diff --git a/salt/cloud/clouds/ec2.py b/salt/cloud/clouds/ec2.py
index adaaf1f73fd2..40d68e16640c 100644
--- a/salt/cloud/clouds/ec2.py
+++ b/salt/cloud/clouds/ec2.py
@@ -1214,21 +1214,28 @@ def get_imageid(vm_):
     )
     if image.startswith('ami-'):
         return image
+    else:
+        return _get_imageid_from_image_name(image)
+
+
+def _get_imageid_from_image_name(image_name):
+    '''
+    Returns most recent 'ami-*' imageId matching image name
+    '''
     # a poor man's cache
-    if not hasattr(get_imageid, 'images'):
-        get_imageid.images = {}
-    elif image in get_imageid.images:
-        return get_imageid.images[image]
+    if not hasattr(_get_imageid_from_image_name, 'images'):
+        _get_imageid_from_image_name.images = {}
+    elif image_name in _get_imageid_from_image_name.images:
+        return _get_imageid_from_image_name.images[image_name]
     params = {'Action': 'DescribeImages',
               'Filter.0.Name': 'name',
-              'Filter.0.Value.0': image}
+              'Filter.0.Value.0': image_name}
     # Query AWS, sort by 'creationDate' and get the last imageId
-    _t = lambda x: datetime.datetime.strptime(x['creationDate'], '%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S.%fZ')
     image_id = sorted(aws.query(params, location=get_location(),
                                  provider=get_provider(), opts=__opts__, sigver='4'),
-                      lambda i, j: salt.utils.compat.cmp(_t(i), _t(j))
+                      key=lambda x: datetime.datetime.strptime(x['creationDate'], '%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S.%fZ')
                       )[-1]['imageId']
-    get_imageid.images[image] = image_id
+    _get_imageid_from_image_name.images[image_name] = image_id
     return image_id
 
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/cloud/clouds/test_ec2.py b/tests/unit/cloud/clouds/test_ec2.py
index d6da53090142..13603ae38965 100644
--- a/tests/unit/cloud/clouds/test_ec2.py
+++ b/tests/unit/cloud/clouds/test_ec2.py
@@ -87,3 +87,20 @@ def test_get_password_data(self, query, get_provider, get_location, _get_node):
         )
         assert ret['passwordData'] == PASS_DATA
         assert ret['password'] == 'testp4ss!'
+
+    @patch('salt.cloud.clouds.ec2.get_location')
+    @patch('salt.cloud.clouds.ec2.get_provider')
+    @patch('salt.utils.aws.query')
+    def test__get_imageid_by_name(self, query, get_provider, get_location):
+        # Trimmed list and stripped dictionary keys for brevity
+        query.return_value = [
+            {u'creationDate': '2019-01-30T23:40:58.000Z', u'imageId': 'ami-02eac2c0129f6376b'},
+            {u'creationDate': '2019-03-15T00:08:05.000Z', u'imageId': 'ami-089ccd342f0be98ab'},
+            {u'creationDate': '2018-05-14T17:19:51.000Z', u'imageId': 'ami-4b6bff34'},
+            {u'creationDate': '2018-01-12T20:33:32.000Z', u'imageId': 'ami-4bf3d731'}]
+        get_location.return_value = 'us-west2'
+        get_provider.return_value = 'ec2'
+
+        # Mock makes argument irrelevant; illustrates value used to obtain mock
+        imageid = ec2._get_imageid_from_image_name('CentOS Linux 7*')
+        assert imageid == 'ami-089ccd342f0be98ab'