diff --git a/inputs/org.osbuild.containers b/inputs/org.osbuild.containers
index a787f42b..7d2f5562 100755
--- a/inputs/org.osbuild.containers
+++ b/inputs/org.osbuild.containers
@@ -46,6 +46,23 @@ SCHEMA = r"""
       }
     }
   },
+  "source-array-ref": {
+    "type": "array",
+    "minItems": 1,
+    "items": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "required": ["id"],
+      "properties": {
+        "id": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "options": {
+          "$ref": "#/definitions/source-options"
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  },
   "source-origin": {
     "type": "string",
     "description": "When the origin of the input is a source",
@@ -72,6 +89,23 @@ SCHEMA = r"""
       }
     }
   },
+  "pipeline-array-ref": {
+    "type": "array",
+    "minItems": 1,
+    "items": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "required": ["id"],
+      "properties": {
+        "id": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "options": {
+          "$ref": "#/definitions/pipeline-options"
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  },
   "pipeline-origin": {
     "type": "string",
     "description": "When the origin of the input is a pipeline",
@@ -93,7 +127,10 @@ SCHEMA = r"""
       },
       "references": {
         "description": "Container image id",
-        "$ref": "#/definitions/source-object-ref"
+         "oneOf": [
+          {"$ref": "#/definitions/source-array-ref"},
+          {"$ref": "#/definitions/source-object-ref"}
+        ]
       }
     }
   },
@@ -110,7 +147,10 @@ SCHEMA = r"""
       },
       "references": {
         "description": "References to pipelines",
-        "$ref": "#/definitions/pipeline-object-ref"
+        "oneOf": [
+          {"$ref": "#/definitions/pipeline-array-ref"},
+          {"$ref": "#/definitions/pipeline-object-ref"}
+        ]
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/inputs/org.osbuild.files b/inputs/org.osbuild.files
index 2cad3876..a088eac4 100755
--- a/inputs/org.osbuild.files
+++ b/inputs/org.osbuild.files
@@ -62,6 +62,23 @@ SCHEMA = r"""
       }
     }
   },
+  "source-array-ref": {
+    "type": "array",
+    "minItems": 1,
+    "items": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "required": ["id"],
+      "properties": {
+        "id": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "options": {
+          "$ref": "#/definitions/source-options"
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  },
   "source-origin": {
     "type": "string",
     "description": "When the origin of the input is a source",
@@ -89,6 +106,23 @@ SCHEMA = r"""
       }
     }
   },
+  "pipeline-array-ref": {
+    "type": "array",
+    "minItems": 1,
+    "items": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "required": ["id"],
+      "properties": {
+        "id": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "options": {
+          "$ref": "#/definitions/pipeline-options"
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  },
   "pipeline-origin": {
     "type": "string",
     "description": "When the origin of the input is a pipeline",
@@ -112,6 +146,7 @@ SCHEMA = r"""
         "description": "Checksums of files to use as files input",
         "oneOf": [
           {"$ref": "#/definitions/plain-ref"},
+          {"$ref": "#/definitions/source-array-ref"},
           {"$ref": "#/definitions/source-object-ref"}
         ]
       }
@@ -130,7 +165,10 @@ SCHEMA = r"""
       },
       "references": {
         "description": "References to pipelines",
-        "$ref": "#/definitions/pipeline-object-ref"
+        "oneOf": [
+          {"$ref": "#/definitions/pipeline-array-ref"},
+          {"$ref": "#/definitions/pipeline-object-ref"}
+        ]
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/inputs/org.osbuild.ostree b/inputs/org.osbuild.ostree
index 5af5fe05..53983abf 100755
--- a/inputs/org.osbuild.ostree
+++ b/inputs/org.osbuild.ostree
@@ -61,6 +61,24 @@ SCHEMA = """
           "$ref": "#/definitions/options"
         }
       }
+    }, {
+      "type": "array",
+      "additionalItems": false,
+      "minItems": 1,
+      "maxItems": 1,
+      "items": [{
+        "type": "object",
+        "additionalProperties": false,
+        "required": ["id"],
+        "properties": {
+          "id": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "options": {
+            "$ref": "#/definitions/options"
+          }
+        }
+      }]
     }]
   }
 }
diff --git a/inputs/org.osbuild.ostree.checkout b/inputs/org.osbuild.ostree.checkout
index e6f7b269..843afb48 100755
--- a/inputs/org.osbuild.ostree.checkout
+++ b/inputs/org.osbuild.ostree.checkout
@@ -45,6 +45,24 @@ SCHEMA = """
           "additionalProperties": false
         }
       }
+    }, {
+      "type": "array",
+      "additionalItems": false,
+      "minItems": 1,
+      "items": [{
+        "type": "object",
+        "additionalProperties": false,
+        "required": ["id"],
+        "properties": {
+          "id": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "options": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "additionalProperties": false
+          }
+        }
+      }]
     }]
   }
 }
diff --git a/inputs/org.osbuild.tree b/inputs/org.osbuild.tree
index b1cef0e1..be7945d0 100755
--- a/inputs/org.osbuild.tree
+++ b/inputs/org.osbuild.tree
@@ -46,6 +46,25 @@ SCHEMA = """
        },
        "minProperties": 1,
        "maxProperties": 1
+    }, {
+      "type": "array",
+      "additionalItems": false,
+      "minItems": 1,
+      "maxItems": 1,
+      "items": [{
+        "type": "object",
+        "additionalProperties": false,
+        "required": ["id"],
+        "properties": {
+          "id": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "options": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "additionalProperties": false
+          }
+        }
+      }]
     }]
   }
 }
diff --git a/osbuild/formats/v2.py b/osbuild/formats/v2.py
index 824a19f0..a90975e7 100644
--- a/osbuild/formats/v2.py
+++ b/osbuild/formats/v2.py
@@ -248,7 +248,14 @@ def load_input(name: str, description: Dict, index: Index, stage: Stage, manifes
     refs = description.get("references", {})
 
     if isinstance(refs, list):
-        refs = {r: {} for r in refs}
+        def make_ref(ref):
+            if isinstance(ref, str):
+                return ref, {}
+            if isinstance(ref, dict):
+                return ref.get("id"), ref.get("options", {})
+            raise ValueError(f"Invalid reference: {ref}")
+
+        refs = dict(make_ref(ref) for ref in refs)
 
     if origin == "org.osbuild.pipeline":
         resolved = {}
diff --git a/schemas/osbuild2.json b/schemas/osbuild2.json
index d9f0d535..d2b85eac 100644
--- a/schemas/osbuild2.json
+++ b/schemas/osbuild2.json
@@ -114,9 +114,23 @@
         {
           "type": "array",
           "items": { "type": "string" }
-        },{
+        }, {
           "type": "object",
           "additionalProperties": true
+        }, {
+          "type": "array",
+          "items": {
+            "type": "object", 
+            "required": ["id"],
+            "additionalProperties": false,
+            "properties": {
+              "id": { "type": "string" },
+              "options": {
+                "type": "object", 
+                "additionalProperties": true
+              }
+            }
+          }
         }
       ]
     },
diff --git a/test/mod/test_fmt_v2.py b/test/mod/test_fmt_v2.py
index cf050194..b582cb54 100644
--- a/test/mod/test_fmt_v2.py
+++ b/test/mod/test_fmt_v2.py
@@ -439,3 +439,9 @@ class TestFormatV2(unittest.TestCase):
         }
 
         self.check_input_references(desc)
+
+        # check references passed as array of objects
+        inputs["references"] = [
+            {"id": k, "options": {}} for k in refs
+        ]
+        self.check_input_references(desc)