diff --git a/manifest.md b/manifest.md
index 010dab490..fd04510d6 100644
--- a/manifest.md
+++ b/manifest.md
@@ -140,9 +140,8 @@ Unlike the [Manifest List](#manifest-list), which contains information about a s
 - **`layers`** *array*
 
     Each item in the array MUST be a [descriptor](descriptor.md).
-    The array MUST have the base image at index 0.
-    Subsequent layers MUST then follow in the order in which they are to be layered on top of each other.
-    The algorithm to create the final unpacked filesystem layout MUST be to first unpack the layer at index 0, then index 1, and so on.
+    The root filesystem MUST match the result of [applying](layer.md#applying) the entries to an empty directory in the listed order.
+    The [ownership, mode, and other attributes](layer.md#file-attributes) of the initial empty directory are unspecified.
 
 - **`annotations`** *string-string map*