diff --git a/pkg/stacker/build.go b/pkg/stacker/build.go
index d53104ed..6ac0eaeb 100644
--- a/pkg/stacker/build.go
+++ b/pkg/stacker/build.go
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ func (b *Builder) updateOCIConfigForOutput(sf *types.Stackerfile, s types.Storag
 	}
 
 	inDir := types.InternalStackerDir
-	if l.WasLegacyImport() {
+	if l.WasLegacyImport {
 		inDir = types.LegacyInternalStackerDir
 	}
 
@@ -372,7 +372,9 @@ func (b *Builder) build(s types.Storage, file string) error {
 
 		log.Infof("preparing image %s...", name)
 		inDir := types.InternalStackerDir
-		if l.WasLegacyImport() {
+		if l.WasLegacyImport {
+			log.Debugf("image %s uses legacy import syntax, will also mount imports at %s",
+				name, types.LegacyInternalStackerDir)
 			inDir = types.LegacyInternalStackerDir
 		}
 
diff --git a/pkg/stacker/cache.go b/pkg/stacker/cache.go
index e7030cde..a75e13b1 100644
--- a/pkg/stacker/cache.go
+++ b/pkg/stacker/cache.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"stackerbuild.io/stacker/pkg/types"
 )
 
-const currentCacheVersion = 13
+const currentCacheVersion = 14
 
 type ImportType int
 
diff --git a/pkg/stacker/cache_test.go b/pkg/stacker/cache_test.go
index 55bb15eb..451903f4 100644
--- a/pkg/stacker/cache_test.go
+++ b/pkg/stacker/cache_test.go
@@ -125,5 +125,5 @@ func TestCacheEntryChanged(t *testing.T) {
 	// This test works because the type information is included in the
 	// hashstructure hash above, so using a zero valued CacheEntry is
 	// enough to capture changes in types.
-	assert.Equal(uint64(0x4ef432528243e356), h)
+	assert.Equal(uint64(0xa26696f335211127), h)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/types/layer.go b/pkg/types/layer.go
index 2f1d0b5d..84f35e29 100644
--- a/pkg/types/layer.go
+++ b/pkg/types/layer.go
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ type Layer struct {
 	OS              *string           `yaml:"os" json:"os,omitempty"`
 	Arch            *string           `yaml:"arch" json:"arch,omitempty"`
 	Bom             *Bom              `yaml:"bom" json:"bom,omitempty"`
-	wasLegacyImport bool
+	WasLegacyImport bool              `yaml:"was_legacy_import" json:"was_legacy_import,omitempty"`
 }
 
 func parseLayers(referenceDirectory string, lms yaml.MapSlice, requireHash bool) (map[string]Layer, error) {
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ func parseLayers(referenceDirectory string, lms yaml.MapSlice, requireHash bool)
 		if len(layer.LegacyImport) != 0 {
 			layer.Imports = layer.LegacyImport
 			layer.LegacyImport = nil
-			layer.wasLegacyImport = true
+			layer.WasLegacyImport = true
 		}
 
 		ret[name], err = layer.absolutify(referenceDirectory)
@@ -442,11 +442,6 @@ func (l Layer) absolutify(referenceDirectory string) (Layer, error) {
 	return ret, nil
 }
 
-// WasLegacyImport - return true if this layer used legacy 'import' directive.
-func (l Layer) WasLegacyImport() bool {
-	return l.wasLegacyImport
-}
-
 func requireImportHash(imports Imports) error {
 	for _, imp := range imports {
 		url, err := NewDockerishUrl(imp.Path)
diff --git a/pkg/types/stackerfile.go b/pkg/types/stackerfile.go
index 153afa93..e5dae0bc 100644
--- a/pkg/types/stackerfile.go
+++ b/pkg/types/stackerfile.go
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ func NewStackerfile(stackerfile string, validateHash bool, substitutions []strin
 
 	for _, name := range sf.FileOrder {
 		layer := sf.internal[name]
-		if layer.WasLegacyImport() {
+		if layer.WasLegacyImport {
 			log.Warnf("'import' directive used in layer '%s' inside file '%s' is deprecated. "+
 				"Support for 'import' will be removed in releases after 2025-01-01. "+
 				"Migrate by changing 'import' to 'imports' and '/stacker' to '/stacker/imports'. "+
diff --git a/test/caching.bats b/test/caching.bats
index 047f9452..eea5aa8e 100644
--- a/test/caching.bats
+++ b/test/caching.bats
@@ -225,3 +225,36 @@ EOF
     echo '{"version": 1, "cache": "lolnope"}' > .stacker/build.cache
     stacker build --substitute BUSYBOX_OCI=${BUSYBOX_OCI}
 }
+
+@test "cache comparison of legacy import works across prereqs" {
+    echo "well, hi!"> helloworld
+
+    cat >> stacker-req.yaml << "EOF"
+base:
+    from:
+      type: oci
+      url: ${{BUSYBOX_OCI}}
+    build_only: true
+    import:
+        - helloworld
+    run: |
+      cp /stacker/helloworld /
+EOF
+
+cat >> stacker.yaml << "EOF"
+config:
+  prerequisites:
+      - stacker-req.yaml
+
+buildenv:
+    from:
+        type: built
+        tag: base
+    import:
+        - stacker://base/helloworld
+    run: |
+        cp /stacker/helloworld /h3
+
+EOF
+stacker --debug build --substitute BUSYBOX_OCI=${BUSYBOX_OCI}
+}