diff --git a/internal/relationship/by_file_ownership_test.go b/internal/relationship/by_file_ownership_test.go
index 1e83a2c76..ed8282eb9 100644
--- a/internal/relationship/by_file_ownership_test.go
+++ b/internal/relationship/by_file_ownership_test.go
@@ -103,7 +103,9 @@ func TestOwnershipByFilesRelationship(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			name: "top-level-owner-of-an-archive-owns-packages-within-it",
+			// the archive's own package (when it has one) is found by its path; what is inside it is
+			// linked to that package by CONTAINS, not owned by whoever owns the archive file
+			name: "top-level-owner-of-an-archive-does-not-own-packages-within-it",
 			setup: func(t testing.TB) ([]pkg.Package, []artifact.Relationship) {
 				parent := pkg.Package{
 					Locations: file.NewLocationSet(file.NewLocation("/var/lib/rpm/Packages")),
@@ -123,14 +125,7 @@ func TestOwnershipByFilesRelationship(t *testing.T) {
 				}
 				child.SetID()
 
-				relationship := artifact.Relationship{
-					From: parent,
-					To:   child,
-					Type: artifact.OwnershipByFileOverlapRelationship,
-					Data: ownershipByFilesMetadata{Files: []string{"/opt/bundle.tar"}},
-				}
-
-				return []pkg.Package{parent, child}, []artifact.Relationship{relationship}
+				return []pkg.Package{parent, child}, nil
 			},
 		},
 		{
diff --git a/syft/pkg/collection.go b/syft/pkg/collection.go
index b808edf56..a566869c8 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/collection.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/collection.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func (c *Collection) Package(id artifact.ID) *Package {
 }
 
 // PackagesByPath returns all packages that were discovered from the given path: a file's full path or
-// access path, or the top path of an archive, which answers with every package found within it.
+// access path. A package found within an archive is not returned for the archive's own path.
 func (c *Collection) PackagesByPath(path string) []Package {
 	c.lock.RLock()
 	defer c.lock.RUnlock()
@@ -164,12 +164,12 @@ func (c *Collection) addPathsToIndex(p Package) {
 	}
 }
 
-// indexedPaths are the paths a package is found by: each location's full path and access path, and
-// the top path of an archive it was found within.
+// indexedPaths are the paths a package is found by: each location's full path and access path. The real
+// path of a nested location is the outermost archive, so it is left out.
 func indexedPaths(p Package) []string {
 	paths := strset.New()
 	for _, l := range p.Locations.ToSlice() {
-		paths.Add(l.RealPath, l.AccessPath, l.FullNestedPath())
+		paths.Add(l.AccessPath, l.FullNestedPath())
 	}
 	paths.Remove("")
 	return paths.List()
diff --git a/syft/pkg/collection_test.go b/syft/pkg/collection_test.go
index e1f08fd91..74bedc701 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/collection_test.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/collection_test.go
@@ -433,6 +433,23 @@ func TestCatalog_MergeRecords(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestCatalog_PackagesByPath_nestedPackagesAreNotFoundByTheOuterArchive(t *testing.T) {
+	jar := Package{Name: "jar", Type: JavaPkg, Locations: file.NewLocationSet(file.NewLocation("/opt/x.jar"))}
+	nested := file.Coordinates{RealPath: "/opt/x.jar", FullPath: "/opt/x.jar!/lib/a.so"}
+	so := Package{Name: "so", Type: BinaryPkg, Locations: file.NewLocationSet(file.NewLocationFromCoordinates(nested))}
+	c := NewCollection(jar, so)
+
+	names := func(pkgs []Package) []string {
+		var out []string
+		for _, p := range pkgs {
+			out = append(out, p.Name)
+		}
+		return out
+	}
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"jar"}, names(c.PackagesByPath("/opt/x.jar")))
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"so"}, names(c.PackagesByPath(nested.FullPath)))
+}
+
 func TestCatalog_EnumerateNilCatalog(t *testing.T) {
 	var c *Collection
 	assert.Empty(t, c.Enumerate())