diff --git a/include/swupd.h b/include/swupd.h
index 7e8e9dc..1d492bd 100644
--- a/include/swupd.h
+++ b/include/swupd.h
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ struct manifest {
 	GList *submanifests; /* as struct manifest */
 
 	GList *includes; /* struct manifests for all bundles included into this one */
+
+	GList *actions; /* post-update actions */
 };
 
 struct file;
@@ -184,7 +186,7 @@ extern GList *get_last_versions_list(int next_version, int max_versions);
 extern char *file_type_to_string(struct file *file);
 extern struct manifest *manifest_from_file(int version, char *module);
 extern void free_manifest(struct manifest *manifest);
-extern struct manifest *alloc_manifest(int version, char *module);
+extern struct manifest *alloc_manifest(int version, char *module, GList *actions);
 extern int match_manifests(struct manifest *m1, struct manifest *m2);
 extern void sort_manifest_by_version(struct manifest *manifest);
 extern bool manifest_includes(struct manifest *manifest, char *component);
diff --git a/src/analyze_fs.c b/src/analyze_fs.c
index 67935ca..de926a8 100644
--- a/src/analyze_fs.c
+++ b/src/analyze_fs.c
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@ struct manifest *full_manifest_from_directory(int version)
 
 	LOG(NULL, "Computing hashes", "for %i/full", version);
 
-	manifest = alloc_manifest(version, "full");
+	manifest = alloc_manifest(version, "full", NULL);
 
 	string_or_die(&dir, "%s/%i/full", image_dir, version);
 
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ struct manifest *sub_manifest_from_directory(char *component, int version)
 
 	LOG(NULL, "Creating component manifest", "for %i/%s", version, component);
 
-	manifest = alloc_manifest(version, component);
+	manifest = alloc_manifest(version, component, NULL);
 
 	string_or_die(&dir, "%s/%i/%s", image_dir, version, component);
 
diff --git a/src/create_update.c b/src/create_update.c
index 137a932..0fe67e6 100644
--- a/src/create_update.c
+++ b/src/create_update.c
@@ -351,7 +351,14 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		goto exit;
 	}
 
-	new_MoM = alloc_manifest(newversion, "MoM");
+	/* Detect a format bump and add the "update" action to the manifest
+	 * "actions:" field */
+	GList *actions = NULL;
+	if (format > old_MoM->format) {
+		actions = g_list_prepend(actions, "update");
+	}
+
+	new_MoM = alloc_manifest(newversion, "MoM", actions);
 	old_core = manifest_from_file(manifest_subversion(old_MoM, "os-core"), "os-core");
 	new_core = sub_manifest_from_directory("os-core", newversion);
 	add_component_hashes_to_manifest(new_core, new_full);
diff --git a/src/manifest.c b/src/manifest.c
index eab6349..0cb7bb7 100644
--- a/src/manifest.c
+++ b/src/manifest.c
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ int file_sort_filename(gconstpointer a, gconstpointer b)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-struct manifest *alloc_manifest(int version, char *component)
+struct manifest *alloc_manifest(int version, char *component, GList *actions)
 {
 	struct manifest *manifest;
 
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ struct manifest *alloc_manifest(int version, char *component)
 	manifest->version = version;
 	manifest->component = strdup(component);
 	manifest->format = format;
+	manifest->actions = actions;
 
 	return manifest;
 }
@@ -133,7 +134,7 @@ struct manifest *manifest_from_file(int version, char *component)
 	if (infile == NULL) {
 		LOG(NULL, "Cannot read manifest", "%s (%s)\n", filename, strerror(errno));
 		free(filename);
-		return alloc_manifest(version, component);
+		return alloc_manifest(version, component, NULL);
 	}
 
 	/* line 1: MANIFEST\t<version> */
@@ -193,7 +194,7 @@ struct manifest *manifest_from_file(int version, char *component)
 		}
 	}
 
-	manifest = alloc_manifest(version, component);
+	manifest = alloc_manifest(version, component, NULL);
 	manifest->format = format_number;
 	manifest->prevversion = previous;
 	manifest->includes = includes;
@@ -714,6 +715,7 @@ static int write_manifest_plain(struct manifest *manifest)
 {
 	GList *includes;
 	GList *list;
+	GList *actions;
 	struct file *file;
 	FILE *out = NULL;
 	char *base = NULL, *dir;
@@ -763,6 +765,14 @@ static int write_manifest_plain(struct manifest *manifest)
 		includes = g_list_next(includes);
 		fprintf(out, "includes:\t%s\n", sub->component);
 	}
+
+	actions = manifest->actions;
+	while (actions) {
+		char *action = actions->data;
+		fprintf(out, "actions:\t%s\n", action);
+		actions = g_list_next(actions);
+	}
+
 	fprintf(out, "\n");
 
 	list = g_list_first(manifest->files);