diff --git a/tripleo_common/image/image_export.py b/tripleo_common/image/image_export.py
index b67a7103a..d289f87c8 100644
--- a/tripleo_common/image/image_export.py
+++ b/tripleo_common/image/image_export.py
@@ -88,6 +88,12 @@ def export_stream(target_url, layer, layer_stream, verify_digest=True):
     length = 0
     calc_digest = hashlib.sha256()
 
+    def remove_layer(image, blob_path):
+        if os.path.isfile(blob_path):
+            os.remove(blob_path)
+            LOG.error('[%s] Broken layer found and removed %s' %
+                      (image, blob_path))
+
     try:
         with open(blob_path, 'wb') as f:
             count = 0
@@ -102,13 +108,15 @@ def export_stream(target_url, layer, layer_stream, verify_digest=True):
                 length += len(chunk)
                 LOG.debug('[%s] Written %i bytes for %s' %
                           (image, length, digest))
+    except MemoryError as e:
+        memory_error = '[{}] Memory Error: {}'.format(image, str(e))
+        LOG.error(memory_error)
+        remove_layer(image, blob_path)
+        raise MemoryError(memory_error)
     except Exception as e:
         write_error = '[{}] Write Failure: {}'.format(image, str(e))
         LOG.error(write_error)
-        if os.path.isfile(blob_path):
-            os.remove(blob_path)
-            LOG.error('[%s] Broken layer found and removed %s' %
-                      (image, blob_path))
+        remove_layer(image, blob_path)
         raise IOError(write_error)
     else:
         LOG.info('[%s] Layer written successfully %s' % (image, blob_path))
diff --git a/tripleo_common/tests/image/test_image_export.py b/tripleo_common/tests/image/test_image_export.py
index 1be8aa8cb..0e7169c46 100644
--- a/tripleo_common/tests/image/test_image_export.py
+++ b/tripleo_common/tests/image/test_image_export.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 import hashlib
 import io
 import json
+import mock
 import os
 import requests
 import shutil
@@ -105,6 +106,23 @@ class TestImageExport(base.TestCase):
         with open(blob_path, 'rb') as f:
             self.assertEqual(blob_compressed, f.read())
 
+    @mock.patch('tripleo_common.image.image_export.open',
+                side_effect=MemoryError())
+    def test_export_stream_memory_error(self, mock_open):
+        blob_data = six.b('The Blob')
+        blob_compressed = zlib.compress(blob_data)
+        calc_digest = hashlib.sha256()
+        calc_digest.update(blob_compressed)
+
+        target_url = urlparse('docker://localhost:8787/t/nova-api:latest')
+        layer = {
+            'digest': 'sha256:somethingelse'
+        }
+        calc_digest = hashlib.sha256()
+        layer_stream = io.BytesIO(blob_compressed)
+        self.assertRaises(MemoryError, image_export.export_stream,
+                          target_url, layer, layer_stream, verify_digest=False)
+
     def test_export_stream_verify_failed(self):
         blob_data = six.b('The Blob')
         blob_compressed = zlib.compress(blob_data)