diff --git a/flow-typed/defs.js b/flow-typed/defs.js
index bd963391..82dad27f 100644
--- a/flow-typed/defs.js
+++ b/flow-typed/defs.js
@@ -14,13 +14,14 @@ type ExplorerOptions = {
   stopDir: string,
   cache: boolean,
   transform: CosmiconfigResult => CosmiconfigResult,
+  packageFilenames: Array<string>,
   packageProp: string,
   loaders: Loaders,
   searchPlaces: Array<string>,
   ignoreEmptySearchPlaces: boolean,
 };
 
-type ExplorerContext = ExplorerOptions & {
+type ExplorerContext =   & {
   loadCache: ?Map<string, Promise<CosmiconfigResult>>,
   loadSyncCache: ?Map<string, CosmiconfigResult>,
   searchCache: ?Map<string, Promise<CosmiconfigResult>>,
diff --git a/src/createExplorer.js b/src/createExplorer.js
index 112e1f85..466fb526 100644
--- a/src/createExplorer.js
+++ b/src/createExplorer.js
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ class Explorer {
   }
 
   getLoaderEntryForFile(filepath: string): LoaderEntry {
-    if (path.basename(filepath) === 'package.json') {
+    if (this.config.packageFilenames.includes(path.basename(filepath))) {
       const loader = this.loadPackageProp.bind(this);
       return { sync: loader, async: loader };
     }
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 19eb0b82..84e33f45 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ module.exports = cosmiconfig;
 function cosmiconfig(
   moduleName: string,
   options: {
+    packageFilenames?: Array<string>,
     packageProp?: string,
     loaders?: Object,
     searchPlaces?: Array<string>,
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ function cosmiconfig(
 ) {
   options = options || {};
   const defaults = {
+    packageFilenames: ['package.json'],
     packageProp: moduleName,
     searchPlaces: [
       'package.json',
diff --git a/test/index.test.js b/test/index.test.js
index 0b0b026d..91f7fbb4 100644
--- a/test/index.test.js
+++ b/test/index.test.js
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ describe('cosmiconfig', () => {
     expect(createExplorerMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     const explorerOptions = createExplorerMock.mock.calls[0][0];
     expect(explorerOptions).toMatchObject({
+      packageFilenames: ['package.json'],
       packageProp: moduleName,
       searchPlaces: [
         'package.json',
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ describe('cosmiconfig', () => {
       stopDir: __dirname,
       cache: false,
       searchPlaces: ['.foorc.json', 'wildandfree.js'],
+      packageFilenames: ['manifest.json'],
       packageProp: 'wildandfree',
       ignoreEmptySearchPlaces: false,
       loaders: {
@@ -91,6 +93,7 @@ describe('cosmiconfig', () => {
 
     const explorerOptions = createExplorerMock.mock.calls[0][0];
     expect(explorerOptions).toMatchObject({
+      packageFilenames: ['manifest.json'],
       packageProp: 'wildandfree',
       searchPlaces: ['.foorc.json', 'wildandfree.js'],
       ignoreEmptySearchPlaces: false,
diff --git a/test/successful-files.test.js b/test/successful-files.test.js
index d83a22d7..f62455ea 100644
--- a/test/successful-files.test.js
+++ b/test/successful-files.test.js
@@ -147,12 +147,26 @@ describe('loads package prop when configPath is package.json', () => {
       }
     }`
     );
+    temp.createFile(
+      'manifest.json',
+      `{
+      "foo": {
+        "bar": "baz"
+      },
+      "isManifest": {"very": "yes"},
+      "otherPackage": {
+        "please": "no"
+      }
+    }`
+    );
   });
 
   const configPath = temp.absolutePath('package.json');
-  const checkResult = (result, expectedConfig) => {
+  const manifestPath = temp.absolutePath('manifest.json');
+  const checkResult = (result, expectedConfig, filepath) => {
+    if(filepath === undefined) filepath = configPath;
     expect(result.config).toEqual(expectedConfig);
-    expect(result.filepath).toBe(configPath);
+    expect(result.filepath).toBe(filepath);
   };
 
   describe('default package prop', () => {
@@ -232,6 +246,45 @@ describe('loads package prop when configPath is package.json', () => {
       expect(result).toBeNull();
     });
   });
+  
+  describe('load packageProp from alternative packageNames', () => {
+    const explorer = cosmiconfig('foo', { packageFilenames: ['manifest.json'], packageProp: 'isManifest' });
+    const expectedConfig = { very: 'yes' };
+
+    test('async', () => {
+      return explorer
+        .load(manifestPath)
+        .then(result => checkResult(result, expectedConfig, manifestPath));
+    });
+
+    test('sync', () => {
+      const result = explorer.loadSync(manifestPath);
+      checkResult(result, expectedConfig, manifestPath);
+    });
+  });
+  
+  describe('do not load packageProp when package.json is not in packageNames', () => {
+    const explorer = cosmiconfig('foo', { packageFilenames: ['manifest.json'], packageProp: 'foo' });
+    const expectedConfig = {
+      foo: {
+        bar: "baz"
+      },
+      otherPackage: {
+        please: "no"
+      }
+    };
+
+    test('async', () => {
+      return explorer
+        .load(configPath)
+        .then(result => checkResult(result, expectedConfig));
+    });
+
+    test('sync', () => {
+      const result = explorer.loadSync(configPath);
+      checkResult(result, expectedConfig);
+    });
+  });
 });
 
 describe('runs transform', () => {