diff --git a/libimage/.manifest_list.go.swp b/libimage/.manifest_list.go.swp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6adfad071
Binary files /dev/null and b/libimage/.manifest_list.go.swp differ
diff --git a/libimage/manifest_list_test.go b/libimage/manifest_list_test.go
index 68779bf6a..d839237db 100644
--- a/libimage/manifest_list_test.go
+++ b/libimage/manifest_list_test.go
@@ -75,3 +75,52 @@ func TestCreateAndTagManifestList(t *testing.T) {
 	// Both origin list and newly tagged list should point to same image id
 	require.Equal(t, image.ID(), taggedImage.ID())
 }
+
+// Following test ensure that we test  Removing a manifestList
+// Test tags two manifestlist and deletes one of them and
+// confirms if other one is not deleted.
+func TestCreateAndRemoveManifestList(t *testing.T) {
+
+	tagName := "manifestlisttagged"
+	listName := "manifestlist"
+	runtime, cleanup := testNewRuntime(t)
+	defer cleanup()
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	list, err := runtime.CreateManifestList(listName)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, list)
+
+	manifestListOpts := &ManifestListAddOptions{All: true}
+	_, err = list.Add(ctx, "docker://busybox", manifestListOpts)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	list, err = runtime.LookupManifestList(listName)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, list)
+
+	lookupOptions := &LookupImageOptions{ManifestList: true}
+	image, _, err := runtime.LookupImage(listName, lookupOptions)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, image)
+	err = image.Tag(tagName)
+	require.NoError(t, err, "tag should have succeeded: %s", tagName)
+
+	taggedImage, _, err := runtime.LookupImage(tagName, lookupOptions)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, taggedImage)
+	// Both origin list and newly tagged list should point to same image id
+	require.Equal(t, image.ID(), taggedImage.ID())
+
+	// Try deleting the manifestList with tag
+	rmReports, rmErrors := runtime.RemoveImages(ctx, []string{"manifestlisttagged"}, &RemoveImagesOptions{Force: true, LookupManifest: true})
+	require.Nil(t, rmErrors)
+	require.Equal(t, []string{"localhost/manifestlisttagged:latest"}, rmReports[0].Untagged)
+
+	// Original tag should still exists
+	imageRe, _, err := runtime.LookupImage(listName, lookupOptions)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, imageRe)
+	require.Equal(t, image.ID(), imageRe.ID())
+
+}
diff --git a/libimage/runtime.go b/libimage/runtime.go
index 7d3fbf3f2..42461014d 100644
--- a/libimage/runtime.go
+++ b/libimage/runtime.go
@@ -541,6 +541,11 @@ type RemoveImagesOptions struct {
 	// using a removed image.  Use RemoveContainerFunc for a custom logic.
 	// If set, all child images will be removed as well.
 	Force bool
+	// LookupManifest will expect all specified names to be manifest lists (no instance look up).
+	// This allows for removing manifest lists.
+	// By default, RemoveImages will attempt to resolve to a manifest instance matching
+	// the local platform (i.e., os, architecture, variant).
+	LookupManifest bool
 	// RemoveContainerFunc allows for a custom logic for removing
 	// containers using a specific image.  By default, all containers in
 	// the local containers storage will be removed (if Force is set).
@@ -600,13 +605,22 @@ func (r *Runtime) RemoveImages(ctx context.Context, names []string, options *Rem
 	toDelete := []string{}
 	// Look up images in the local containers storage and fill out
 	// toDelete and the deleteMap.
+
 	switch {
 	case len(names) > 0:
+		// prepare lookupOptions
+		var lookupOptions *LookupImageOptions
+		if options.LookupManifest {
+			// LookupManifest configured as true make sure we only remove manifests and no referenced images.
+			lookupOptions = &LookupImageOptions{lookupManifest: true}
+		} else {
+			lookupOptions = &LookupImageOptions{returnManifestIfNoInstance: true}
+		}
 		// Look up the images one-by-one.  That allows for removing
 		// images that have been looked up successfully while reporting
 		// lookup errors at the end.
 		for _, name := range names {
-			img, resolvedName, err := r.LookupImage(name, &LookupImageOptions{returnManifestIfNoInstance: true})
+			img, resolvedName, err := r.LookupImage(name, lookupOptions)
 			if err != nil {
 				appendError(err)
 				continue