diff --git a/manifest/schema1/manifest.go b/manifest/schema1/manifest.go
index 98a7d8170..4850d940e 100644
--- a/manifest/schema1/manifest.go
+++ b/manifest/schema1/manifest.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func init() {
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(fmt.Sprintf("Unable to register manifest: %s", err))
 	}
-	err = distribution.RegisterManifestSchema("application/json; charset=utf-8", schema1Func)
+	err = distribution.RegisterManifestSchema("application/json", schema1Func)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(fmt.Sprintf("Unable to register manifest: %s", err))
 	}
diff --git a/manifests.go b/manifests.go
index 1f93812dd..aec28e97a 100644
--- a/manifests.go
+++ b/manifests.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package distribution
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/context"
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/digest"
@@ -80,7 +81,17 @@ var mappings = make(map[string]UnmarshalFunc, 0)
 
 // UnmarshalManifest looks up manifest unmarshall functions based on
 // MediaType
-func UnmarshalManifest(mediatype string, p []byte) (Manifest, Descriptor, error) {
+func UnmarshalManifest(ctHeader string, p []byte) (Manifest, Descriptor, error) {
+	// Need to look up by the actual content type, not the raw contents of
+	// the header. Strip semicolons and anything following them.
+	var mediatype string
+	semicolonIndex := strings.Index(ctHeader, ";")
+	if semicolonIndex != -1 {
+		mediatype = ctHeader[:semicolonIndex]
+	} else {
+		mediatype = ctHeader
+	}
+
 	unmarshalFunc, ok := mappings[mediatype]
 	if !ok {
 		return nil, Descriptor{}, fmt.Errorf("unsupported manifest mediatype: %s", mediatype)
diff --git a/registry/handlers/api_test.go b/registry/handlers/api_test.go
index a1aac3cde..f3f5a4fb1 100644
--- a/registry/handlers/api_test.go
+++ b/registry/handlers/api_test.go
@@ -954,7 +954,14 @@ func testManifestAPISchema1(t *testing.T, env *testEnv, imageName string) manife
 
 	}
 
-	resp = putManifest(t, "re-putting signed manifest", manifestDigestURL, "", sm2)
+	// Re-push with a few different Content-Types. The official schema1
+	// content type should work, as should application/json with/without a
+	// charset.
+	resp = putManifest(t, "re-putting signed manifest", manifestDigestURL, schema1.MediaTypeManifest, sm2)
+	checkResponse(t, "re-putting signed manifest", resp, http.StatusCreated)
+	resp = putManifest(t, "re-putting signed manifest", manifestDigestURL, "application/json; charset=utf-8", sm2)
+	checkResponse(t, "re-putting signed manifest", resp, http.StatusCreated)
+	resp = putManifest(t, "re-putting signed manifest", manifestDigestURL, "application/json", sm2)
 	checkResponse(t, "re-putting signed manifest", resp, http.StatusCreated)
 
 	resp, err = http.Get(manifestDigestURL)