diff --git a/lib/src/cli.rs b/lib/src/cli.rs
index 8c172e37..3e66fda3 100644
--- a/lib/src/cli.rs
+++ b/lib/src/cli.rs
@@ -573,18 +573,10 @@ async fn container_store(
         let _ = printer.await;
     }
     let import = import?;
-    let commit = &repo.load_commit(&import.merge_commit)?.0;
-    let commit_meta = &glib::VariantDict::new(Some(&commit.child_value(0)));
-    let filtered = commit_meta.lookup::<ostree_container::store::MetaFilteredData>(
-        ostree_container::store::META_FILTERED,
-    )?;
-    if let Some(filtered) = filtered {
-        for (layerid, filtered) in filtered {
-            eprintln!("Unsupported paths filtered from {}:", layerid);
-            for (prefix, count) in filtered {
-                eprintln!("  {}: {}", prefix, count);
-            }
-        }
+    if let Some(msg) =
+        ostree_container::store::image_filtered_content_warning(repo, &imgref.imgref)?
+    {
+        eprintln!("{msg}")
     }
     println!("Wrote: {} => {}", imgref, import.merge_commit);
     Ok(())
@@ -793,6 +785,7 @@ where
                 } => {
                     let sysroot = &ostree::Sysroot::new(Some(&gio::File::for_path(&sysroot)));
                     sysroot.load(gio::NONE_CANCELLABLE)?;
+                    let repo = &sysroot.repo().unwrap();
                     let kargs = karg.as_deref();
                     let kargs = kargs.map(|v| {
                         let r: Vec<_> = v.iter().map(|s| s.as_str()).collect();
@@ -811,6 +804,12 @@ where
                         Some(options),
                     )
                     .await?;
+                    if let Some(msg) = ostree_container::store::image_filtered_content_warning(
+                        repo,
+                        &imgref.imgref,
+                    )? {
+                        eprintln!("{msg}")
+                    }
                     if let Some(p) = write_commitid_to {
                         std::fs::write(&p, state.merge_commit.as_bytes())
                             .with_context(|| format!("Failed to write commitid to {}", p))?;
diff --git a/lib/src/container/store.rs b/lib/src/container/store.rs
index 61fdb344..0cbfd871 100644
--- a/lib/src/container/store.rs
+++ b/lib/src/container/store.rs
@@ -969,6 +969,39 @@ fn prune_image(repo: &ostree::Repo, image: &ImageReference) -> Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// Given an image, if it has any non-ostree compatible content, return a suitable
+/// warning message.
+pub fn image_filtered_content_warning(
+    repo: &ostree::Repo,
+    image: &ImageReference,
+) -> Result<Option<String>> {
+    use std::fmt::Write;
+
+    let ostree_ref = ref_for_image(image)?;
+    let rev = repo.require_rev(&ostree_ref)?;
+    let commit_obj = repo.load_commit(rev.as_str())?.0;
+    let commit_meta = &glib::VariantDict::new(Some(&commit_obj.child_value(0)));
+
+    let r = commit_meta
+        .lookup::<MetaFilteredData>(META_FILTERED)?
+        .filter(|v| !v.is_empty())
+        .map(|v| {
+            let mut filtered = HashMap::<&String, u32>::new();
+            for paths in v.values() {
+                for (k, v) in paths {
+                    let e = filtered.entry(k).or_default();
+                    *e += v;
+                }
+            }
+            let mut buf = "Image contains non-ostree compatible file paths:".to_string();
+            for (k, v) in filtered {
+                write!(buf, " {k}: {v}").unwrap();
+            }
+            buf
+        });
+    Ok(r)
+}
+
 /// Remove the specified image references.
 ///
 /// This function assumes no transaction is active on the repository.
diff --git a/lib/tests/it/main.rs b/lib/tests/it/main.rs
index a573e139..a18e7728 100644
--- a/lib/tests/it/main.rs
+++ b/lib/tests/it/main.rs
@@ -746,6 +746,12 @@ async fn impl_test_container_chunked(format: ExportLayout) -> Result<()> {
 
     assert_eq!(store::list_images(fixture.destrepo()).unwrap().len(), 1);
 
+    assert!(
+        store::image_filtered_content_warning(fixture.destrepo(), &imgref.imgref)
+            .unwrap()
+            .is_none()
+    );
+
     const ADDITIONS: &str = indoc::indoc! { "
 r usr/bin/bash bash-v0
 "};
@@ -835,6 +841,12 @@ r usr/bin/bash bash-v0
     let _import = imp.import(prep).await.unwrap();
     assert_eq!(store::list_images(fixture.destrepo()).unwrap().len(), 2);
 
+    assert!(
+        store::image_filtered_content_warning(fixture.destrepo(), &derived_imgref.imgref)
+            .unwrap()
+            .is_none()
+    );
+
     // Should only be new layers
     let n_removed = store::gc_image_layers(fixture.destrepo())?;
     assert_eq!(n_removed, 0);
@@ -861,6 +873,58 @@ r usr/bin/bash bash-v0
     Ok(())
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn test_container_var_content() -> Result<()> {
+    let fixture = Fixture::new_v1()?;
+
+    let imgref = fixture.export_container(ExportLayout::V1).await.unwrap().0;
+    let imgref = OstreeImageReference {
+        sigverify: SignatureSource::ContainerPolicyAllowInsecure,
+        imgref,
+    };
+
+    // Build a derived image
+    let derived_path = &fixture.path.join("derived.oci");
+    let srcpath = imgref.imgref.name.as_str();
+    oci_clone(srcpath, derived_path).await.unwrap();
+    let temproot = &fixture.path.join("temproot");
+    || -> Result<_> {
+        std::fs::create_dir(temproot)?;
+        let temprootd = Dir::open_ambient_dir(temproot, cap_std::ambient_authority())?;
+        let mut db = DirBuilder::new();
+        db.mode(0o755);
+        db.recursive(true);
+        temprootd.create_dir_with("var/lib", &db)?;
+        temprootd.write("var/lib/foo", "junk var data")?;
+        Ok(())
+    }()
+    .context("generating temp content")?;
+    ostree_ext::integrationtest::generate_derived_oci(derived_path, temproot)?;
+
+    let derived_imgref = OstreeImageReference {
+        sigverify: SignatureSource::ContainerPolicyAllowInsecure,
+        imgref: ImageReference {
+            transport: Transport::OciDir,
+            name: derived_path.to_string(),
+        },
+    };
+    let mut imp =
+        store::ImageImporter::new(fixture.destrepo(), &derived_imgref, Default::default()).await?;
+    let prep = match imp.prepare().await.unwrap() {
+        store::PrepareResult::AlreadyPresent(_) => panic!("should not be already imported"),
+        store::PrepareResult::Ready(r) => r,
+    };
+    let _import = imp.import(prep).await.unwrap();
+
+    assert!(
+        store::image_filtered_content_warning(fixture.destrepo(), &derived_imgref.imgref)
+            .unwrap()
+            .is_some()
+    );
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 /// Copy an OCI directory.
 async fn oci_clone(src: impl AsRef<Utf8Path>, dest: impl AsRef<Utf8Path>) -> Result<()> {
     let src = src.as_ref();