diff --git a/blobs.go b/blobs.go
index 3f81f35c..000430b1 100644
--- a/blobs.go
+++ b/blobs.go
@@ -85,15 +85,6 @@ type Descriptor struct {
 	// depend on the simplicity of this type.
 }
 
-// Descriptor returns the descriptor, to make it satisfy the Describable
-// interface. Note that implementations of Describable are generally objects
-// which can be described, not simply descriptors; this exception is in place
-// to make it more convenient to pass actual descriptors to functions that
-// expect Describable objects.
-func (d Descriptor) Descriptor() Descriptor {
-	return d
-}
-
 // BlobStatter makes blob descriptors available by digest. The service may
 // provide a descriptor of a different digest if the provided digest is not
 // canonical.
diff --git a/manifest/ocischema/builder.go b/manifest/ocischema/builder.go
index 736910a9..204f2ee1 100644
--- a/manifest/ocischema/builder.go
+++ b/manifest/ocischema/builder.go
@@ -96,8 +96,8 @@ func (mb *Builder) Build(ctx context.Context) (distribution.Manifest, error) {
 }
 
 // AppendReference adds a reference to the current ManifestBuilder.
-func (mb *Builder) AppendReference(d distribution.Describable) error {
-	mb.layers = append(mb.layers, d.Descriptor())
+func (mb *Builder) AppendReference(ref distribution.Descriptor) error {
+	mb.layers = append(mb.layers, ref)
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/manifest/schema2/builder.go b/manifest/schema2/builder.go
index 97cf12a0..d432ad60 100644
--- a/manifest/schema2/builder.go
+++ b/manifest/schema2/builder.go
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ func (mb *Builder) Build(ctx context.Context) (distribution.Manifest, error) {
 }
 
 // AppendReference adds a reference to the current ManifestBuilder.
-func (mb *Builder) AppendReference(d distribution.Describable) error {
-	mb.dependencies = append(mb.dependencies, d.Descriptor())
+func (mb *Builder) AppendReference(ref distribution.Descriptor) error {
+	mb.dependencies = append(mb.dependencies, ref)
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/manifests.go b/manifests.go
index 04558c65..97b246d2 100644
--- a/manifests.go
+++ b/manifests.go
@@ -48,8 +48,12 @@ type ManifestEnumerator interface {
 	Enumerate(ctx context.Context, ingester func(digest.Digest) error) error
 }
 
-// Describable is an interface for descriptors
+// Describable is an interface for descriptors.
+//
+// Implementations of Describable are generally objects which can be
+// described, not simply descriptors.
 type Describable interface {
+	// Descriptor returns the descriptor.
 	Descriptor() Descriptor
 }