diff --git a/roles/build-docker-image/tasks/build.yaml b/roles/build-docker-image/tasks/build.yaml
index 99eac9b19..b0ba340f3 100644
--- a/roles/build-docker-image/tasks/build.yaml
+++ b/roles/build-docker-image/tasks/build.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 - name: Check sibling directory
   stat:
-    path: '{{ zuul_work_dir }}/.zuul-siblings'
+    path: '{{ zuul_work_dir }}/{{ item.context }}/.zuul-siblings'
   register: _dot_zuul_siblings
 
 # This should have been cleaned up; multiple builds may specify
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 - name: Create sibling source directory
   file:
-    path: '{{ zuul_work_dir }}/.zuul-siblings'
+    path: '{{ zuul_work_dir }}/{{ item.context }}/.zuul-siblings'
     state: directory
     mode: 0755
   when: item.siblings is defined
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@
 # NOTE(ianw): could use recursive copy: with remote_src, but it's
 # Ansible 2.8 only.  take the simple approach.
 - name: Copy sibling source directories
-  command: 'cp -r ~/src/{{ sibling }} {{ zuul_work_dir }}/.zuul-siblings/'
+  command:
+    cmd: 'cp --parents -r {{ sibling }} /home/zuul/{{ zuul_work_dir }}/{{ item.context }}/.zuul-siblings'
+    chdir: '~/src'
   loop: '{{ item.siblings }}'
   loop_control:
     loop_var: sibling
diff --git a/test-playbooks/registry/docker-siblings/Dockerfile b/test-playbooks/registry/docker-siblings/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8907b1e30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-playbooks/registry/docker-siblings/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+FROM docker.io/library/debian:testing
+ARG ZUUL_SIBLINGS=""
+RUN echo "Zuul siblings: ${ZUUL_SIBLINGS}"
+COPY .zuul-siblings/opendev.org/project/fake-sibling/file /target
+COPY .zuul-siblings/openstack.org/project/fake-sibling/file /target
+CMD echo "Zuul container test"; sleep infinity
diff --git a/test-playbooks/registry/test-registry.yaml b/test-playbooks/registry/test-registry.yaml
index 408629c61..b45734ab8 100644
--- a/test-playbooks/registry/test-registry.yaml
+++ b/test-playbooks/registry/test-registry.yaml
@@ -125,23 +125,22 @@
 
     - name: Create fake sibling projects
       command: >-
-        mkdir -p src/opendev.org/fake-sibling-1 &&
-        mkdir -p src/opendev.org/fake-sibling-2 &&
-        touch  src/opendev.org/fake-sibling-1/file &&
-        touch  src/opendev.org/fake-sibling-2/file
+        mkdir -p src/opendev.org/project/fake-sibling &&
+        mkdir -p src/openstack.org/project/fake-sibling &&
+        touch  src/opendev.org/project/fake-sibling/file &&
+        touch  src/openstack.org/project/fake-sibling/file
 
     - name: Build docker image
       include_role:
         name: "build-{{ (container_command == 'docker') | ternary('docker', 'container') }}-image"
       vars:
         docker_images:
-          - context: test-playbooks/registry/docker
+          - context: test-playbooks/registry/docker-siblings
             repository: downstream/image
             siblings:
-              - opendev.org/fake-sibling-1
-              - opendev.org/fake-sibling-2
+              - opendev.org/project/fake-sibling
+              - openstack.org/project/fake-sibling
         container_images: "{{ docker_images }}"
-
 - hosts: executor
   name: Test pushing to the intermediate registry
   tasks: