diff --git a/build_scripts/README.md b/build_scripts/README.md
index 2682f8179..496e39c39 100644
--- a/build_scripts/README.md
+++ b/build_scripts/README.md
@@ -219,7 +219,8 @@ build jobs together.
   The workflow pipes `komac update --dry-run` output through `awk` to save separate
   YAML files by manifest type and locale; dry-run returns before handling `--output`.
   [winget_manifest.py](winget_manifest.py) retains identity, release URL and user
-  installation policy checks. Komac supplies the schema-required `InstallerSha256`;
+  installation policy checks and validates each file against Microsoft's JSON
+  schema for its declared `ManifestVersion`. Komac supplies the schema-required `InstallerSha256`;
   no extra comparison with GitHub asset digests is performed. Before submission,
   `komac sync-fork` updates the organization fork using the same PAT and
   `KOMAC_FORK_OWNER` as the final submit. Fork synchronization changes GitHub;
diff --git a/build_scripts/tests/test_winget_manifest.py b/build_scripts/tests/test_winget_manifest.py
index 5e758e89c..c3d53738b 100644
--- a/build_scripts/tests/test_winget_manifest.py
+++ b/build_scripts/tests/test_winget_manifest.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
     INSTALL_DIRECTORY,
     INSTALLER_NAMES,
     PACKAGE_ID,
-    SCHEMA_VERSION,
     fix_installer,
     validate_manifests,
 )
@@ -29,7 +28,7 @@ def setUp(self):
         base = {
             "PackageIdentifier": PACKAGE_ID,
             "PackageVersion": "26.9.3",
-            "ManifestVersion": SCHEMA_VERSION,
+            "ManifestVersion": "1.12.0",
         }
         self.generated = base | {
             "ManifestType": "installer",
@@ -139,7 +138,6 @@ def test_rejects_mixed_package_version_and_locale(self):
         for index, field, value in (
             (1, "PackageVersion", "26.9.2"),
             (0, "PackageIdentifier", "Other.Package"),
-            (0, "ManifestVersion", "1.10.0"),
             (2, "DefaultLocale", "zh-CN"),
         ):
             with self.subTest(field=field):
@@ -153,6 +151,12 @@ def test_rejects_non_release(self):
             with self.subTest(field=field), self.assertRaises(ValueError):
                 validate_manifests(self.manifests, self.release | {field: True})
 
+    def test_release_policy_does_not_pin_manifest_schema_versions(self):
+        manifests = deepcopy(self.manifests)
+        for manifest, version in zip(manifests, ("1.10.0", "1.12.0", "1.28.0")):
+            manifest["ManifestVersion"] = version
+        validate_manifests(manifests, self.release)
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/build_scripts/winget_manifest.py b/build_scripts/winget_manifest.py
index 0448b9421..2df4b0f1e 100644
--- a/build_scripts/winget_manifest.py
+++ b/build_scripts/winget_manifest.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 from copy import deepcopy
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import ClassVar
+from urllib.parse import quote
 from urllib.request import urlopen
 
 PACKAGE_ID = "YuanDevLLC.OneXray"
@@ -19,7 +20,6 @@
     "x64": "OneXray-windows-amd64.exe",
     "arm64": "OneXray-windows-arm64.exe",
 }
-SCHEMA_VERSION = "1.12.0"
 
 
 def fix_installer(manifest):
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@ def validate_manifests(manifests, release):
     for item in manifests:
         if item.get("PackageIdentifier") != PACKAGE_ID or item.get("PackageVersion") != version:
             raise ValueError("Manifest package/version does not match the release")
-        if item.get("ManifestVersion") != SCHEMA_VERSION:
-            raise ValueError(f"Expected manifest schema {SCHEMA_VERSION}")
     by_type = {item["ManifestType"]: item for item in manifests}
     if by_type["version"]["DefaultLocale"] != by_type["defaultLocale"]["PackageLocale"]:
         raise ValueError("DefaultLocale does not match the default locale manifest")
@@ -129,6 +127,7 @@ def validate_directory(directory, release):
     validate_manifests(manifests, release)
     for path, manifest in zip(paths, manifests):
         kind = manifest["ManifestType"]
+        schema_version = quote(manifest["ManifestVersion"], safe="")
         suffix = {
             "installer": ".installer",
             "version": "",
@@ -139,7 +138,7 @@ def validate_directory(directory, release):
             raise ValueError(f"Unexpected manifest filename: {path.name}")
         url = (
             "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/winget-cli/master/schemas/JSON/manifests/"
-            f"v{SCHEMA_VERSION}/manifest.{kind}.{SCHEMA_VERSION}.json"
+            f"v{schema_version}/manifest.{kind}.{schema_version}.json"
         )
         with urlopen(url, timeout=30) as response:
             schema = json.load(response)