diff --git a/containers.go b/containers.go
index 5425f03394..b43bfc8157 100644
--- a/containers.go
+++ b/containers.go
@@ -86,6 +86,14 @@ type ContainerStore interface {
 	// with the specified ID.
 	SetNames(id string, names []string) error
 
+	// AddNames adds the list of names associated with a container to storage with the
+	// supplied values.
+	AddNames(id string, names []string) error
+
+	// RemoveNames removes the list of names from associated with a container with the
+	// supplied values.
+	RemoveNames(id string, names []string) error
+
 	// Get retrieves information about a container given an ID or name.
 	Get(id string) (*Container, error)
 
@@ -395,6 +403,50 @@ func (r *containerStore) SetNames(id string, names []string) error {
 	return ErrContainerUnknown
 }
 
+func (r *containerStore) AddNames(id string, names []string) error {
+	if container, ok := r.lookup(id); ok {
+		for _, name := range container.Names {
+			delete(r.byname, name)
+			names = append(names, name)
+		}
+		names = dedupeNames(names)
+		for _, name := range names {
+			if otherContainer, ok := r.byname[name]; ok {
+				r.removeName(otherContainer, name)
+			}
+			r.byname[name] = container
+		}
+		container.Names = names
+		return r.Save()
+	}
+	return ErrContainerUnknown
+}
+
+func (r *containerStore) RemoveNames(id string, names []string) error {
+	namesFiltered := make([]string, 1)
+	if container, ok := r.lookup(id); ok {
+		for _, name := range container.Names {
+			delete(r.byname, name)
+			for _, n := range names {
+				if n == name {
+					continue
+				}
+			}
+			namesFiltered = append(namesFiltered, name)
+		}
+		names = dedupeNames(namesFiltered)
+		for _, name := range names {
+			if otherContainer, ok := r.byname[name]; ok {
+				r.removeName(otherContainer, name)
+			}
+			r.byname[name] = container
+		}
+		container.Names = names
+		return r.Save()
+	}
+	return ErrContainerUnknown
+}
+
 func (r *containerStore) Delete(id string) error {
 	container, ok := r.lookup(id)
 	if !ok {
diff --git a/images.go b/images.go
index 882ba78943..77b00b3599 100644
--- a/images.go
+++ b/images.go
@@ -138,6 +138,16 @@ type ImageStore interface {
 	// named image references.
 	SetNames(id string, names []string) error
 
+	// AddNames adds the list of names associated with an image to storage with the
+	// supplied values.  The values are expected to be valid normalized
+	// named image references.
+	AddNames(id string, names []string) error
+
+	// RemoveNames removes the list of names from associated with an image with the
+	// supplied values.  The values are expected to be valid normalized
+	// named image references.
+	RemoveNames(id string, names []string) error
+
 	// Delete removes the record of the image.
 	Delete(id string) error
 
@@ -527,6 +537,59 @@ func (r *imageStore) SetNames(id string, names []string) error {
 	return errors.Wrapf(ErrImageUnknown, "error locating image with ID %q", id)
 }
 
