diff --git a/src/azul/plugins/__init__.py b/src/azul/plugins/__init__.py
index 6aa1c59d8c..4afab46d37 100644
--- a/src/azul/plugins/__init__.py
+++ b/src/azul/plugins/__init__.py
@@ -469,6 +469,24 @@ def verbatim_pfb_schema(self,
         )
         return avro_pfb.pfb_schema_from_replicas(replicas)
 
+    def verbatim_pfb_relations(self,
+                               replicas: Iterable[JSON]
+                               ) -> dict[str, list[tuple[str, str]]]:
+        """
+        :param replicas: a topologically sorted list of replicas.
+        :return: A mapping from the replicas' entity IDs to the replicas they
+                 reference/depend on, represented as (replica_type, entity_id)
+                 pairs.
+        """
+        return {}
+
+    def verbatim_pfb_links(self, replica_types: Iterable[str]) -> MutableJSON:
+        """
+        Express the relationships between the given replica types as PFB links
+        (https://uc-cdis.github.io/pypfb/#link).
+        """
+        return {replica_type: [] for replica_type in replica_types}
+
     @abstractmethod
     def document_slice(self, entity_type: str) -> DocumentSlice | None:
         raise NotImplementedError
diff --git a/src/azul/service/avro_pfb.py b/src/azul/service/avro_pfb.py
index eb1f3b7fbe..c51f9f350d 100644
--- a/src/azul/service/avro_pfb.py
+++ b/src/azul/service/avro_pfb.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 )
 from typing import (
     ClassVar,
+    Mapping,
     MutableSet,
     Self,
 )
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@
     AnyMutableJSON,
     JSON,
     MutableJSON,
+    MutableJSONs,
 )
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -269,8 +271,18 @@ def to_entity(cls, entity: PFBEntity) -> Self:
         return cls(dst_id=entity.id, dst_name=entity.name)
 
 
-def pfb_metadata_entity(entity_types: Iterable[str],
-                        links: bool = True
+def pfb_links_from_field_types(field_types: FieldTypes) -> MutableJSON:
+    return {
+        entity_type: [] if entity_type == 'files' else [{
+            'multiplicity': 'MANY_TO_MANY',
+            'dst': 'files',
+            'name': 'files'
+        }]
+        for entity_type in field_types
+    }
+
+
+def pfb_metadata_entity(links_by_entity_type: Mapping[str, MutableJSONs],
                         ) -> MutableJSON:
     """
     The Metadata entity encodes the possible relationships between tables.
@@ -286,13 +298,9 @@ def pfb_metadata_entity(entity_types: Iterable[str],
                     'name': entity_type,
                     'ontology_reference': '',
                     'values': {},
-                    'links': [] if not links or entity_type == 'files' else [{
-                        'multiplicity': 'MANY_TO_MANY',
-                        'dst': 'files',
-                        'name': 'files'
-                    }],
+                    'links': links,
                     'properties': []
-                } for entity_type in entity_types
+                } for entity_type, links in links_by_entity_type.items()
             ],
             'misc': {}
         }
diff --git a/src/azul/service/manifest_service.py b/src/azul/service/manifest_service.py
index e700df99b3..8b7445cb4c 100644
--- a/src/azul/service/manifest_service.py
+++ b/src/azul/service/manifest_service.py
@@ -127,6 +127,9 @@
     Filters,
     avro_pfb,
 )
+from azul.service.avro_pfb import (
+    PFBRelation,
+)
 from azul.service.elasticsearch_service import (
     ElasticsearchService,
     Pagination,
@@ -1734,7 +1737,8 @@ def create_file(self) -> tuple[str, Optional[str]]:
         for doc in self._all_docs_sorted():
             converter.add_doc(doc)
 
-        entity = avro_pfb.pfb_metadata_entity(field_types)
+        links = avro_pfb.pfb_links_from_field_types(field_types)
+        entity = avro_pfb.pfb_metadata_entity(links)
         entities = itertools.chain([entity], converter.entities())
 
         fd, path = mkstemp(suffix='.avro')
@@ -2127,17 +2131,23 @@ def format(cls) -> ManifestFormat:
     def create_file(self) -> tuple[str, Optional[str]]:
         plugin = self.service.metadata_plugin(self.catalog)
         replicas = list(self._all_replicas())
+        relations = plugin.verbatim_pfb_relations(replicas)
         replica_schemas = plugin.verbatim_pfb_schema(replicas)
         # Ensure field order is consistent for unit tests
         replica_schemas.sort(key=itemgetter('name'))
-        replica_types = [s['name'] for s in replica_schemas]
+        links = plugin.verbatim_pfb_links(s['name'] for s in replica_schemas)
         pfb_schema = avro_pfb.avro_pfb_schema(replica_schemas)
-        pfb_metadata_entity = avro_pfb.pfb_metadata_entity(replica_types, links=False)
+        pfb_metadata_entity = avro_pfb.pfb_metadata_entity(links)
 
         def pfb_entities():
             yield pfb_metadata_entity
             for replica in replicas:
-                yield avro_pfb.PFBEntity.for_replica(dict(replica), pfb_schema).to_json(())
+                entity = avro_pfb.PFBEntity.for_replica(dict(replica), pfb_schema)
+                entity_relations = [
+                    PFBRelation(dst_name=replica_type, dst_id=entity_id)
+                    for replica_type, entity_id in relations.get(replica['entity_id'], ())
+                ]
+                yield entity.to_json(entity_relations)
 
         fd, path = mkstemp(suffix=f'.{self.file_name_extension()}')
         os.close(fd)
diff --git a/test/service/test_manifest.py b/test/service/test_manifest.py
index 8fe99a5893..8505308e27 100644
--- a/test/service/test_manifest.py
+++ b/test/service/test_manifest.py
@@ -2240,7 +2240,8 @@ def test_terra_pfb_schema(self):
         self._assert_pfb_schema(schema)
 
     def test_pfb_metadata_object(self):
-        metadata_entity = avro_pfb.pfb_metadata_entity(FileTransformer.field_types())
+        links = avro_pfb.pfb_links_from_field_types(FileTransformer.field_types())
+        metadata_entity = avro_pfb.pfb_metadata_entity(links)
         field_types = FileTransformer.field_types()
         schema = avro_pfb.pfb_schema_from_field_types(field_types)
         parsed_schema = fastavro.parse_schema(cast(dict, schema))