diff --git a/pkg/action/resource_policy.go b/pkg/action/resource_policy.go
index cfabdf7ba..494996964 100644
--- a/pkg/action/resource_policy.go
+++ b/pkg/action/resource_policy.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ const resourcePolicyAnno = "helm.sh/resource-policy"
 //   during an uninstallRelease action.
 const keepPolicy = "keep"
 
-func filterManifestsToKeep(manifests []releaseutil.Manifest) (keep, remaining []releaseutil.Manifest) {
+func filterManifestsToKeep(manifests []*releaseutil.Manifest) (keep, remaining []*releaseutil.Manifest) {
 	for _, m := range manifests {
 		if m.Head.Metadata == nil || m.Head.Metadata.Annotations == nil || len(m.Head.Metadata.Annotations) == 0 {
 			remaining = append(remaining, m)
diff --git a/pkg/releaseutil/kind_sorter.go b/pkg/releaseutil/kind_sorter.go
index a340dfc29..8e9eac65a 100644
--- a/pkg/releaseutil/kind_sorter.go
+++ b/pkg/releaseutil/kind_sorter.go
@@ -108,12 +108,13 @@ var UninstallOrder KindSortOrder = []string{
 // sort manifests by kind.
 //
 // Results are sorted by 'ordering', keeping order of items with equal kind/priority
-func sortManifestsByKind(manifests []Manifest, ordering KindSortOrder) []Manifest {
-	sort.SliceStable(manifests, func(i, j int) bool {
-		return lessByKind(manifests[i], manifests[j], manifests[i].Head.Kind, manifests[j].Head.Kind, ordering)
+func sortManifestsByKind(manifests []*Manifest, ordering KindSortOrder) []*Manifest {
+	m := manifests
+	sort.SliceStable(m, func(i, j int) bool {
+		return lessByKind(m[i], m[j], m[i].Head.Kind, m[j].Head.Kind, ordering)
 	})
 
-	return manifests
+	return m
 }
 
 // sort hooks by kind, using an out-of-place sort to preserve the input parameters.
diff --git a/pkg/releaseutil/kind_sorter_test.go b/pkg/releaseutil/kind_sorter_test.go
index 71d355210..18a29a49a 100644
--- a/pkg/releaseutil/kind_sorter_test.go
+++ b/pkg/releaseutil/kind_sorter_test.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestKindSorter(t *testing.T) {
-	manifests := []Manifest{
+	manifests := []*Manifest{
 		{
 			Name: "E",
 			Head: &SimpleHead{Kind: "SecretList"},
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ func TestKindSorter(t *testing.T) {
 
 // TestKindSorterKeepOriginalOrder verifies manifests of same kind are kept in original order
 func TestKindSorterKeepOriginalOrder(t *testing.T) {
-	manifests := []Manifest{
+	manifests := []*Manifest{
 		{
 			Name: "a",
 			Head: &SimpleHead{Kind: "ClusterRole"},
@@ -259,19 +259,19 @@ func TestKindSorterKeepOriginalOrder(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestKindSorterNamespaceAgainstUnknown(t *testing.T) {
-	unknown := Manifest{
+	unknown := &Manifest{
 		Name: "a",
 		Head: &SimpleHead{Kind: "Unknown"},
 	}
-	namespace := Manifest{
+	namespace := &Manifest{
 		Name: "b",
 		Head: &SimpleHead{Kind: "Namespace"},
 	}
 
-	manifests := []Manifest{unknown, namespace}
+	manifests := []*Manifest{unknown, namespace}
 	manifests = sortManifestsByKind(manifests, InstallOrder)
 
-	expectedOrder := []Manifest{namespace, unknown}
+	expectedOrder := []*Manifest{namespace, unknown}
 	for i, manifest := range manifests {
 		if expectedOrder[i].Name != manifest.Name {
 			t.Errorf("Expected %s, got %s", expectedOrder[i].Name, manifest.Name)
diff --git a/pkg/releaseutil/manifest.go b/pkg/releaseutil/manifest.go
index 0b04a4599..36cc4c2f6 100644
--- a/pkg/releaseutil/manifest.go
+++ b/pkg/releaseutil/manifest.go
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 )
 
+// OrderWeightAnnotation is the label name for a weight of a manifest
+const OrderWeightAnnotation = "helm.sh/order-weight"
+
 // SimpleHead defines what the structure of the head of a manifest file
 type SimpleHead struct {
 	Version  string `json:"apiVersion"`
diff --git a/pkg/releaseutil/manifest_sorter.go b/pkg/releaseutil/manifest_sorter.go
index e83414500..71513d073 100644
--- a/pkg/releaseutil/manifest_sorter.go
+++ b/pkg/releaseutil/manifest_sorter.go
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import (
 type Manifest struct {
 	Name    string
 	Content string
+	Weight  int
 	Head    *SimpleHead
 }
 
