------ Check if format conversion is required -------------
+
+if [ "$DRIVER" = 'qcow2' ] || [ "$DRIVER" = 'raw' ]; then
+    CP_CMD="$QEMU_IMG convert -O $DRIVER $SRC $DST"
+else
+    CP_CMD="cp -f $SRC $DST"
+fi
+
 # ------------ Copy the image to the repository -------------
 
 if [ -n "$BRIDGE_LIST" ]; then
@@ -68,7 +78,7 @@ if [ -n "$BRIDGE_LIST" ]; then
     CMD=$(cat <<EOF
         set -e -o pipefail
         mkdir -p $BASE_PATH
-        cp -f $SRC $DST
+        $CP_CMD
 EOF
 )
 
@@ -76,7 +86,7 @@ EOF
 else
     log "Copying local image $SRC to the image repository"
     mkdir -p "$BASE_PATH"
-    exec_and_log "cp -f $SRC $DST" "Error copying $SRC to $DST"
+    exec_and_log "$CP_CMD" "Error copying $SRC to $DST"
 fi
 
-echo "$DST"
+echo "$DST $DRIVER"
diff --git a/src/image/ImageManagerProtocol.cc b/src/image/ImageManagerProtocol.cc
index 0d2c7ca89e..00cf557a75 100644
--- a/src/image/ImageManagerProtocol.cc
+++ b/src/image/ImageManagerProtocol.cc
@@ -155,10 +155,18 @@ error_common:
 
 void ImageManager::_clone(unique_ptr<image_msg_t> msg)
 {
-    NebulaLog::dddebug("ImM", "_clone: " + msg->payload());
+    const auto& info = msg->payload();
 
     int     cloning_id;
     int     ds_id = -1;
+    string  source, format;
+
+    ostringstream oss;
+    istringstream is(info);
+    
+    NebulaLog::dddebug("ImM", "_clone: " + info);
+    
+    is >> skipws;
 
     auto image = ipool->get(msg->oid());
 
@@ -166,12 +174,12 @@ void ImageManager::_clone(unique_ptr<image_msg_t> msg)
     {
         if (msg->status() == "SUCCESS")
         {
-            ostringstream oss;
+            is >> source;
 
-            if (!msg->payload().empty())
+            if (!source.empty())
             {
                 oss << "CLONE operation succeeded but image no longer exists."
-                    << " Source image: " << msg->payload()
+                    << " Source image: " << source
                     << ", may be left in datastore";
 
                 NebulaLog::log("ImM", Log::ERROR, oss);
@@ -189,7 +197,21 @@ void ImageManager::_clone(unique_ptr<image_msg_t> msg)
        goto error;
     }
 
-    image->set_source(msg->payload());
+    is >> source;
+
+    if (is.fail())
+    {
+        goto error;
+    }
+
+    image->set_source(source);
+
+    is >> format;
+
+    if (!format.empty())
+    {
+        image->set_format(format);
+    }
 
     image->set_state_unlock();
 
@@ -208,12 +230,8 @@ void ImageManager::_clone(unique_ptr<image_msg_t> msg)
     return;
 
 error:
-    ostringstream oss;
-
     oss << "Error cloning from Image " << cloning_id;
 
-    const auto& info = msg->payload();
-
     if (!info.empty() && (info[0] != '-'))
     {
         oss << ": " << info;