+func (r *imageStore) AddNames(id string, names []string) error {
+	if !r.IsReadWrite() {
+		return errors.Wrapf(ErrStoreIsReadOnly, "not allowed to change image name assignments at %q", r.imagespath())
+	}
+	if image, ok := r.lookup(id); ok {
+		for _, name := range image.Names {
+			delete(r.byname, name)
+			names = append(names, name)
+		}
+		names = dedupeNames(names)
+		for _, name := range names {
+			if otherImage, ok := r.byname[name]; ok {
+				r.removeName(otherImage, name)
+			}
+			r.byname[name] = image
+			image.addNameToHistory(name)
+		}
+		image.Names = names
+		return r.Save()
+	}
+	return errors.Wrapf(ErrImageUnknown, "error locating image with ID %q", id)
+}
+
+func (r *imageStore) RemoveNames(id string, names []string) error {
+	if !r.IsReadWrite() {
+		return errors.Wrapf(ErrStoreIsReadOnly, "not allowed to change image name assignments at %q", r.imagespath())
+	}
+
+	namesFiltered := make([]string, 1)
+	if image, ok := r.lookup(id); ok {
+		for _, name := range image.Names {
+			delete(r.byname, name)
+			for _, n := range names {
+				if n == name {
+					continue
+				}
+			}
+			namesFiltered = append(namesFiltered, name)
+		}
+		names = dedupeNames(namesFiltered)
+		for _, name := range names {
+			if otherImage, ok := r.byname[name]; ok {
+				r.removeName(otherImage, name)
+			}
+			r.byname[name] = image
+			image.addNameToHistory(name)
+		}
+		image.Names = names
+		return r.Save()
+	}
+	return errors.Wrapf(ErrImageUnknown, "error locating image with ID %q", id)
+}
+
 func (r *imageStore) Delete(id string) error {
 	if !r.IsReadWrite() {
 		return errors.Wrapf(ErrStoreIsReadOnly, "not allowed to delete images at %q", r.imagespath())
diff --git a/images_test.go b/images_test.go
index 24512448c0..747c8b1c08 100644
--- a/images_test.go
+++ b/images_test.go
@@ -91,4 +91,24 @@ func TestHistoryNames(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Len(t, secondImage.NamesHistory, 2)
 	require.Equal(t, secondImage.NamesHistory[0], "3")
 	require.Equal(t, secondImage.NamesHistory[1], "2")
+
+	// test independent add and remove operations
+	require.Nil(t, store.AddNames(firstImageID, []string{"5"}))
+	firstImage, err = store.Get(firstImageID)
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, firstImage.NamesHistory, 5)
+	require.Equal(t, firstImage.NamesHistory[0], "4")
+	require.Equal(t, firstImage.NamesHistory[1], "3")
+	require.Equal(t, firstImage.NamesHistory[2], "2")
+	require.Equal(t, firstImage.NamesHistory[3], "1")
+	require.Equal(t, firstImage.NamesHistory[4], "5")
+
+	require.Nil(t, store.RemoveNames(firstImageID, []string{"5"}))
+	firstImage, err = store.Get(firstImageID)
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, firstImage.NamesHistory, 4)
+	require.Equal(t, firstImage.NamesHistory[0], "4")
+	require.Equal(t, firstImage.NamesHistory[1], "3")
+	require.Equal(t, firstImage.NamesHistory[2], "2")
+	require.Equal(t, firstImage.NamesHistory[3], "1")
 }
diff --git a/layers.go b/layers.go
index 2deb786cae..65c0251a0a 100644
--- a/layers.go
+++ b/layers.go
@@ -223,6 +223,14 @@ type LayerStore interface {
 	// supplied values.
 	SetNames(id string, names []string) error
 
+	// AddNames adds the list of names associated with a layer to storage with the
+	// supplied values.
+	AddNames(id string, names []string) error
+
+	// RemoveNames removes the list of names from associated with a layer with the
+	// supplied values.
+	RemoveNames(id string, names []string) error
+
 	// Delete deletes a layer with the specified name or ID.
 	Delete(id string) error
 
@@ -1060,6 +1068,57 @@ func (r *layerStore) SetNames(id string, names []string) error {
 	return ErrLayerUnknown
 }
 
