diff --git a/cmd/buildah/manifest.go b/cmd/buildah/manifest.go
index 52d161b6dbc..e6bf8d0794b 100644
--- a/cmd/buildah/manifest.go
+++ b/cmd/buildah/manifest.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ type manifestCreateOpts struct {
 
 type manifestAddOpts struct {
 	authfile, certDir, creds, os, arch, variant, osVersion string
-	features, osFeatures, annotations                      []string
+	features, osFeatures, annotations, artifactAnnotations []string
 	tlsVerify, insecure, all                               bool
 	artifact, artifactExcludeTitles                        bool
 	artifactType, artifactLayerType                        string
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ func init() {
 	flags.StringVar(&manifestAddOpts.artifactLayerType, "artifact-layer-type", "", "artifact layer media type")
 	flags.BoolVar(&manifestAddOpts.artifactExcludeTitles, "artifact-exclude-titles", false, fmt.Sprintf(`refrain from setting %q annotations on "layers"`, v1.AnnotationTitle))
 	flags.StringVar(&manifestAddOpts.artifactSubject, "artifact-subject", "", "artifact subject reference")
+	flags.StringSliceVar(&manifestAddOpts.artifactAnnotations, "artifact-annotation", nil, "artifact annotation")
 	flags.StringVar(&manifestAddOpts.authfile, "authfile", auth.GetDefaultAuthFile(), "path of the authentication file. Use REGISTRY_AUTH_FILE environment variable to override")
 	flags.StringVar(&manifestAddOpts.certDir, "cert-dir", "", "use certificates at the specified path to access the registry")
 	flags.StringVar(&manifestAddOpts.creds, "creds", "", "use `[username[:password]]` for accessing the registry")
@@ -523,6 +524,13 @@ func manifestAddCmd(c *cobra.Command, args []string, opts manifestAddOpts) error
 			options.ConfigDescriptor.Size = -1
 			options.ConfigFile = opts.artifactConfigFile
 		}
+		if len(opts.artifactAnnotations) > 0 {
+			options.Annotations = make(map[string]string, len(opts.artifactAnnotations))
+			for _, annotation := range opts.artifactAnnotations {
+				k, v, _ := strings.Cut(annotation, "=")
+				options.Annotations[k] = v
+			}
+		}
 		options.ExcludeTitles = opts.artifactExcludeTitles
 		instanceDigest, err = list.AddArtifact(getContext(), systemContext, options, artifactSpec...)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -531,7 +539,7 @@ func manifestAddCmd(c *cobra.Command, args []string, opts manifestAddOpts) error
 		}
 	} else {
 		var changedArtifactFlags []string
-		for _, artifactOption := range []string{"artifact-type", "artifact-config", "artifact-config-type", "artifact-layer-type", "artifact-subject", "artifact-exclude-titles"} {
+		for _, artifactOption := range []string{"artifact-type", "artifact-config", "artifact-config-type", "artifact-layer-type", "artifact-subject", "artifact-exclude-titles", "artifact-annotation"} {
 			if c.Flags().Changed(artifactOption) {
 				changedArtifactFlags = append(changedArtifactFlags, "--"+artifactOption)
 			}
diff --git a/docs/buildah-manifest-add.1.md b/docs/buildah-manifest-add.1.md
index 7c1c5816f97..965e2adf85f 100644
--- a/docs/buildah-manifest-add.1.md
+++ b/docs/buildah-manifest-add.1.md
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ Create an artifact manifest and add it to the image index.  Arguments after the
 index name will be interpreted as file names rather than as image references.
 In most scenarios, the **--artifact-type** option should also be specified.
 
+**--artifact-annotation** *annotation=value*
+
+When creating an artifact manifest and adding it to the image index, set an
+annotation in the artifact manifest.
+
 **--artifact-config** *filename*
 
 When creating an artifact manifest and adding it to the image index, use the
diff --git a/tests/lists.bats b/tests/lists.bats
index b36edb313b8..c21851124e7 100644
--- a/tests/lists.bats
+++ b/tests/lists.bats
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ IMAGE_LIST_S390X_INSTANCE_DIGEST=sha256:882a20ee0df7399a445285361d38b711c299ca09
     run sha256sum $TEST_SCRATCH_DIR/randomfile
     blobencoded="${output%% *}"
     run_buildah manifest create foo
-    run_buildah manifest add --artifact --artifact-type image/jpeg --artifact-layer-type image/not-validated --artifact-config-type text/x-not-really --artifact-subject busybox foo $TEST_SCRATCH_DIR/randomfile2
-    run_buildah manifest add --artifact --artifact-type image/png --artifact-layer-type image/not-validated --artifact-config-type text/x-not-really --artifact-subject busybox foo $TEST_SCRATCH_DIR/randomfile
+    run_buildah manifest add --artifact --artifact-type image/jpeg --artifact-layer-type image/not-validated --artifact-config-type text/x-not-really --artifact-subject busybox --artifact-annotation up=down foo $TEST_SCRATCH_DIR/randomfile2
+    run_buildah manifest add --artifact --artifact-type image/png --artifact-layer-type image/not-validated --artifact-config-type text/x-not-really --artifact-subject busybox --artifact-annotation left=right foo $TEST_SCRATCH_DIR/randomfile
     digest="${output##* }"
     alg="${digest%%:*}"
     encoded="${digest##*:}"
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ IMAGE_LIST_S390X_INSTANCE_DIGEST=sha256:882a20ee0df7399a445285361d38b711c299ca09
     assert "$output" =~ '"artifactType":"image/png"' "cat $TEST_SCRATCH_DIR/pushed/blobs/$alg/$encoded"
     assert "$output" =~ '"mediaType":"image/not-validated"' "cat $TEST_SCRATCH_DIR/pushed/blobs/$alg/$encoded"
     assert "$output" =~ '"mediaType":"text/x-not-really"' "cat $TEST_SCRATCH_DIR/pushed/blobs/$alg/$encoded"
+    assert "$output" =~ '"annotations":\{"left":"right"\}' "cat $TEST_SCRATCH_DIR/pushed/blobs/$alg/$encoded"
     run_buildah manifest rm foo
 }