diff --git a/pkg/bdb/migrate/mig003/manifest.go b/pkg/bdb/migrate/mig003/manifest.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 2ea20a0..0000000
--- a/pkg/bdb/migrate/mig003/manifest.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-package mig003
-
-const emptyManifest string = `# yaml-language-server: $schema=https://www.topaz.sh/schema/manifest.json
----
-
-model:
-  version: 3
-
-### object type definitions ###
-types:
-`
-
-const baseManifest string = `# yaml-language-server: $schema=https://www.topaz.sh/schema/manifest.json
----
-
-model:
-  version: 3
-
-### object type definitions ###
-types:
-  ### display_name: User ###
-  user:
-    relations:
-      ### display_name: user#manager ###
-      manager: user
-
-  ### display_name: Identity ###
-  identity:
-    relations:
-      ### display_name: identity#identifier ###
-      identifier: user
-
-  ### display_name: Group ###
-  group:
-    relations:
-      ### display_name: group#member ###
-      member: user
-`
diff --git a/pkg/bdb/migrate/mig003/migrate.go b/pkg/bdb/migrate/mig003/migrate.go
index f0d2014..20a15a6 100644
--- a/pkg/bdb/migrate/mig003/migrate.go
+++ b/pkg/bdb/migrate/mig003/migrate.go
@@ -85,9 +85,6 @@ func createModel() func(*zerolog.Logger, *bolt.DB, *bolt.DB) error {
 		ctx := context.Background()
 
 		manifestBuf := new(bytes.Buffer)
-		if _, err := manifestBuf.WriteString(emptyManifest); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
 
 		model, err := v3.Load(bytes.NewReader(manifestBuf.Bytes()))
 		if err != nil {
@@ -111,18 +108,6 @@ func createModel() func(*zerolog.Logger, *bolt.DB, *bolt.DB) error {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		fileName := manifestFilename(rwDB.Path(), "manifest.yaml")
-		w, err := os.Create(fileName)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		defer w.Close()
-
-		if _, err := manifestBuf.WriteTo(w); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		log.Info().Str("version", Version).Msgf("write base manifest: %s", fileName)
 		return nil
 	}
 }