diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/io/github/sgtsilvio/gradle/oci/dsl/Capability.kt b/src/main/kotlin/io/github/sgtsilvio/gradle/oci/dsl/Capability.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..998902c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/io/github/sgtsilvio/gradle/oci/dsl/Capability.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+package io.github.sgtsilvio.gradle.oci.dsl
+
+/**
+ * @author Silvio Giebl
+ */
+data class Capability(val group: String, val name: String, val version: String) {
+    init {
+        require(group.isNotEmpty()) { "capability group must not be empty" }
+        require(name.isNotEmpty()) { "capability name must not be empty" }
+        require(version.isNotEmpty()) { "capability version must not be empty" }
+    }
+}
+
+internal fun Capability.toMapNotation() = mapOf("group" to group, "name" to name, "version" to version)
+
+interface CapabilityFactories {
+    fun capability(group: String, name: String, version: String) = Capability(group, name, version)
+}
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/io/github/sgtsilvio/gradle/oci/dsl/OciImageDefinition.kt b/src/main/kotlin/io/github/sgtsilvio/gradle/oci/dsl/OciImageDefinition.kt
index c53019ef..a6f878a5 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/io/github/sgtsilvio/gradle/oci/dsl/OciImageDefinition.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/io/github/sgtsilvio/gradle/oci/dsl/OciImageDefinition.kt
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ import org.gradle.api.provider.*
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.TaskProvider
 import java.time.Instant
 
-interface OciImageDefinition : Named {
+interface OciImageDefinition : Named, CapabilityFactories {
     val imageName: Property<String>
     val imageTag: Property<String>
-    val capabilities: SetProperty<String>
+    val capabilities: SetProperty<Capability>
     val indexAnnotations: MapProperty<String, String>
 
     val dependency: Provider<ProjectDependency>
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/io/github/sgtsilvio/gradle/oci/internal/dsl/OciImageDefinitionImpl.kt b/src/main/kotlin/io/github/sgtsilvio/gradle/oci/internal/dsl/OciImageDefinitionImpl.kt
index f2a2ca7d..34d31e7e 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/io/github/sgtsilvio/gradle/oci/internal/dsl/OciImageDefinitionImpl.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/io/github/sgtsilvio/gradle/oci/internal/dsl/OciImageDefinitionImpl.kt
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ import io.github.sgtsilvio.gradle.oci.OciLayerTask
 import io.github.sgtsilvio.gradle.oci.OciMetadataTask
 import io.github.sgtsilvio.gradle.oci.TASK_GROUP_NAME
 import io.github.sgtsilvio.gradle.oci.attributes.*
+import io.github.sgtsilvio.gradle.oci.dsl.Capability
 import io.github.sgtsilvio.gradle.oci.dsl.OciImageDefinition
+import io.github.sgtsilvio.gradle.oci.dsl.toMapNotation
 import io.github.sgtsilvio.gradle.oci.internal.*
 import io.github.sgtsilvio.gradle.oci.internal.gradle.*
 import io.github.sgtsilvio.gradle.oci.internal.string.camelCase
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ internal abstract class OciImageDefinitionImpl @Inject constructor(
             project.version.toString().concatKebabCase(name.mainToEmpty().kebabCase())
         })
     val imageReference: Provider<OciImageReference> = imageName.zip(imageTag, ::OciImageReference)
-    final override val capabilities = objectFactory.setProperty<String>()
+    final override val capabilities = objectFactory.setProperty<Capability>()
     private val variants = objectFactory.domainObjectSet(Variant::class)
     private var allPlatformVariantScope: VariantScope? = null
     private var platformVariantScopes: HashMap<PlatformFilter, VariantScope>? = null
@@ -62,7 +64,7 @@ internal abstract class OciImageDefinitionImpl @Inject constructor(
         capabilities.map { capabilities ->
             capabilities {
                 for (capability in capabilities) {
-                    requireCapability(capability)
+                    requireCapability(capability.toMapNotation())
                 }
             }
             this
@@ -72,7 +74,13 @@ internal abstract class OciImageDefinitionImpl @Inject constructor(
     init {
         if (name != MAIN_NAME) {
             capabilities.convention(providerFactory.provider {
-                listOf("${project.group}:${project.name.concatKebabCase(name.kebabCase())}:${project.version}")
+                listOf(
+                    Capability(
+                        project.group.toString(),
+                        project.name.concatKebabCase(name.kebabCase()),
+                        project.version.toString(),
+                    )
+                )
             })
         }
         project.afterEvaluate {
@@ -86,13 +94,13 @@ internal abstract class OciImageDefinitionImpl @Inject constructor(
             for (variant in variants) {
                 val configurationPublications = variant.configuration.outgoing
                 for (capability in capabilities) {
-                    configurationPublications.capability(capability)
+                    configurationPublications.capability(capability.toMapNotation())
                 }
             }
             indexConfiguration?.let { indexConfiguration ->
                 val configurationPublications = indexConfiguration.outgoing
                 for (capability in capabilities) {
-                    configurationPublications.capability(capability)
+                    configurationPublications.capability(capability.toMapNotation())
                 }
             }
         }