diff --git a/docs/yaml.md b/docs/yaml.md
index a3d1c90964..736ef8229a 100644
--- a/docs/yaml.md
+++ b/docs/yaml.md
@@ -18,8 +18,17 @@ For private registries or private repositories on a registry credentials provide
 
 ## Sections
 
-The configuration file is processed in the order `kernel`, `init`, `onboot`, `onshutdown`,
-`services`, `files`, `volumes`. Each section adds files to the root file system. Sections may be omitted.
+The configuration file is processed in the order:
+
+1. `kernel`
+1. `init`
+1. `volumes`
+1. `onboot`
+1. `onshutdown`
+1. `services`
+1. `files`
+
+Each section adds files to the root file system. Sections may be omitted.
 
 Each container that is specified is allocated a unique `uid` and `gid` that it may use if it
 wishes to run as an isolated user (or user namespace). Anywhere you specify a `uid` or `gid`
@@ -100,8 +109,13 @@ including those in `services`, `onboot` and `onshutdown`. The volumes are create
 chosen by linuxkit at build-time. The volumes then can be referenced by other containers and
 mounted into them.
 
-Volumes normally are blank directories. If an image is provided, the contents of that image
-will be used to populate the volume.
+Volumes can be in one of several formats:
+
+* Blank directory: This is the default, and is an empty directory that is created at build-time. It is an overlayfs mount, and can be shared among multiple containers.
+* Image laid out as filesystem: The contents of the image are used to populate the volume. Default format when an image is provided.
+* Image as OCI v1-layout: The image is used as an [OCI v1-layout](https://github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/blob/main/image-layout.md). Indicated by `format: oci`.
+
+Examples of each are given later in this section.
 
 The `volumes` section can declare a volume to be read-write or read-only. If the volume is read-write,
 a volume that is mounted into a container can be mounted read-only or read-write. If the volume is read-only,
@@ -111,7 +125,36 @@ By default, volumes are created read-write, and are mounted read-write.
 Volume names **must** be unique, and must contain only lower-case alphanumeric characters, hyphens, and
 underscores.
 
-Sample `volumes` section:
+#### Samples of `volumes`
+
+##### Empty directory
+
+Yaml showing both read-only and read-write:
+
+```yml
+volumes:
+- name: dira
+  readonly: true
+- name: dirb
+  readonly: true
+```
+
+Contents:
+
+```sh
+$ cd dir && ls -la
+drwxr-xr-x   19 root  wheel   608 Sep 30 15:03 .
+drwxrwxrwt  130 root  wheel  4160 Sep 30 15:03 ..
+```
+
+In the above example:
+
+* `dira` is empty and is read-only.
+* `volb` is empty and is read-write.
+
+##### Image directory
+
+Yaml showing both read-only and read-write:
 
 ```yml
 volumes:
@@ -120,8 +163,7 @@ volumes:
   readonly: true
 - name: volb
   image: alpine:latest
-  readonly: false
-- name: volc
+  format: filesystem     # optional, as this is the default format
   readonly: false
 ```
 
@@ -129,7 +171,56 @@ In the above example:
 
