diff --git a/src/cmd/build.rs b/src/cmd/build.rs
index 7848b30131e8351deb416eb15c7672887b3c5173..4fa2011b6abad37714227bed29cce0675383be28 100644
--- a/src/cmd/build.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/build.rs
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ pub(crate) fn execute_with_metadata(
 #[cfg(feature = "test-ci-only")]
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
-    use crate::{cmd, util::tests::with_tmp_dir, workspace::ManifestPath, UnstableFlags};
+    use crate::{cmd, util::tests::with_tmp_dir, ManifestPath, UnstableFlags};
 
     #[test]
     fn build_template() {
diff --git a/src/cmd/metadata.rs b/src/cmd/metadata.rs
index 8b658d3fe33139a9cc5c04a19fa76de5b9ce019e..15393910e3c48e5da36e52a0077fb40e2f91ed20 100644
--- a/src/cmd/metadata.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/metadata.rs
@@ -192,8 +192,7 @@ pub(crate) fn execute(
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use crate::{
-        cmd, crate_metadata::CrateMetadata, util::tests::with_tmp_dir, workspace::ManifestPath,
-        UnstableFlags,
+        cmd, crate_metadata::CrateMetadata, util::tests::with_tmp_dir, ManifestPath, UnstableFlags,
     };
     use blake2::digest::{Update as _, VariableOutput as _};
     use contract_metadata::*;
diff --git a/src/crate_metadata.rs b/src/crate_metadata.rs
index 82469dfc186adbbb0e4605b6d920d5d327eafbfa..60837b73dfcf5f4a63f6b53bab025336fbf9a71e 100644
--- a/src/crate_metadata.rs
+++ b/src/crate_metadata.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 // You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 // along with cargo-contract.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
-use crate::workspace::ManifestPath;
+use crate::ManifestPath;
 use anyhow::{Context, Result};
 use cargo_metadata::{Metadata as CargoMetadata, MetadataCommand, Package};
 use semver::Version;
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 1e721a4ba99e522c98d42af8efefc2d0594a64f1..d6698c2bb5de60479382266a6fa175c3c24e96e6 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ mod crate_metadata;
 mod util;
 mod workspace;
 
+use self::workspace::ManifestPath;
+
 #[cfg(feature = "extrinsics")]
 use sp_core::{crypto::Pair, sr25519, H256};
 use std::{
@@ -163,6 +165,9 @@ enum Command {
     /// Compiles the smart contract
     #[structopt(name = "build")]
     Build {
+        /// Path to the Cargo.toml of the contract to build
+        #[structopt(long, parse(from_os_str))]
+        manifest_path: Option<PathBuf>,
         #[structopt(flatten)]
         verbosity: VerbosityFlags,
         #[structopt(flatten)]
@@ -171,6 +176,9 @@ enum Command {
     /// Generate contract metadata artifacts
     #[structopt(name = "generate-metadata")]
     GenerateMetadata {
+        /// Path to the Cargo.toml of the contract for which to generate metadata
+        #[structopt(long, parse(from_os_str))]
+        manifest_path: Option<PathBuf>,
         #[structopt(flatten)]
         verbosity: VerbosityFlags,
         #[structopt(flatten)]
@@ -239,10 +247,11 @@ fn exec(cmd: Command) -> Result<String> {
     match &cmd {
         Command::New { name, target_dir } => cmd::new::execute(name, target_dir.as_ref()),
         Command::Build {
+            manifest_path,
             verbosity,
             unstable_options,
         } => {
-            let manifest_path = Default::default();
+            let manifest_path = ManifestPath::try_from(manifest_path.as_ref())?;
             let dest_wasm = cmd::build::execute(
                 &manifest_path,
                 verbosity.try_into()?,
@@ -254,11 +263,13 @@ fn exec(cmd: Command) -> Result<String> {
             ))
         }
         Command::GenerateMetadata {
+            manifest_path,
             verbosity,
             unstable_options,
         } => {
+            let manifest_path = ManifestPath::try_from(manifest_path.as_ref())?;
             let metadata_file = cmd::metadata::execute(
-                Default::default(),
+                manifest_path,
                 verbosity.try_into()?,
                 unstable_options.try_into()?,
             )?;
diff --git a/src/workspace/manifest.rs b/src/workspace/manifest.rs
index bf41a8e9e47b12ca8e8e6c1637606ce192e57d33..3cc851b9f232404cf5c8c3029d9c000ef5db9de0 100644
--- a/src/workspace/manifest.rs
+++ b/src/workspace/manifest.rs
@@ -76,6 +76,17 @@ impl TryFrom<&PathBuf> for ManifestPath {
     }
 }
 
+impl<P> TryFrom<Option<P>> for ManifestPath
+where
+    P: AsRef<Path>,
+{
+    type Error = anyhow::Error;
+
+    fn try_from(value: Option<P>) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
+        value.map_or(Ok(Default::default()), ManifestPath::new)
+    }
+}
+
 impl Default for ManifestPath {
     fn default() -> ManifestPath {
         ManifestPath::new(MANIFEST_FILE).expect("it's a valid manifest file")