diff --git a/plugins/tar/commands b/plugins/tar/commands
index cdf13b516..b010262ca 100755
--- a/plugins/tar/commands
+++ b/plugins/tar/commands
@@ -40,7 +40,14 @@ case "$1" in
     # extract tar file
     chmod 755 $TMP_WORK_DIR
     pushd $TMP_WORK_DIR > /dev/null
-    tar -x -C "$TMP_WORK_DIR" -f "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/src.tar"  
+
+    # Detect a common prefix that all files in the tar have, and strip off each directory found in it
+    COMMON_PREFIX=$(tar -tf "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/src.tar" | sed -e 'N;s/^\(.*\).*\n\1.*$/\1\n\1/;D')
+    BOGUS_PARTS=$(echo "$COMMON_PREFIX " | awk 'BEGIN{FS="/"} {print NF-1}')
+
+    dokku_log_info1_quiet "Striping $BOGUS_PARTS worth of directories from tarball"
+
+    tar -x -C "$TMP_WORK_DIR" -f "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/src.tar" --strip-components=$BOGUS_PARTS
     #find -name .git -prune -exec rm -rf {} \; > /dev/null
 
     if [[ -f Dockerfile ]] && [[ "$([[ -f .env ]] && grep -q BUILDPACK_URL .env; echo $?)" != "0" ]] && [[ ! -f ".buildpacks" ]]; then
diff --git a/tests/unit/tar.bats b/tests/unit/tar.bats
index 286e15a36..fbbb3f20f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/tar.bats
+++ b/tests/unit/tar.bats
@@ -12,19 +12,27 @@ teardown() {
 
 deploy_app_tar() {
   APP_TYPE="$1"; APP_TYPE=${APP_TYPE:="nodejs-express"}
-  GIT_REMOTE="$2"; GIT_REMOTE=${GIT_REMOTE:="dokku@dokku.me:$TEST_APP"}
   TMP=$(mktemp -d -t "dokku.me.XXXXX")
   rmdir $TMP && cp -r ./tests/apps/$APP_TYPE $TMP
   cd $TMP
-  tar c . | ssh dokku@dokku.me tar:in $TEST_APP || destroy_app $?
+  shift 1
+  tar c . $* | ssh dokku@dokku.me tar:in $TEST_APP || destroy_app $?
 }
 
-@test "(tar) basic deploy using tar:in" {
-  deploy_app_tar
+@test "(tar) non-tarbomb deploy using tar:in" {
+  deploy_app_tar nodejs-express --transform 's,^,prefix/,'
 
   run bash -c "response=\"$(curl -s -S my-cool-guy-test-app.dokku.me)\"; echo \$response; test \"\$response\" == \"nodejs/express\""
   echo "output: "$output
   echo "status: "$status
-  assert_success  
+  assert_success
 }
 
+@test "(tar) tarbomb deploy using tar:in" {
+  deploy_app_tar nodejs-express
+
+  run bash -c "response=\"$(curl -s -S my-cool-guy-test-app.dokku.me)\"; echo \$response; test \"\$response\" == \"nodejs/express\""
+  echo "output: "$output
+  echo "status: "$status
+  assert_success
+}