diff --git a/registry/storage/manifestlisthandler.go b/registry/storage/manifestlisthandler.go
index 085ccccc2..43468f669 100644
--- a/registry/storage/manifestlisthandler.go
+++ b/registry/storage/manifestlisthandler.go
@@ -64,6 +64,10 @@ func (ms *manifestListHandler) Put(ctx context.Context, manifestList distributio
 func (ms *manifestListHandler) verifyManifest(ctx context.Context, mnfst manifestlist.DeserializedManifestList, skipDependencyVerification bool) error {
 	var errs distribution.ErrManifestVerification
 
+	if mnfst.SchemaVersion != 2 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unrecognized manifest list schema version %d", mnfst.SchemaVersion)
+	}
+
 	if !skipDependencyVerification {
 		// This manifest service is different from the blob service
 		// returned by Blob. It uses a linked blob store to ensure that
diff --git a/registry/storage/manifeststore_test.go b/registry/storage/manifeststore_test.go
index 7c9b9edf8..6c6cf9051 100644
--- a/registry/storage/manifeststore_test.go
+++ b/registry/storage/manifeststore_test.go
@@ -424,9 +424,22 @@ func testOCIManifestStorage(t *testing.T, testname string, includeMediaTypes boo
 		t.Fatalf("%s: unexpected error generating manifest: %v", testname, err)
 	}
 
+	// before putting the manifest test for proper handling of SchemaVersion
+
+	if manifest.(*ocischema.DeserializedManifest).Manifest.SchemaVersion != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("%s: unexpected error generating default version for oci manifest", testname)
+	}
+	manifest.(*ocischema.DeserializedManifest).Manifest.SchemaVersion = 0
+
 	var manifestDigest digest.Digest
 	if manifestDigest, err = ms.Put(ctx, manifest); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("%s: unexpected error putting manifest: %v", testname, err)
+		if err.Error() != "unrecognized manifest schema version 0" {
+			t.Fatalf("%s: unexpected error putting manifest: %v", testname, err)
+		}
+		manifest.(*ocischema.DeserializedManifest).Manifest.SchemaVersion = 2
+		if manifestDigest, err = ms.Put(ctx, manifest); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("%s: unexpected error putting manifest: %v", testname, err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Also create an image index that contains the manifest
diff --git a/registry/storage/ocimanifesthandler.go b/registry/storage/ocimanifesthandler.go
index 57ff28290..03264b8cc 100644
--- a/registry/storage/ocimanifesthandler.go
+++ b/registry/storage/ocimanifesthandler.go
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ func (ms *ocischemaManifestHandler) Put(ctx context.Context, manifest distributi
 func (ms *ocischemaManifestHandler) verifyManifest(ctx context.Context, mnfst ocischema.DeserializedManifest, skipDependencyVerification bool) error {
 	var errs distribution.ErrManifestVerification
 
+	if mnfst.Manifest.SchemaVersion != 2 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unrecognized manifest schema version %d", mnfst.Manifest.SchemaVersion)
+	}
+
 	if skipDependencyVerification {
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/registry/storage/schema2manifesthandler.go b/registry/storage/schema2manifesthandler.go
index b0ae01ae1..863ab2ba2 100644
--- a/registry/storage/schema2manifesthandler.go
+++ b/registry/storage/schema2manifesthandler.go
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@ func (ms *schema2ManifestHandler) Put(ctx context.Context, manifest distribution
 func (ms *schema2ManifestHandler) verifyManifest(ctx context.Context, mnfst schema2.DeserializedManifest, skipDependencyVerification bool) error {
 	var errs distribution.ErrManifestVerification
 
+	if mnfst.Manifest.SchemaVersion != 2 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unrecognized manifest schema version %d", mnfst.Manifest.SchemaVersion)
+	}
+
 	if skipDependencyVerification {
 		return nil
 	}