diff --git a/cmd/registry/config-cache.yml b/cmd/registry/config-cache.yml
index f7e47b82..d648303d 100644
--- a/cmd/registry/config-cache.yml
+++ b/cmd/registry/config-cache.yml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ redis:
   writetimeout: 10ms
 notifications:
     events:
-        manifestlayers: true
+        includereferences: true
     endpoints:
         - name: local-8082
           url: http://localhost:5003/callback
diff --git a/cmd/registry/config-dev.yml b/cmd/registry/config-dev.yml
index 25002569..9539bae4 100644
--- a/cmd/registry/config-dev.yml
+++ b/cmd/registry/config-dev.yml
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ redis:
   writetimeout: 10ms
 notifications:
     events:
-        manifestlayers: true
+        includereferences: true
     endpoints:
         - name: local-5003
           url: http://localhost:5003/callback
diff --git a/configuration/configuration.go b/configuration/configuration.go
index 59841382..0b5b46aa 100644
--- a/configuration/configuration.go
+++ b/configuration/configuration.go
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ type Endpoint struct {
 
 // Events configures notification events.
 type Events struct {
-	ManifestLayers bool `yaml:"manifestlayers"` // include layer data in manifest events
+	IncludeReferences bool `yaml:"includereferences"` // include reference data in manifest events
 }
 
 //Ignore configures mediaTypes and actions of the event, that it won't be propagated
diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index 7a6b9b2c..3f346439 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ http:
     disabled: false
 notifications:
   events:
-    manifestlayers: true
+    includereferences: true
   endpoints:
     - name: alistener
       disabled: false
@@ -856,7 +856,7 @@ settings for the registry.
 ```none
 notifications:
   events:
-    manifestlayers: true
+    includereferences: true
   endpoints:
     - name: alistener
       disabled: false
@@ -906,7 +906,7 @@ The `events` structure configures the information provided in event notification
 
 | Parameter | Required | Description                                           |
 |-----------|----------|-------------------------------------------------------|
-| `manifestlayers` | no | If `true`, include layer information in manifest events. |
+| `includereferences` | no | If `true`, include reference information in manifest events. |
 
 ## `redis`
 
diff --git a/notifications/bridge.go b/notifications/bridge.go
index 1a58c2bb..efc73f68 100644
--- a/notifications/bridge.go
+++ b/notifications/bridge.go
@@ -12,12 +12,12 @@ import (
 )
 
 type bridge struct {
-	ub             URLBuilder
-	manifestLayers bool
-	actor          ActorRecord
-	source         SourceRecord
-	request        RequestRecord
-	sink           Sink
+	ub                URLBuilder
+	includeReferences bool
+	actor             ActorRecord
+	source            SourceRecord
+	request           RequestRecord
+	sink              Sink
 }
 
 var _ Listener = &bridge{}
@@ -32,14 +32,14 @@ type URLBuilder interface {
 // using the actor and source. Any urls populated in the events created by
 // this bridge will be created using the URLBuilder.
 // TODO(stevvooe): Update this to simply take a context.Context object.
-func NewBridge(ub URLBuilder, source SourceRecord, actor ActorRecord, request RequestRecord, sink Sink, manifestLayers bool) Listener {
+func NewBridge(ub URLBuilder, source SourceRecord, actor ActorRecord, request RequestRecord, sink Sink, includeReferences bool) Listener {
 	return &bridge{
-		ub:             ub,
-		manifestLayers: manifestLayers,
-		actor:          actor,
-		source:         source,
-		request:        request,
-		sink:           sink,
+		ub:                ub,
+		includeReferences: includeReferences,
+		actor:             actor,
+		source:            source,
+		request:           request,
+		sink:              sink,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -146,8 +146,8 @@ func (b *bridge) createManifestEvent(action string, repo reference.Named, sm dis
 	event.Target.Length = desc.Size
 	event.Target.Size = desc.Size
 	event.Target.Digest = desc.Digest
-	if b.manifestLayers {
-		event.Target.Layers = append(event.Target.Layers, manifest.References()...)
+	if b.includeReferences {
+		event.Target.References = append(event.Target.References, manifest.References()...)
 	}
 
 	ref, err := reference.WithDigest(repo, event.Target.Digest)
diff --git a/notifications/bridge_test.go b/notifications/bridge_test.go
index cdf500c3..87c868a5 100644
--- a/notifications/bridge_test.go
+++ b/notifications/bridge_test.go
@@ -180,12 +180,12 @@ func checkCommonManifest(t *testing.T, action string, events ...Event) {
 		t.Fatalf("incorrect url passed: \n%q != \n%q", event.Target.URL, u)
 	}
 
-	if len(event.Target.Layers) != len(layers) {
-		t.Fatalf("unexpected number of layers %v != %v", len(event.Target.Layers), len(layers))
+	if len(event.Target.References) != len(layers) {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected number of references %v != %v", len(event.Target.References), len(layers))
 	}
-	for i, layer := range event.Target.Layers {
-		if layer.Digest != layers[i].BlobSum {
-			t.Fatalf("unexpected layer: %q != %q", layer.Digest, layers[i].BlobSum)
+	for i, targetReference := range event.Target.References {
+		if targetReference.Digest != layers[i].BlobSum {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected reference: %q != %q", targetReference.Digest, layers[i].BlobSum)
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/notifications/event.go b/notifications/event.go
index ab74c675..54940a46 100644
--- a/notifications/event.go
+++ b/notifications/event.go
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ type Event struct {
 		// Tag provides the tag
 		Tag string `json:"tag,omitempty"`
 
-		// Layers provides the layers descriptors.
-		Layers []distribution.Descriptor `json:"layers,omitempty"`
+		// References provides the references descriptors.
+		References []distribution.Descriptor `json:"references,omitempty"`
 	} `json:"target,omitempty"`
 
 	// Request covers the request that generated the event.
diff --git a/registry/handlers/app.go b/registry/handlers/app.go
index 8ccfffe5..8c1f18e6 100644
--- a/registry/handlers/app.go
+++ b/registry/handlers/app.go
@@ -869,7 +869,7 @@ func (app *App) eventBridge(ctx *Context, r *http.Request) notifications.Listene
 	}
 	request := notifications.NewRequestRecord(dcontext.GetRequestID(ctx), r)
 
-	return notifications.NewBridge(ctx.urlBuilder, app.events.source, actor, request, app.events.sink, app.Config.Notifications.EventConfig.ManifestLayers)
+	return notifications.NewBridge(ctx.urlBuilder, app.events.source, actor, request, app.events.sink, app.Config.Notifications.EventConfig.IncludeReferences)
 }
 
 // nameRequired returns true if the route requires a name.