diff --git a/osbuild/formats/v1.py b/osbuild/formats/v1.py
index e7e448d7..d769eda3 100644
--- a/osbuild/formats/v1.py
+++ b/osbuild/formats/v1.py
@@ -116,7 +116,20 @@ def load_stage(description: Dict, index: Index, pipeline: Pipeline):
 
 def load_source(name: str, description: Dict, index: Index, manifest: Manifest):
     info = index.get_module_info("Source", name)
-    manifest.add_source(info, description)
+
+    if name == "org.osbuild.files":
+        items = description["urls"]
+    elif name == "org.osbuild.ostree":
+        items = description["commits"]
+    else:
+        raise ValueError(f"Unknown source type: {name}")
+
+    # NB: the entries, i.e. `urls`, `commits` are left in the
+    # description dict, although the sources are not using
+    # it anymore. The reason is that it makes `describe` work
+    # without any special casing
+
+    manifest.add_source(info, items, description)
 
 
 def load_pipeline(description: Dict, index: Index, manifest: Manifest, n: int = 0) -> Pipeline:
diff --git a/osbuild/pipeline.py b/osbuild/pipeline.py
index a8a7f7cb..422a0b40 100644
--- a/osbuild/pipeline.py
+++ b/osbuild/pipeline.py
@@ -270,8 +270,8 @@ class Manifest:
         self.pipelines[name] = pipeline
         return pipeline
 
-    def add_source(self, info, options: Dict) -> Source:
-        source = Source(info, options)
+    def add_source(self, info, items: List, options: Dict) -> Source:
+        source = Source(info, items, options)
         self.sources.append(source)
         return source
 
diff --git a/osbuild/sources.py b/osbuild/sources.py
index 235cc0db..90ca1de9 100644
--- a/osbuild/sources.py
+++ b/osbuild/sources.py
@@ -13,14 +13,16 @@ class Source:
     """
     A single source with is corresponding options.
     """
-    def __init__(self, info, options) -> None:
+    def __init__(self, info, items, options) -> None:
         self.info = info
+        self.items = items or {}
         self.options = options
 
     def download(self, store: ObjectStore, libdir: PathLike):
         source = self.info.name
         cache = os.path.join(store.store, "sources", source)
         msg = {
+            "items": self.items,
             "options": self.options,
             "cache": cache,
             "output": None,
@@ -69,6 +71,7 @@ class SourcesServer(api.BaseAPI):
 
     def _run_source(self, source, checksums):
         msg = {
+            "items": {},
             "options": self.options.get(source, {}),
             "cache": f"{self.cache}/{source}",
             "output": f"{self.output}/{source}",
diff --git a/sources/org.osbuild.files b/sources/org.osbuild.files
index 30ecd53a..ca54359a 100755
--- a/sources/org.osbuild.files
+++ b/sources/org.osbuild.files
@@ -218,11 +218,12 @@ def export(checksums, cache, output):
     return 0
 
 
-def main(options, checksums, cache, output):
-    urls = options.get("urls", {})
-
+def main(urls, options, checksums, cache, output):
     download_only = not output
 
+    if not urls:
+        urls = options.get("urls", [])
+
     if urls:
         if not checksums and download_only:
             checksums = [k for k, _ in urls.items()]
@@ -244,5 +245,9 @@ def main(options, checksums, cache, output):
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     args = json.load(sys.stdin)
-    r = main(args["options"], args["checksums"], args["cache"], args.get("output"))
+    r = main(args["items"],
+             args["options"],
+             args["checksums"],
+             args["cache"],
+             args.get("output"))
     sys.exit(r)
diff --git a/sources/org.osbuild.ostree b/sources/org.osbuild.ostree
index f4dfb4a6..0305d5e7 100755
--- a/sources/org.osbuild.ostree
+++ b/sources/org.osbuild.ostree
@@ -117,8 +117,10 @@ def export(checksums, cache, output):
     json.dump({}, sys.stdout)
 
 
-def main(options, checksums, cache, output):
-    commits = options["commits"]
+def main(commits, options, checksums, cache, output):
+
+    if not commits:
+        commits = options.get("commits", {})
 
     os.makedirs(cache, exist_ok=True)
     download(commits, checksums, cache)
@@ -135,7 +137,8 @@ def main(options, checksums, cache, output):
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     source_args = json.load(sys.stdin)
-    r = main(source_args["options"],
+    r = main(source_args["items"],
+             source_args["options"],
              source_args["checksums"],
              source_args["cache"],
              source_args["output"])