diff --git a/internal/sync/api/manifest.go b/internal/sync/api/manifest.go
index a80f21fa..8086b11f 100644
--- a/internal/sync/api/manifest.go
+++ b/internal/sync/api/manifest.go
@@ -18,15 +18,15 @@ type SyncManifest struct {
 	Items  []SyncManifestResource `json:"items"`
 }
 
-// SyncManifestResource is one versioned baseline entry.
+// SyncManifestResource is one versioned baseline entry. The remote manifest
+// records the fingerprint and the version of each entry. The descriptor
+// metadata of a linked resource, such as its reference digest, lives in the
+// sync.lock file only, and the API rejects it.
 type SyncManifestResource struct {
 	ResourceKind      syncdomain.Kind `json:"resourceKind"`
 	ResourceLookupKey string          `json:"resourceLookupKey"`
 	Fingerprint       string          `json:"fingerprint"`
 	Version           int             `json:"version"`
-	FingerprintSchema string          `json:"fingerprintSchema,omitempty"`
-	ReferenceDigest   string          `json:"referenceDigest,omitempty"`
-	AdapterBehavior   string          `json:"adapterBehavior,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // SyncManifestUpsert creates an entry, or updates the entry at Version.
@@ -35,9 +35,6 @@ type SyncManifestUpsert struct {
 	ResourceLookupKey string          `json:"resourceLookupKey"`
 	Fingerprint       string          `json:"fingerprint"`
 	Version           int             `json:"version"`
-	FingerprintSchema string          `json:"fingerprintSchema,omitempty"`
-	ReferenceDigest   string          `json:"referenceDigest,omitempty"`
-	AdapterBehavior   string          `json:"adapterBehavior,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // SyncManifestDeletion removes the entry at Version.
diff --git a/internal/sync/manifest/store.go b/internal/sync/manifest/store.go
index 0ebed1d4..701461d3 100644
--- a/internal/sync/manifest/store.go
+++ b/internal/sync/manifest/store.go
@@ -147,14 +147,11 @@ func (store Store) resourcesFromRemote(projectKey string, remote syncapi.SyncMan
 			)
 		}
 		resources = append(resources, Resource{
-			ResourceKind:      item.ResourceKind,
-			ProjectKey:        projectKey,
-			LookupKey:         item.ResourceLookupKey,
-			Fingerprint:       item.Fingerprint,
-			Version:           item.Version,
-			FingerprintSchema: item.FingerprintSchema,
-			ReferenceDigest:   item.ReferenceDigest,
-			AdapterBehavior:   item.AdapterBehavior,
+			ResourceKind: item.ResourceKind,
+			ProjectKey:   projectKey,
+			LookupKey:    item.ResourceLookupKey,
+			Fingerprint:  item.Fingerprint,
+			Version:      item.Version,
 		})
 	}
 	return resources, nil
@@ -180,9 +177,6 @@ func changes(before, after []Resource) ([]syncapi.SyncManifestUpsert, []syncapi.
 			ResourceLookupKey: resource.LookupKey,
 			Fingerprint:       resource.Fingerprint,
 			Version:           current.Version,
-			FingerprintSchema: resource.FingerprintSchema,
-			ReferenceDigest:   resource.ReferenceDigest,
-			AdapterBehavior:   resource.AdapterBehavior,
 		})
 	}
 
@@ -199,11 +193,12 @@ func changes(before, after []Resource) ([]syncapi.SyncManifestUpsert, []syncapi.
 	return upserts, deletions
 }
 
+// sameManifestContent reports whether two entries are the same to the remote
+// manifest, which records only the fingerprint. The descriptor metadata of a
+// linked resource stays in the sync.lock file, so a change to it alone sends
+// nothing.
 func sameManifestContent(left, right Resource) bool {
-	return left.Fingerprint == right.Fingerprint &&
-		left.FingerprintSchema == right.FingerprintSchema &&
-		left.ReferenceDigest == right.ReferenceDigest &&
-		left.AdapterBehavior == right.AdapterBehavior
+	return left.Fingerprint == right.Fingerprint
 }
 
