diff --git a/osbuild/formats/v2.py b/osbuild/formats/v2.py
index 775be12c..0fd5bf73 100644
--- a/osbuild/formats/v2.py
+++ b/osbuild/formats/v2.py
@@ -166,6 +166,9 @@ def describe(manifest: Manifest, *, with_id=False) -> Dict:
         "pipelines": pipelines
     }
 
+    if manifest.metadata:
+        description["metadata"] = manifest.metadata
+
     if sources:
         description["sources"] = sources
 
@@ -355,10 +358,15 @@ def load(description: Dict, index: Index) -> Manifest:
 
     sources = description.get("sources", {})
     pipelines = description.get("pipelines", [])
+    metadata = description.get("metadata", {})
 
     manifest = Manifest()
     source_refs = set()
 
+    # metadata
+    for key, value in metadata.items():
+        manifest.add_metadata(key, value)
+
     # load the sources
     for name, desc in sources.items():
         info = index.get_module_info("Source", name)
diff --git a/osbuild/pipeline.py b/osbuild/pipeline.py
index 84013740..c955033b 100644
--- a/osbuild/pipeline.py
+++ b/osbuild/pipeline.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import hashlib
 import json
 import os
 from fnmatch import fnmatch
-from typing import Dict, Generator, Iterable, Iterator, List, Optional
+from typing import Any, Dict, Generator, Iterable, Iterator, List, Optional
 
 from . import buildroot, host, objectstore, remoteloop
 from .api import API
@@ -388,9 +388,13 @@ class Manifest:
     """Representation of a pipeline and its sources"""
 
     def __init__(self):
+        self.metadata = {}
         self.pipelines = collections.OrderedDict()
         self.sources = []
 
+    def add_metadata(self, name: str, data: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        self.metadata[name] = data
+
     def add_pipeline(
         self,
         name: str,
diff --git a/test/mod/test_fmt_v2.py b/test/mod/test_fmt_v2.py
index 65f7d3ba..6b570835 100644
--- a/test/mod/test_fmt_v2.py
+++ b/test/mod/test_fmt_v2.py
@@ -12,6 +12,14 @@ import osbuild.meta
 
 BASIC_PIPELINE = {
     "version": "2",
+    "metadata": {
+        "generators": [
+            {
+                "name": "handcrafted",
+                "version": "NaN",
+            },
+        ],
+    },
     "sources": {
         "org.osbuild.curl": {
             "items": {