diff --git a/cmd/podman/manifest/annotate.go b/cmd/podman/manifest/annotate.go
index 73f1b18cbd..c628e3e0fe 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/manifest/annotate.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/manifest/annotate.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ func init() {
 	flags := annotateCmd.Flags()
 
 	annotationFlagName := "annotation"
-	flags.StringSliceVar(&manifestAnnotateOpts.Annotation, annotationFlagName, nil, "set an `annotation` for the specified image")
+	flags.StringArrayVar(&manifestAnnotateOpts.Annotation, annotationFlagName, nil, "set an `annotation` for the specified image")
 	_ = annotateCmd.RegisterFlagCompletionFunc(annotationFlagName, completion.AutocompleteNone)
 
 	archFlagName := "arch"
diff --git a/test/e2e/manifest_test.go b/test/e2e/manifest_test.go
index 7c60e67978..071239f4fb 100644
--- a/test/e2e/manifest_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/manifest_test.go
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ add_compression = ["zstd"]`), 0o644)
 		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"manifest", "add", "foo", imageListInstance})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
 		Expect(session).Should(ExitCleanly())
-		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"manifest", "annotate", "--annotation", "hello=world", "--arch", "bar", "foo", imageListARM64InstanceDigest})
+		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"manifest", "annotate", "--annotation", "hello=world,withcomma", "--arch", "bar", "foo", imageListARM64InstanceDigest})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
 		Expect(session).Should(ExitCleanly())
 		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"manifest", "inspect", "foo"})
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ add_compression = ["zstd"]`), 0o644)
 		Expect(session).Should(ExitCleanly())
 		Expect(session.OutputToString()).To(ContainSubstring(`"architecture": "bar"`))
 		// Check added annotation
-		Expect(session.OutputToString()).To(ContainSubstring(`"hello": "world"`))
+		Expect(session.OutputToString()).To(ContainSubstring(`"hello": "world,withcomma"`))
 	})
 
 	It("remove digest", func() {