diff --git a/app.tests.ts b/app.tests.ts
index 2b12115..dd7e9fc 100644
--- a/app.tests.ts
+++ b/app.tests.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import { red } from "ansicolor";
-import { main } from "./app";
+import { getManifestFileName, main } from "./app";
 import { version } from "./package.json";
+import { resolve } from "path";
+import fs from "fs";
 
 describe("Command-line arguments handling", () => {
   const initialArgv = process.argv;
@@ -366,3 +368,39 @@ describe("Command-line arguments handling", () => {
     }
   );
 });
+
+describe("Custom manifest detection", () => {
+  it("returns the default manifest file name for the example project", () => {
+    // Arrange
+    const manifestDir = "example";
+    const targetContractName = "counter";
+
+    // Act
+    const actual = getManifestFileName(manifestDir, targetContractName);
+
+    // Assert
+    expect(actual).toBe("Clarinet.toml");
+  });
+
+  it("returns the custom manifest file name when it exists", () => {
+    // Setup
+    const manifestDir = "d290f1ee-6c54-4b01-90e6-d701748f0851";
+    const targetContractName = "7c9e6679-7425-40de-944b-e07fc1f90ae7";
+
+    const expected = `Clarinet-${targetContractName}.toml`;
+    const expectedPath = resolve(manifestDir, expected);
+
+    jest
+      .spyOn(fs, "existsSync")
+      .mockImplementation((p: fs.PathLike) => p.toString() === expectedPath);
+
+    // Exercise
+    const actual = getManifestFileName(manifestDir, targetContractName);
+
+    // Verify
+    expect(actual).toBe(expected);
+
+    // Teardown
+    jest.restoreAllMocks();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/app.ts b/app.ts
index 71cadb0..5528b62 100644
--- a/app.ts
+++ b/app.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env node
-import { join } from "path";
+import { join, resolve } from "path";
 import { EventEmitter } from "events";
 import { checkProperties } from "./property";
 import { checkInvariants } from "./invariant";
@@ -11,11 +11,35 @@ import {
 import { issueFirstClassCitizenship } from "./citizen";
 import { version } from "./package.json";
 import { red } from "ansicolor";
+import { existsSync } from "fs";
 
 const logger = (log: string, logLevel: "log" | "error" | "info" = "log") => {
   console[logLevel](log);
 };
 
+/**
+ * Gets the manifest file name for a Clarinet project.
+ * If a custom manifest exists (`Clarinet-<contract-name>.toml`), it is used.
+ * Otherwise, the default `Clarinet.toml` is returned.
+ * @param manifestDir The relative path to the Clarinet project directory.
+ * @param targetContractName The target contract name.
+ * @returns The manifest file name.
+ */
+export const getManifestFileName = (
+  manifestDir: string,
+  targetContractName: string
+) => {
+  const isCustomManifest = existsSync(
+    resolve(manifestDir, `Clarinet-${targetContractName}.toml`)
+  );
+
+  if (isCustomManifest) {
+    return `Clarinet-${targetContractName}.toml`;
+  }
+
+  return "Clarinet.toml";
+};
+
 const helpMessage = `
   rv v${version}
   
@@ -90,8 +114,14 @@ export async function main() {
     return;
   }
 
-  /** The relative path to `Clarinet.toml`. */
-  const manifestPath = join(manifestDir, "Clarinet.toml");
+  /**
+   * The relative path to the manifest file, either `Clarinet.toml` or
+   * `Clarinet-<contract-name>.toml`. If the latter exists, it is used.
+   */
+  const manifestPath = join(
+    manifestDir,
+    getManifestFileName(manifestDir, sutContractName)
+  );
   radio.emit("logMessage", `Using manifest path: ${manifestPath}`);
   radio.emit("logMessage", `Target contract: ${sutContractName}`);
 
@@ -110,7 +140,11 @@ export async function main() {
     radio.emit("logMessage", `Using runs: ${runs}`);
   }
 
-  const simnet = await issueFirstClassCitizenship(manifestDir, sutContractName);
+  const simnet = await issueFirstClassCitizenship(
+    manifestDir,
+    manifestPath,
+    sutContractName
+  );
 
   /**
    * The list of contract IDs for the SUT contract names, as per the simnet.
diff --git a/citizen.tests.ts b/citizen.tests.ts
index 210574c..28d9f77 100644
--- a/citizen.tests.ts
+++ b/citizen.tests.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { join } from "path";
 import { cpSync, existsSync, mkdtempSync, readFileSync, rmSync } from "fs";
 import { tmpdir } from "os";
 import yaml from "yaml";
+import { getManifestFileName } from "./app";
 
 describe("Simnet deployment plan operations", () => {
   const manifestDir = "example";
@@ -337,7 +338,11 @@ describe("Simnet deployment plan operations", () => {
     cpSync(manifestDir, tempDir, { recursive: true });
 
     // Exercise
-    const firstClassSimnet = await issueFirstClassCitizenship(tempDir, "cargo");
+    const firstClassSimnet = await issueFirstClassCitizenship(
+      tempDir,
+      join(tempDir, getManifestFileName(tempDir, "cargo")),
+      "cargo"
+    );
     const actual = firstClassSimnet.getContractSource("cargo");
 
     // Verify
diff --git a/citizen.ts b/citizen.ts
index 3ae98d1..c008de5 100644
--- a/citizen.ts
+++ b/citizen.ts
@@ -20,16 +20,16 @@ import {
  *   to the simnet.
  *
  * @param manifestDir The relative path to the manifest directory.
+ * @param manifestPath The absolute path to the manifest file.
  * @param sutContractName The target contract name.
  * @returns The initialized simnet instance with all contracts deployed, with
  * the test contract treated as a first-class citizen of the target contract.
  */
 export const issueFirstClassCitizenship = async (
   manifestDir: string,
+  manifestPath: string,
   sutContractName: string
 ): Promise<Simnet> => {
-  const manifestPath = join(manifestDir, "Clarinet.toml");
-
   // Initialize the simnet, to generate the simnet plan and instance. The empty
   // session will be set up, and contracts will be deployed in the correct
   // order based on the simnet plan a few lines below.
diff --git a/invariant.tests.ts b/invariant.tests.ts
index 058d27b..c1243cd 100644
--- a/invariant.tests.ts
+++ b/invariant.tests.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
 import { join } from "path";
 import { issueFirstClassCitizenship } from "./citizen";
 import { Cl } from "@stacks/transactions";
+import { getManifestFileName } from "./app";
 
 describe("Simnet contracts operations", () => {
   it("correctly initializes the local context for a given functions map", async () => {
@@ -39,7 +40,11 @@ describe("Simnet contracts operations", () => {
 
   it("correctly initializes the Clarity context", async () => {
     // Arrange
-    const simnet = await issueFirstClassCitizenship("example", "counter");
+    const simnet = await issueFirstClassCitizenship(
+      "example",
+      join("example", getManifestFileName("example", "counter")),
+      "counter"
+    );
 
     const rendezvousList = Array.from(
       getSimnetDeployerContractsInterfaces(simnet).keys()