 // changesApplied reports whether the remote manifest contains every change.
diff --git a/internal/sync/manifest/store_test.go b/internal/sync/manifest/store_test.go
index aad16e27..0017c87d 100644
--- a/internal/sync/manifest/store_test.go
+++ b/internal/sync/manifest/store_test.go
@@ -101,12 +101,7 @@ func TestStoreUpdatesWithRemoteVersions(t *testing.T) {
 	client := &manifestClient{patchResponses: []syncapi.SyncManifest{{
 		Source: "git:example/repo",
 		Items: []syncapi.SyncManifestResource{
-			{
-				ResourceKind: syncdomain.KindVariation, ResourceLookupKey: "config/existing",
-				Fingerprint: fingerprint("c"), Version: 4,
-				FingerprintSchema: syncdomain.ProjectionFingerprintSchema, ReferenceDigest: fingerprint("e"),
-				AdapterBehavior: "markdown/1",
-			},
+			{ResourceKind: syncdomain.KindVariation, ResourceLookupKey: "config/existing", Fingerprint: fingerprint("c"), Version: 4},
 			{ResourceKind: syncdomain.KindTool, ResourceLookupKey: "search", Fingerprint: fingerprint("d"), Version: 1},
 		},
 	}}}
@@ -131,18 +126,36 @@ func TestStoreUpdatesWithRemoteVersions(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Len(t, client.patches, 1)
 	assert.Equal(t, []syncapi.SyncManifestUpsert{
 		{ResourceKind: syncdomain.KindTool, ResourceLookupKey: "search", Fingerprint: fingerprint("d"), Version: 0},
-		{
-			ResourceKind: syncdomain.KindVariation, ResourceLookupKey: "config/existing",
-			Fingerprint: fingerprint("c"), Version: 3,
-			FingerprintSchema: syncdomain.ProjectionFingerprintSchema, ReferenceDigest: fingerprint("e"),
-			AdapterBehavior: "markdown/1",
-		},
-	}, client.patches[0].upserts)
+		{ResourceKind: syncdomain.KindVariation, ResourceLookupKey: "config/existing", Fingerprint: fingerprint("c"), Version: 3},
+	}, client.patches[0].upserts, "the upsert carries the fingerprint and the version, and no descriptor metadata")
 	assert.Equal(t, []syncapi.SyncManifestDeletion{{
 		ResourceKind: syncdomain.KindSkill, ResourceLookupKey: "old", Version: 2,
 	}}, client.patches[0].deletions)
 	assert.Equal(t, 4, updated.Resources[1].Version)
-	assert.Equal(t, syncdomain.ProjectionFingerprintSchema, updated.Resources[1].FingerprintSchema)
+	assert.Empty(t, updated.Resources[1].FingerprintSchema, "the remote state has no descriptor metadata")
+}
+
+// The remote manifest records only the fingerprint, so a change to the
+// descriptor metadata of a linked resource with the same fingerprint sends
+// nothing. The sync.lock file keeps that metadata.
+func TestStoreSendsNothingForADescriptorMetadataChange(t *testing.T) {
+	client := &manifestClient{patchResponses: []syncapi.SyncManifest{{Source: "git:example/repo"}}}
+	store := NewStore(client, "git:example/repo")
+	previous := Manifest{Resources: []Resource{{
+		ResourceKind: syncdomain.KindVariation, ProjectKey: "project", LookupKey: "config/linked",
+		Fingerprint: fingerprint("a"), Version: 3,
+	}}}
+	next := Manifest{Resources: []Resource{{
+		ResourceKind: syncdomain.KindVariation, ProjectKey: "project", LookupKey: "config/linked",
+		Fingerprint: fingerprint("a"), Version: 3,
+		FingerprintSchema: syncdomain.ProjectionFingerprintSchema, ReferenceDigest: fingerprint("e"),
+		AdapterBehavior: "markdown/1",
+	}}}
+
+	_, err := store.Update(previous, next)
+
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Empty(t, client.patches, "no patch for a change that the remote manifest cannot record")
 }
 
 func TestStoreReportsOptimisticConflict(t *testing.T) {