+func (r *layerStore) AddNames(id string, names []string) error {
+	if !r.IsReadWrite() {
+		return errors.Wrapf(ErrStoreIsReadOnly, "not allowed to change layer name assignments at %q", r.layerspath())
+	}
+	if layer, ok := r.lookup(id); ok {
+		for _, name := range layer.Names {
+			delete(r.byname, name)
+			names = append(names, name)
+		}
+		names = dedupeNames(names)
+		for _, name := range names {
+			if otherLayer, ok := r.byname[name]; ok {
+				r.removeName(otherLayer, name)
+			}
+			r.byname[name] = layer
+		}
+		layer.Names = names
+		return r.Save()
+	}
+	return ErrLayerUnknown
+}
+
+func (r *layerStore) RemoveNames(id string, names []string) error {
+	if !r.IsReadWrite() {
+		return errors.Wrapf(ErrStoreIsReadOnly, "not allowed to change layer name assignments at %q", r.layerspath())
+	}
+	names = dedupeNames(names)
+	namesFiltered := make([]string, 1)
+	if layer, ok := r.lookup(id); ok {
+		for _, name := range layer.Names {
+			delete(r.byname, name)
+			for _, n := range names {
+				if n == name {
+					continue
+				}
+			}
+			namesFiltered = append(namesFiltered, name)
+		}
+		names = dedupeNames(namesFiltered)
+		for _, name := range names {
+			if otherLayer, ok := r.byname[name]; ok {
+				r.removeName(otherLayer, name)
+			}
+			r.byname[name] = layer
+		}
+		layer.Names = names
+		return r.Save()
+	}
+	return ErrLayerUnknown
+}
+
 func (r *layerStore) datadir(id string) string {
 	return filepath.Join(r.layerdir, id)
 }
diff --git a/store.go b/store.go
index f49266c2c5..19096d48c7 100644
--- a/store.go
+++ b/store.go
@@ -31,6 +31,14 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
+type UpdateNameOperation int
+
+const (
+	SetNames UpdateNameOperation = iota
+	AddNames
+	RemoveNames
+)
+
 var (
 	stores     []*store
 	storesLock sync.Mutex
@@ -370,6 +378,14 @@ type Store interface {
 	// Duplicate names are removed from the list automatically.
 	SetNames(id string, names []string) error
 
+	// SetNames adds the list of names for a layer, image, or container.
+	// Duplicate names are removed from the list automatically.
+	AddNames(id string, names []string) error
+
+	// RemoveNames removes the list of names for a layer, image, or container.
+	// Duplicate names are removed from the list automatically.
+	RemoveNames(id string, names []string) error
+
 	// ListImageBigData retrieves a list of the (possibly large) chunks of
 	// named data associated with an image.
 	ListImageBigData(id string) ([]string, error)
@@ -2051,6 +2067,18 @@ func dedupeNames(names []string) []string {
 }
 
 func (s *store) SetNames(id string, names []string) error {
+	return s.updateNames(id, names, SetNames)
+}
+
+func (s *store) AddNames(id string, names []string) error {
+	return s.updateNames(id, names, AddNames)
+}
+
+func (s *store) RemoveNames(id string, names []string) error {
+	return s.updateNames(id, names, RemoveNames)
+}
+
+func (s *store) updateNames(id string, names []string, op UpdateNameOperation) error {
 	deduped := dedupeNames(names)
 
 	rlstore, err := s.LayerStore()
@@ -2063,7 +2091,14 @@ func (s *store) SetNames(id string, names []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	if rlstore.Exists(id) {
-		return rlstore.SetNames(id, deduped)
+		switch op {
+		case SetNames:
+			return rlstore.SetNames(id, deduped)
+		case RemoveNames:
+			return rlstore.RemoveNames(id, deduped)
+		case AddNames:
+			return rlstore.RemoveNames(id, deduped)
+		}
 	}
 
 	ristore, err := s.ImageStore()
@@ -2076,7 +2111,14 @@ func (s *store) SetNames(id string, names []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	if ristore.Exists(id) {
-		return ristore.SetNames(id, deduped)
+		switch op {
+		case SetNames:
+			return ristore.SetNames(id, deduped)
+		case RemoveNames:
+			return ristore.RemoveNames(id, deduped)
+		case AddNames:
+			return ristore.RemoveNames(id, deduped)
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Check is id refers to a RO Store
@@ -2114,7 +2156,14 @@ func (s *store) SetNames(id string, names []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	if rcstore.Exists(id) {
-		return rcstore.SetNames(id, deduped)
+		switch op {
+		case SetNames:
+			return rcstore.SetNames(id, deduped)
+		case RemoveNames:
+			return rcstore.RemoveNames(id, deduped)
+		case AddNames:
+			return rcstore.RemoveNames(id, deduped)
+		}
 	}
 	return ErrLayerUnknown
 }