diff --git a/image/image.go b/image/image.go
index 9318af1..a92ea23 100644
--- a/image/image.go
+++ b/image/image.go
@@ -58,6 +58,10 @@ var validRefMediaTypes = []string{
 }
 
 func validate(w walker, refs []string, out *log.Logger) error {
+	if err := layoutValidate(w); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	ds, err := listReferences(w)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -130,6 +134,10 @@ func Unpack(r io.ReadSeeker, dest, refName string) error {
 }
 
 func unpack(w walker, dest, refName string) error {
+	if err := layoutValidate(w); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	ref, err := findDescriptor(w, refName)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -178,6 +186,10 @@ func CreateRuntimeBundle(r io.ReadSeeker, dest, ref, root string) error {
 }
 
 func createRuntimeBundle(w walker, dest, refName, rootfs string) error {
+	if err := layoutValidate(w); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	ref, err := findDescriptor(w, refName)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/image/layout.go b/image/layout.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c7eb5e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/image/layout.go
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+// Copyright 2016 The Linux Foundation
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package image
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/schema"
+	"github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/specs-go/v1"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+)
+
+func layoutValidate(w walker) error {
+	var blobsExist, indexExist, layoutExist bool
+
+	if err := w.walk(func(path string, info os.FileInfo, r io.Reader) error {
+		if strings.EqualFold(path, "blobs") {
+			blobsExist = true
+			if !info.IsDir() {
+				return fmt.Errorf("blobs is not a directory")
+			}
+
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		if strings.EqualFold(path, "index.json") {
+			indexExist = true
+			if info.IsDir() {
+				return fmt.Errorf("index.json is a directory")
+			}
+
+			var index v1.Index
+			buf, err := ioutil.ReadAll(r)
+			if err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrap(err, "error reading index.json")
+			}
+
+			if err := json.Unmarshal(buf, &index); err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrap(err, "index.json format mismatch")
+			}
+
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		if strings.EqualFold(path, "oci-layout") {
+			layoutExist = true
+			if info.IsDir() {
+				return fmt.Errorf("oci-layout is a directory")
+			}
+
+			var imageLayout v1.ImageLayout
+			buf, err := ioutil.ReadAll(r)
+			if err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrap(err, "error reading oci-layout")
+			}
+
+			if err := schema.ValidatorMediaTypeLayoutHeader.Validate(bytes.NewReader(buf)); err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrap(err, "oci-layout: imageLayout validation failed")
+			}
+
+			if err := json.Unmarshal(buf, &imageLayout); err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrap(err, "oci-layout format mismatch")
+			}
+
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		return nil
+	}); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if !blobsExist {
+		return fmt.Errorf("image layout must contain blobs directory")
+	}
+
+	if !indexExist {
+		return fmt.Errorf("image layout must contain index.json file")
+	}
+
+	if !layoutExist {
+		return fmt.Errorf("image layout must contain oci-layout file")
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}