diff --git a/cmd/skopeo/sync.go b/cmd/skopeo/sync.go
index ce930f26..6ba05f5b 100644
--- a/cmd/skopeo/sync.go
+++ b/cmd/skopeo/sync.go
@@ -289,8 +289,11 @@ func imagesToCopyFromRegistry(registryName string, cfg registrySyncConfig, sourc
 	// override ctx with per-registryName options
 	serverCtx.DockerCertPath = cfg.CertDir
 	serverCtx.DockerDaemonCertPath = cfg.CertDir
-	serverCtx.DockerDaemonInsecureSkipTLSVerify = (cfg.TLSVerify.skip == types.OptionalBoolTrue)
-	serverCtx.DockerInsecureSkipTLSVerify = cfg.TLSVerify.skip
+	// Only override TLS verification if explicitly specified in YAML; otherwise, keep CLI/global settings.
+	if cfg.TLSVerify.skip != types.OptionalBoolUndefined {
+		serverCtx.DockerDaemonInsecureSkipTLSVerify = (cfg.TLSVerify.skip == types.OptionalBoolTrue)
+		serverCtx.DockerInsecureSkipTLSVerify = cfg.TLSVerify.skip
+	}
 	if cfg.Credentials != (types.DockerAuthConfig{}) {
 		serverCtx.DockerAuthConfig = &cfg.Credentials
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/skopeo/sync_test.go b/cmd/skopeo/sync_test.go
index c61a0cdb..c0ecf696 100644
--- a/cmd/skopeo/sync_test.go
+++ b/cmd/skopeo/sync_test.go
@@ -59,3 +59,132 @@ func TestSync(t *testing.T) {
 	// FIXME: Much more test coverage
 	// Actual feature tests exist in integration and systemtest
 }
+
+// TestTLSPrecedence_YAMLOmitted verifies that when YAML omits tls-verify,
+// imagesToCopyFromRegistry preserves the incoming SystemContext values
+// (e.g., from CLI/global flags) for both DockerInsecureSkipTLSVerify and
+// DockerDaemonInsecureSkipTLSVerify.
+func TestTLSPrecedence_YAMLOmitted(t *testing.T) {
+	baseRegistry := "example.com"
+	imageName := "repo"
+	cfgBase := registrySyncConfig{
+		Images: map[string][]string{imageName: {"latest"}}, // avoid network
+	}
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name               string
+		incomingSkip       types.OptionalBool
+		incomingDaemonSkip bool
+		yamlSkip           types.OptionalBool // OptionalBoolUndefined means YAML omitted
+		wantSkip           types.OptionalBool
+		wantDaemonSkip     bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:               "YAML omitted preserves incoming skip=true",
+			incomingSkip:       types.OptionalBoolTrue,
+			incomingDaemonSkip: true,
+			yamlSkip:           types.OptionalBoolUndefined,
+			wantSkip:           types.OptionalBoolTrue,
+			wantDaemonSkip:     true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:               "YAML omitted preserves incoming skip=false (CLI pass verify)",
+			incomingSkip:       types.OptionalBoolFalse,
+			incomingDaemonSkip: false,
+			yamlSkip:           types.OptionalBoolUndefined,
+			wantSkip:           types.OptionalBoolFalse,
+			wantDaemonSkip:     false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:               "YAML omitted preserves daemon skip=true while docker skip=undefined",
+			incomingSkip:       types.OptionalBoolUndefined,
+			incomingDaemonSkip: true,
+			yamlSkip:           types.OptionalBoolUndefined,
+			wantSkip:           types.OptionalBoolUndefined,
+			wantDaemonSkip:     true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:               "YAML omitted preserves mismatched incoming (docker skip=true, daemon skip=false)",
+			incomingSkip:       types.OptionalBoolTrue,
+			incomingDaemonSkip: false,
+			yamlSkip:           types.OptionalBoolUndefined,
+			wantSkip:           types.OptionalBoolTrue,
+			wantDaemonSkip:     false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			src := types.SystemContext{
+				DockerInsecureSkipTLSVerify:       tt.incomingSkip,
+				DockerDaemonInsecureSkipTLSVerify: tt.incomingDaemonSkip,
+			}
+			cfg := cfgBase
+			cfg.TLSVerify = tlsVerifyConfig{skip: tt.yamlSkip}
+
+			descs, err := imagesToCopyFromRegistry(baseRegistry, cfg, src)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.NotEmpty(t, descs)
+			ctx := descs[0].Context
+			require.NotNil(t, ctx)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.wantSkip, ctx.DockerInsecureSkipTLSVerify)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.wantDaemonSkip, ctx.DockerDaemonInsecureSkipTLSVerify)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestTLSPrecedence_YAMLSpecified verifies that when YAML explicitly specifies
+// tls-verify, it overrides incoming SystemContext values (e.g., CLI/global flags)
+// for both DockerInsecureSkipTLSVerify and DockerDaemonInsecureSkipTLSVerify.
+func TestTLSPrecedence_YAMLSpecified(t *testing.T) {
+	baseRegistry := "example.com"
+	imageName := "repo"
+	cfgBase := registrySyncConfig{
+		Images: map[string][]string{imageName: {"latest"}}, // avoid network
+	}
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name               string
+		incomingSkip       types.OptionalBool
+		incomingDaemonSkip bool
+		yamlSkip           types.OptionalBool // YAML explicitly sets this
+		wantSkip           types.OptionalBool
+		wantDaemonSkip     bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:               "YAML tls-verify:true enforces verification",
+			incomingSkip:       types.OptionalBoolTrue,
+			incomingDaemonSkip: true,
+			yamlSkip:           types.OptionalBoolFalse,
+			wantSkip:           types.OptionalBoolFalse,
+			wantDaemonSkip:     false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:               "YAML tls-verify:false disables verification",
+			incomingSkip:       types.OptionalBoolFalse,
+			incomingDaemonSkip: false,
+			yamlSkip:           types.OptionalBoolTrue,
+			wantSkip:           types.OptionalBoolTrue,
+			wantDaemonSkip:     true,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			src := types.SystemContext{
+				DockerInsecureSkipTLSVerify:       tt.incomingSkip,
+				DockerDaemonInsecureSkipTLSVerify: tt.incomingDaemonSkip,
+			}
+			cfg := cfgBase
+			cfg.TLSVerify = tlsVerifyConfig{skip: tt.yamlSkip}
+
+			descs, err := imagesToCopyFromRegistry(baseRegistry, cfg, src)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.NotEmpty(t, descs)
+			ctx := descs[0].Context
+			require.NotNil(t, ctx)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.wantSkip, ctx.DockerInsecureSkipTLSVerify)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.wantDaemonSkip, ctx.DockerDaemonInsecureSkipTLSVerify)
+		})
+	}
+}