diff --git a/registry/storage/manifestlisthandler.go b/registry/storage/manifestlisthandler.go
index 43468f669..ffc391617 100644
--- a/registry/storage/manifestlisthandler.go
+++ b/registry/storage/manifestlisthandler.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package storage
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/docker/distribution"
@@ -23,12 +22,12 @@ var _ ManifestHandler = &manifestListHandler{}
 func (ms *manifestListHandler) Unmarshal(ctx context.Context, dgst digest.Digest, content []byte) (distribution.Manifest, error) {
 	dcontext.GetLogger(ms.ctx).Debug("(*manifestListHandler).Unmarshal")
 
-	var m manifestlist.DeserializedManifestList
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(content, &m); err != nil {
+	m := &manifestlist.DeserializedManifestList{}
+	if err := m.UnmarshalJSON(content); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return &m, nil
+	return m, nil
 }
 
 func (ms *manifestListHandler) Put(ctx context.Context, manifestList distribution.Manifest, skipDependencyVerification bool) (digest.Digest, error) {
diff --git a/registry/storage/ocimanifesthandler.go b/registry/storage/ocimanifesthandler.go
index 03264b8cc..91a037a04 100644
--- a/registry/storage/ocimanifesthandler.go
+++ b/registry/storage/ocimanifesthandler.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package storage
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/url"
 
@@ -26,12 +25,12 @@ var _ ManifestHandler = &ocischemaManifestHandler{}
 func (ms *ocischemaManifestHandler) Unmarshal(ctx context.Context, dgst digest.Digest, content []byte) (distribution.Manifest, error) {
 	dcontext.GetLogger(ms.ctx).Debug("(*ocischemaManifestHandler).Unmarshal")
 
-	var m ocischema.DeserializedManifest
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(content, &m); err != nil {
+	m := &ocischema.DeserializedManifest{}
+	if err := m.UnmarshalJSON(content); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return &m, nil
+	return m, nil
 }
 
 func (ms *ocischemaManifestHandler) Put(ctx context.Context, manifest distribution.Manifest, skipDependencyVerification bool) (digest.Digest, error) {
diff --git a/registry/storage/schema2manifesthandler.go b/registry/storage/schema2manifesthandler.go
index 863ab2ba2..acb3255b6 100644
--- a/registry/storage/schema2manifesthandler.go
+++ b/registry/storage/schema2manifesthandler.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package storage
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/url"
@@ -33,12 +32,12 @@ var _ ManifestHandler = &schema2ManifestHandler{}
 func (ms *schema2ManifestHandler) Unmarshal(ctx context.Context, dgst digest.Digest, content []byte) (distribution.Manifest, error) {
 	dcontext.GetLogger(ms.ctx).Debug("(*schema2ManifestHandler).Unmarshal")
 
-	var m schema2.DeserializedManifest
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(content, &m); err != nil {
+	m := &schema2.DeserializedManifest{}
+	if err := m.UnmarshalJSON(content); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return &m, nil
+	return m, nil
 }
 
 func (ms *schema2ManifestHandler) Put(ctx context.Context, manifest distribution.Manifest, skipDependencyVerification bool) (digest.Digest, error) {