diff --git a/dangerzone/updater/attestations.py b/dangerzone/updater/attestations.py
index c7d0a87dc..3028ec3ec 100644
--- a/dangerzone/updater/attestations.py
+++ b/dangerzone/updater/attestations.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import subprocess
 from tempfile import NamedTemporaryFile
 
+from . import utils
+
 
 def verify_attestation(
     manifest: bytes, attestation_bundle: bytes, image_tag: str, expected_repo: str
@@ -9,6 +11,7 @@ def verify_attestation(
     Look up the image attestation to see if the image has been built
     on Github runners, and from a given repository.
     """
+    utils.ensure_cosign()
 
     # Put the value in files and verify with cosign
     with (
diff --git a/dangerzone/updater/errors.py b/dangerzone/updater/errors.py
index 40dd1dc91..72979918f 100644
--- a/dangerzone/updater/errors.py
+++ b/dangerzone/updater/errors.py
@@ -36,3 +36,7 @@ class SignatureMismatch(SignatureError):
 
 class LocalSignatureNotFound(SignatureError):
     pass
+
+
+class CosignNotInstalledError(SignatureError):
+    pass
diff --git a/dangerzone/updater/registry.py b/dangerzone/updater/registry.py
index 306616ea0..2fd4ecaaa 100644
--- a/dangerzone/updater/registry.py
+++ b/dangerzone/updater/registry.py
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
     "list_tags",
     "get_manifest",
     "get_attestation",
+    "Image",
+    "parse_image_location",
 ]
 
 SIGSTORE_BUNDLE = "application/vnd.dev.sigstore.bundle.v0.3+json"
diff --git a/dangerzone/updater/signatures.py b/dangerzone/updater/signatures.py
index 655c2a31b..898d95ba2 100644
--- a/dangerzone/updater/signatures.py
+++ b/dangerzone/updater/signatures.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 from typing import Dict, List, Tuple
 
 from ..container_utils import container_pull, load_image_hash
-from . import errors, log
+from . import errors, log, utils
 from .registry import get_manifest_hash
 
 try:
@@ -32,14 +32,6 @@ def get_config_dir() -> Path:
 ]
 
 
-def is_cosign_installed() -> bool:
-    try:
-        subprocess.run(["cosign", "version"], capture_output=True, check=True)
-        return True
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
-        return False
-
-
 def signature_to_bundle(sig: Dict) -> Dict:
     """Convert a cosign-download signature to the format expected by cosign bundle."""
     bundle = sig["Bundle"]
@@ -65,6 +57,7 @@ def signature_to_bundle(sig: Dict) -> Dict:
 def verify_signature(signature: dict, pubkey: str) -> bool:
     """Verify a signature against a given public key"""
 
+    utils.ensure_cosign()
     signature_bundle = signature_to_bundle(signature)
 
     with (
@@ -221,6 +214,7 @@ def get_signatures(image: str, hash: str) -> List[Dict]:
     """
     Retrieve the signatures from cosign download signature and convert each one to the "cosign bundle" format.
     """
+    utils.ensure_cosign()
 
     process = subprocess.run(
         ["cosign", "download", "signature", f"{image}@sha256:{hash}"],
diff --git a/dangerzone/updater/utils.py b/dangerzone/updater/utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a97a49e10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dangerzone/updater/utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import subprocess
+
+from . import errors
+
+
+def ensure_cosign() -> None:
+    try:
+        subprocess.run(["cosign", "version"], capture_output=True, check=True)
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+        raise errors.CosignNotInstalledError()