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ type manifestFile struct {
 // result is an intermediate structure used during sorting.
 type result struct {
 	hooks   []*release.Hook
-	generic []Manifest
+	generic []*Manifest
 }
 
 // TODO: Refactor this out. It's here because naming conventions were not followed through.
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ var events = map[string]release.HookEvent{
 //
 // Files that do not parse into the expected format are simply placed into a map and
 // returned.
-func SortManifests(files map[string]string, apis chartutil.VersionSet, ordering KindSortOrder) ([]*release.Hook, []Manifest, error) {
+func SortManifests(files map[string]string, apis chartutil.VersionSet, ordering KindSortOrder) ([]*release.Hook, []*Manifest, error) {
 	result := &result{}
 
 	var sortedFilePaths []string
@@ -107,8 +108,11 @@ func SortManifests(files map[string]string, apis chartutil.VersionSet, ordering
 			return result.hooks, result.generic, err
 		}
 	}
+	sortedManifests := sortManifestsByKind(result.generic, ordering)
+	// manifests are ordered by kind, so keep order stable
+	sort.Stable(manifestByWeight(sortedManifests))
 
-	return sortHooksByKind(result.hooks, ordering), sortManifestsByKind(result.generic, ordering), nil
+	return sortHooksByKind(result.hooks, ordering), sortedManifests, nil
 }
 
 // sort takes a manifestFile object which may contain multiple resource definition
@@ -147,7 +151,7 @@ func (file *manifestFile) sort(result *result) error {
 		}
 
 		if !hasAnyAnnotation(entry) {
-			result.generic = append(result.generic, Manifest{
+			result.generic = append(result.generic, &Manifest{
 				Name:    file.path,
 				Content: m,
 				Head:    &entry,
@@ -157,9 +161,11 @@ func (file *manifestFile) sort(result *result) error {
 
 		hookTypes, ok := entry.Metadata.Annotations[release.HookAnnotation]
 		if !ok {
-			result.generic = append(result.generic, Manifest{
+			ow := calculateOrderWeight(entry)
+			result.generic = append(result.generic, &Manifest{
 				Name:    file.path,
 				Content: m,
+				Weight:  ow,
 				Head:    &entry,
 			})
 			continue
@@ -222,6 +228,18 @@ func calculateHookWeight(entry SimpleHead) int {
 	return hw
 }
 
+// calculateOrderWeight finds the weight in the hook weight annotation.
+//
+// If no weight is found, the assigned weight is 0
+func calculateOrderWeight(entry SimpleHead) int {
+	ows := entry.Metadata.Annotations[OrderWeightAnnotation]
+	ow, err := strconv.Atoi(ows)
+	if err != nil {
+		ow = 0
+	}
+	return ow
+}
+
 // operateAnnotationValues finds the given annotation and runs the operate function with the value of that annotation
 func operateAnnotationValues(entry SimpleHead, annotation string, operate func(p string)) {
 	if dps, ok := entry.Metadata.Annotations[annotation]; ok {
@@ -231,3 +249,12 @@ func operateAnnotationValues(entry SimpleHead, annotation string, operate func(p
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// manifestByWeight is a sorter for manifests
+type manifestByWeight []*Manifest
+
+func (x manifestByWeight) Len() int      { return len(x) }
+func (x manifestByWeight) Swap(i, j int) { x[i], x[j] = x[j], x[i] }
+func (x manifestByWeight) Less(i, j int) bool {
+	return x[i].Weight < x[j].Weight
+}
diff --git a/pkg/releaseutil/manifest_sorter_test.go b/pkg/releaseutil/manifest_sorter_test.go
index 20d809317..2aed18615 100644
--- a/pkg/releaseutil/manifest_sorter_test.go
+++ b/pkg/releaseutil/manifest_sorter_test.go
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ metadata:
 	}
 
 	// Verify the sort order
-	sorted := []Manifest{}
+	sorted := []*Manifest{}
 	for _, s := range data {
 		manifests := SplitManifests(s.manifest)
 
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ metadata:
 
 			// only keep track of non-hook manifests
 			if s.hooks[name] == nil {
-				another := Manifest{
+				another := &Manifest{
 					Content: m,
 					Name:    name,
 					Head:    &sh,