diff --git a/server/images.go b/server/images.go
index 0e753f56..8b3a67cf 100644
--- a/server/images.go
+++ b/server/images.go
@@ -215,25 +215,20 @@ func GetManifest(mp ModelPath) (*Manifest, string, error) {
 		return nil, "", err
 	}
 
-	if _, err = os.Stat(fp); err != nil {
-		return nil, "", err
-	}
-
-	var manifest *Manifest
-
-	bts, err := os.ReadFile(fp)
+	f, err := os.Open(fp)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("couldn't open file '%s'", fp)
+		return nil, "", err
 	}
+	defer f.Close()
 
-	shaSum := sha256.Sum256(bts)
-	shaStr := hex.EncodeToString(shaSum[:])
+	sha256sum := sha256.New()
 
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(bts, &manifest); err != nil {
+	var manifest Manifest
+	if err := json.NewDecoder(io.TeeReader(f, sha256sum)).Decode(&manifest); err != nil {
 		return nil, "", err
 	}
 
-	return manifest, shaStr, nil
+	return &manifest, hex.EncodeToString(sha256sum.Sum(nil)), nil
 }
 
 func GetModel(name string) (*Model, error) {
@@ -692,43 +687,18 @@ func CopyModel(src, dst model.Name) error {
 	return err
 }
 
-func deleteUnusedLayers(skipModelPath *ModelPath, deleteMap map[string]struct{}) error {
-	fp, err := GetManifestPath()
+func deleteUnusedLayers(deleteMap map[string]struct{}) error {
+	manifests, err := Manifests()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	walkFunc := func(path string, info os.FileInfo, _ error) error {
-		if info.IsDir() {
-			return nil
-		}
-
-		dir, file := filepath.Split(path)
-		dir = strings.Trim(strings.TrimPrefix(dir, fp), string(os.PathSeparator))
-		tag := strings.Join([]string{dir, file}, ":")
-		fmp := ParseModelPath(tag)
-
-		// skip the manifest we're trying to delete
-		if skipModelPath != nil && skipModelPath.GetFullTagname() == fmp.GetFullTagname() {
-			return nil
-		}
-
-		// save (i.e. delete from the deleteMap) any files used in other manifests
-		manifest, _, err := GetManifest(fmp)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
+	for _, manifest := range manifests {
 		for _, layer := range manifest.Layers {
 			delete(deleteMap, layer.Digest)
 		}
 
 		delete(deleteMap, manifest.Config.Digest)
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	if err := filepath.Walk(fp, walkFunc); err != nil {
-		return err
 	}
 
 	// only delete the files which are still in the deleteMap
@@ -781,8 +751,7 @@ func PruneLayers() error {
 
 	slog.Info(fmt.Sprintf("total blobs: %d", len(deleteMap)))
 
-	err = deleteUnusedLayers(nil, deleteMap)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := deleteUnusedLayers(deleteMap); err != nil {
 		slog.Error(fmt.Sprintf("couldn't remove unused layers: %v", err))
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -877,26 +846,19 @@ func PushModel(ctx context.Context, name string, regOpts *registryOptions, fn fu
 func PullModel(ctx context.Context, name string, regOpts *registryOptions, fn func(api.ProgressResponse)) error {
 	mp := ParseModelPath(name)
 
-	var manifest *Manifest
-	var err error
-	var noprune string
-
 	// build deleteMap to prune unused layers
 	deleteMap := make(map[string]struct{})
-
-	if !envconfig.NoPrune() {
-		manifest, _, err = GetManifest(mp)
-		if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-			return err
+	manifest, _, err := GetManifest(mp)
+	if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+		// noop
+	} else if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+		return err
+	} else {
+		for _, l := range manifest.Layers {
+			deleteMap[l.Digest] = struct{}{}
 		}
-
-		if manifest != nil {
-			for _, l := range manifest.Layers {
-				deleteMap[l.Digest] = struct{}{}
-			}
-			if manifest.Config.Digest != "" {
-				deleteMap[manifest.Config.Digest] = struct{}{}
-			}
+		if manifest.Config.Digest != "" {
+			deleteMap[manifest.Config.Digest] = struct{}{}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -975,11 +937,9 @@ func PullModel(ctx context.Context, name string, regOpts *registryOptions, fn fu
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if noprune == "" {
-		fn(api.ProgressResponse{Status: "removing any unused layers"})
-		err = deleteUnusedLayers(nil, deleteMap)
-		if err != nil {
-			slog.Error(fmt.Sprintf("couldn't remove unused layers: %v", err))
+	if !envconfig.NoPrune() && len(deleteMap) > 0 {
+		fn(api.ProgressResponse{Status: "removing unused layers"})
+		if err := deleteUnusedLayers(deleteMap); err != nil {
 			fn(api.ProgressResponse{Status: fmt.Sprintf("couldn't remove unused layers: %v", err)})
 		}
 	}
@@ -1000,12 +960,12 @@ func pullModelManifest(ctx context.Context, mp ModelPath, regOpts *registryOptio
 	}
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
-	var m *Manifest
+	var m Manifest
 	if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&m); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return m, err
+	return &m, err
 }
 
 // GetSHA256Digest returns the SHA256 hash of a given buffer and returns it, and the size of buffer
diff --git a/server/manifest.go b/server/manifest.go
index 6a5d7b88..6b04753f 100644
--- a/server/manifest.go
+++ b/server/manifest.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"log/slog"
 	"os"
@@ -150,14 +151,16 @@ func Manifests() (map[model.Name]*Manifest, error) {
 
 			n := model.ParseNameFromFilepath(rel)
 			if !n.IsValid() {
-				slog.Warn("bad manifest name", "path", rel, "error", err)
+				slog.Warn("bad manifest name", "path", rel)
 				continue
 			}
 
 			m, err := ParseNamedManifest(n)
-			if err != nil {
+			if syntax := &(json.SyntaxError{}); errors.As(err, &syntax) {
 				slog.Warn("bad manifest", "name", n, "error", err)
 				continue
+			} else if err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", n, err)
 			}
 
 			ms[n] = m