 * `vola` is populated by the contents of `alpine:latest` and is read-only.
 * `volb` is populated by the contents of `alpine:latest` and is read-write.
-* `volc` is an empty volume and is read-write.
+
+Contents:
+
+```sh
+$ cd dir && ls -la
+drwxr-xr-x   19 root  wheel   608 Sep 30 15:03 .
+drwxrwxrwt  130 root  wheel  4160 Sep 30 15:03 ..
+drwxr-xr-x   84 root  wheel  2688 Sep  6 14:34 bin
+drwxr-xr-x    2 root  wheel    64 Sep  6 14:34 dev
+drwxr-xr-x   37 root  wheel  1184 Sep  6 14:34 etc
+drwxr-xr-x    2 root  wheel    64 Sep  6 14:34 home
+drwxr-xr-x   13 root  wheel   416 Sep  6 14:34 lib
+drwxr-xr-x    5 root  wheel   160 Sep  6 14:34 media
+drwxr-xr-x    2 root  wheel    64 Sep  6 14:34 mnt
+drwxr-xr-x    2 root  wheel    64 Sep  6 14:34 opt
+dr-xr-xr-x    2 root  wheel    64 Sep  6 14:34 proc
+drwx------    2 root  wheel    64 Sep  6 14:34 root
+drwxr-xr-x    2 root  wheel    64 Sep  6 14:34 run
+drwxr-xr-x   63 root  wheel  2016 Sep  6 14:34 sbin
+drwxr-xr-x    2 root  wheel    64 Sep  6 14:34 srv
+drwxr-xr-x    2 root  wheel    64 Sep  6 14:34 sys
+drwxr-xr-x    2 root  wheel    64 Sep  6 14:34 tmp
+drwxr-xr-x    7 root  wheel   224 Sep  6 14:34 usr
+drwxr-xr-x   13 root  wheel   416 Sep  6 14:34 var
+```
+
+##### Image OCI Layout
+
+Yaml showing both read-only and read-write, and both all architectures and a limited subset:
+
+```yml
+volumes:
+- name: volo
+  image: alpine:latest
+  format: oci
+  readonly: true
+- name: volp
+  image: alpine:latest
+  readonly: false
+  format: oci
+  platforms:
+    - linux/amd64
+```
+
+In the above example:
+
+* `volo` is populated by the contents of `alpine:latest` as an OCI v1-layout for all architectures and is read-only.
+* `volb` is populated by the contents of `alpine:latest` as an OCI v1-layout just for linux/amd64 and is read-write.
+
+##### Volumes in `services`
 
 Sample usage of volumes in `services` section:
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/linuxkit/moby/build/build.go b/src/cmd/linuxkit/moby/build/build.go
index 0a37ae2fa1..7078184481 100644
--- a/src/cmd/linuxkit/moby/build/build.go
+++ b/src/cmd/linuxkit/moby/build/build.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/reference"
+	v1 "github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/v1"
 	imagespec "github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/specs-go/v1"
 
 	// drop-in 100% compatible replacement and 17% faster than compress/gzip.
@@ -284,8 +285,28 @@ func Build(m moby.Moby, w io.Writer, opts BuildOpts) error {
 		lowerPath := strings.TrimPrefix(lower, "/") + "/"
 
 		// get volume tarball from container
-		if err := ImageTar(location, vol.ImageRef(), lowerPath, apkTar, resolvconfSymlink, opts); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to build volume filesystem tarball from %s: %v", vol.Name, err)
+		switch {
+		case vol.ImageRef() == nil || vol.Format == "" || vol.Format == "filesystem":
+			if err := ImageTar(location, vol.ImageRef(), lowerPath, apkTar, resolvconfSymlink, opts); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to build volume filesystem tarball from %s: %v", vol.Name, err)
+			}
+		case vol.Format == "oci":
+			// convert platforms into imagespec platforms
+			platforms := make([]imagespec.Platform, len(vol.Platforms))
+			for i, p := range vol.Platforms {
+				platform, err := v1.ParsePlatform(p)
+				if err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse platform %s: %v", p, err)
+				}
+				platforms[i] = imagespec.Platform{
+					Architecture: platform.Architecture,
+					OS:           platform.OS,
+					Variant:      platform.Variant,
+				}
+			}
+			if err := ImageOCITar(location, vol.ImageRef(), lowerPath, apkTar, opts, platforms); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to build volume OCI v1 layout tarball from %s: %v", vol.Name, err)
+			}
 		}
 
 		// make upper and merged dirs which will be used for mounting
diff --git a/src/cmd/linuxkit/moby/schema.go b/src/cmd/linuxkit/moby/schema.go
index d8af60ddbe..b08eead12f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/linuxkit/moby/schema.go
+++ b/src/cmd/linuxkit/moby/schema.go
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ var schema = `
         "properties": {
           "name": {"type": "string"},
           "image": {"type": "string"},
-          "readonly": {"type": "boolean"}
+          "readonly": {"type": "boolean"},
+          "format": {"enum": ["oci","filesystem"]},
+          "platforms": {"$ref": "#/definitions/strings"}
         }
     },
     "volumes": {