diff --git a/example_manifest.yaml b/example_manifest.yaml
index 426b8545..53ef2801 100644
--- a/example_manifest.yaml
+++ b/example_manifest.yaml
@@ -1,31 +1,29 @@
 
 # Hooks are set up as follows
-# hooks:
-#     -
-#         id: hook_id
-#         name: 'Readable name'
-#         entry: my_hook_executable
+# -
+#     id: hook_id
+#     name: 'Readable name'
+#     entry: my_hook_executable
 #
-#         # Optional
-#         description: 'Longer description of the hook'
+#     # Optional
+#     description: 'Longer description of the hook'
 #
-#         # Optional, for now 'python[optional version]', 'ruby #.#.#', 'node'
-#         language: 'python'
+#     # Optional, for now 'python[optional version]', 'ruby #.#.#', 'node'
+#     language: 'python'
 #
-#         # Optional, defaults to zero
-#         expected_return_value: 0
+#     # Optional, defaults to zero
+#     expected_return_value: 0
 
-hooks:
-    -
-        id: my_hook
-        name: My Simple Hook
-        description: This is my simple hook that does blah
-        entry: my-simple-hook.py
-        language: python
-        expected_return_value: 0
-    -
-        id: my_grep_based_hook
-        name: My Bash Based Hook
-        description: This is a hook that uses grep to validate some stuff
-        entry: ./my_grep_based_hook.sh
-        expected_return_value: 1
+-
+    id: my_hook
+    name: My Simple Hook
+    description: This is my simple hook that does blah
+    entry: my-simple-hook.py
+    language: python
+    expected_return_value: 0
+-
+    id: my_grep_based_hook
+    name: My Bash Based Hook
+    description: This is a hook that uses grep to validate some stuff
+    entry: ./my_grep_based_hook.sh
+    expected_return_value: 1
diff --git a/manifest.yaml b/manifest.yaml
index 77c0add8..51509c59 100644
--- a/manifest.yaml
+++ b/manifest.yaml
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 
-hooks:
-    -
-        id: validate_manifest
-        name: Validate Manifest
-        description: This validator validates a pre-commit hooks manifest file
-        entry: validate-manifest
-        language: python
\ No newline at end of file
+-
+    id: validate_manifest
+    name: Validate Manifest
+    description: This validator validates a pre-commit hooks manifest file
+    entry: validate-manifest
+    language: python
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pre_commit/clientlib/validate_manifest.py b/pre_commit/clientlib/validate_manifest.py
index 188e292b..7f11ff0c 100644
--- a/pre_commit/clientlib/validate_manifest.py
+++ b/pre_commit/clientlib/validate_manifest.py
@@ -11,31 +11,25 @@ class InvalidManifestError(ValueError): pass
 
 
 MANIFEST_JSON_SCHEMA = {
-    'type': 'object',
-    'properties': {
-        'hooks': {
-            'type': 'array',
-            'minItems': 1,
-            'items': {
-                'type': 'object',
-                'properties': {
-                    'id': {'type': 'string'},
-                    'name': {'type': 'string'},
-                    'description': {'type': 'string'},
-                    'entry': {'type': 'string'},
-                    'language': {'type': 'string'},
-                    'expected_return_value': {'type': 'number'},
-                },
-                'required': ['id', 'name', 'entry'],
-            },
+    'type': 'array',
+    'minItems': 1,
+    'items': {
+        'type': 'object',
+        'properties': {
+            'id': {'type': 'string'},
+            'name': {'type': 'string'},
+            'description': {'type': 'string'},
+            'entry': {'type': 'string'},
+            'language': {'type': 'string'},
+            'expected_return_value': {'type': 'number'},
         },
+        'required': ['id', 'name', 'entry'],
     },
-    'required': ['hooks'],
 }
 
 
 def additional_manifest_check(obj):
-    for hook_config in obj['hooks']:
+    for hook_config in obj:
         language = hook_config.get('language')
 
         if language is not None and not any(
diff --git a/tests/clientlib/validate_manifest_test.py b/tests/clientlib/validate_manifest_test.py
index b870ade1..73a71035 100644
--- a/tests/clientlib/validate_manifest_test.py
+++ b/tests/clientlib/validate_manifest_test.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ def print_mock():
 
 def test_run_returns_1_for_non_existent_module(print_mock):
     non_existent_filename = 'file_that_does_not_exist'
-    ret = run(['--filename', non_existent_filename])
+    ret = run([non_existent_filename])
     assert ret == 1
     print_mock.assert_called_once_with(
         'File {0} does not exist'.format(non_existent_filename),
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ def test_run_returns_1_for_non_existent_module(print_mock):
 
 def test_run_returns_1_for_non_yaml_file(print_mock):
     non_parseable_filename = 'tests/data/non_parseable_yaml_file.yaml'
-    ret = run(['--filename', non_parseable_filename])
+    ret = run([non_parseable_filename])
     assert ret == 1
     print_mock.assert_any_call(
         'File {0} is not a valid yaml file'.format(non_parseable_filename),
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def test_run_returns_1_for_non_yaml_file(print_mock):
 
 def test_returns_1_for_valid_yaml_file_but_invalid_manifest(print_mock):
     invalid_manifest = 'tests/data/valid_yaml_but_invalid_manifest.yaml'
-    ret = run(['--filename', invalid_manifest])
+    ret = run([invalid_manifest])
     assert ret == 1
     print_mock.assert_any_call(
         'File {0} is not a valid file'.format(invalid_manifest)
@@ -44,17 +44,16 @@ def test_returns_1_for_valid_yaml_file_but_invalid_manifest(print_mock):
 
 def test_returns_0_for_valid_manifest():
     valid_manifest = 'example_manifest.yaml'
-    ret = run(['--filename', valid_manifest])
+    ret = run([valid_manifest])
     assert ret == 0
 
 
 def test_uses_default_manifest_file_at_root_of_git(empty_git_dir):
     local.path(C.MANIFEST_FILE).write("""
-hooks:
-    -
-        id: foo
-        name: Foo
-        entry: foo
+-
+    id: foo
+    name: Foo
+    entry: foo
     """)
     ret = run([])
     assert ret == 0
@@ -62,15 +61,13 @@ hooks:
 
 def test_additional_manifest_check_raises_for_bad_language():
     with pytest.raises(InvalidManifestError):
-        additional_manifest_check(
-            {'hooks': [{'id': 'foo', 'language': 'not valid'}]}
-        )
+        additional_manifest_check([{'id': 'foo', 'language': 'not valid'}])
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(('obj'), (
-    {'hooks': [{}]},
-    {'hooks': [{'language': 'python'}]},
-    {'hooks': [{'language': 'python>2.6'}]},
+    [{}],
+    [{'language': 'python'}],
+    [{'language': 'python>2.6'}],
 ))
 def test_additional_manifest_check_is_ok_with_missing_language(obj):
     additional_manifest_check(obj)
\ No newline at end of file