diff --git a/src/update-ts-references.js b/src/update-ts-references.js
index a4e7317..b63e836 100644
--- a/src/update-ts-references.js
+++ b/src/update-ts-references.js
@@ -226,6 +226,14 @@ const execute = async ({
     workspaces = pnpmConfig.packages;
   }
 
+  if (fs.existsSync(path.join(cwd, 'update-ts-references.yaml'))) {
+    const config = yaml.load(
+        fs.readFileSync(path.join(cwd, 'update-ts-references.yaml'))
+    );
+
+    workspaces = [...(config.packages ? config.packages : []), ...(workspaces ? workspaces : [])];
+  }
+
   if (!workspaces) {
     throw new Error(
       'could not detect yarn/npm/pnpm workspaces or lerna in this repository'
diff --git a/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/package.json b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..73a13fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+{
+  "name": "ts-ref-yaml-workspace",
+  "version": "0.0.1",
+  "private": true,
+  "workspaces": [
+    "workspace-b",
+    "shared/*",
+    "utils/**/"
+  ],
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "typescript": "latest"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/shared/workspace-c/package.json b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/shared/workspace-c/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a401b15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/shared/workspace-c/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "name": "workspace-c",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "dependencies": {
+    "cross-env": "5.0.5"
+  },
+  "peerDependencies": {
+    "foo-a": "1.0.0"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/shared/workspace-c/tsconfig.json b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/shared/workspace-c/tsconfig.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1dd8e13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/shared/workspace-c/tsconfig.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+  "compilerOptions": {
+    "outDir": "dist",
+    "rootDir": "src"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/shared/workspace-d/package.json b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/shared/workspace-d/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5a993c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/shared/workspace-d/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "name": "workspace-d",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "dependencies": {
+    "workspace-c": "1.0.0"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/shared/workspace-d/tsconfig.json b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/shared/workspace-d/tsconfig.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1dd8e13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/shared/workspace-d/tsconfig.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+  "compilerOptions": {
+    "outDir": "dist",
+    "rootDir": "src"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/tsconfig.json b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/tsconfig.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..23b6225
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/tsconfig.json
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "files": [],
+  "compilerOptions": {
+    /* Basic Options */
+    // "allowJs": true,
+    "composite": true
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/update-ts-references.yaml b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/update-ts-references.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ec5a20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/update-ts-references.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+packages:
+  # all packages in subdirs of packages/ and components/
+  - 'workspace-a'
+  # exclude packages that are inside test directories
+  - '!**/tests/**'
diff --git a/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/utils/foos/foo-a/package.json b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/utils/foos/foo-a/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..699ec9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/utils/foos/foo-a/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "name": "foo-a",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "dependencies": {
+    "foo-b": "1.0.0"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/utils/foos/foo-a/tsconfig.json b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/utils/foos/foo-a/tsconfig.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1dd8e13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/utils/foos/foo-a/tsconfig.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+  "compilerOptions": {
+    "outDir": "dist",
+    "rootDir": "src"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/utils/foos/foo-b/package.json b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/utils/foos/foo-b/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2c997b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/utils/foos/foo-b/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+  "name": "foo-b",
+  "version": "1.0.0"
+}
diff --git a/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/utils/foos/foo-b/tsconfig.json b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/utils/foos/foo-b/tsconfig.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1dd8e13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/utils/foos/foo-b/tsconfig.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+  "compilerOptions": {
+    "outDir": "dist",
+    "rootDir": "src"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/utils/foos/tests/test-a/package.json b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/utils/foos/tests/test-a/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ea4b7c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/utils/foos/tests/test-a/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+  "name": "test-a",
+  "version": "1.0.0"
+}
diff --git a/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/utils/foos/tests/test-a/tsconfig.json b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/utils/foos/tests/test-a/tsconfig.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1dd8e13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/utils/foos/tests/test-a/tsconfig.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+  "compilerOptions": {
+    "outDir": "dist",
+    "rootDir": "src"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/workspace-a/package.json b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/workspace-a/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f35aa29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/workspace-a/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "name": "workspace-a",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "dependencies": {
+    "workspace-b": "1.0.0"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+      "foo-a": "1.0.0"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/workspace-a/tsconfig.json b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/workspace-a/tsconfig.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1dd8e13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/workspace-a/tsconfig.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+  "compilerOptions": {
+    "outDir": "dist",
+    "rootDir": "src"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/workspace-b/package.json b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/workspace-b/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..552cf0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/workspace-b/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "name": "workspace-b",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "dependencies": {
+    "cross-env": "5.0.5"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "foo-b": "1.0.0"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/workspace-b/tsconfig.json b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/workspace-b/tsconfig.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1dd8e13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-scenarios/ts-ref-yaml/workspace-b/tsconfig.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+  "compilerOptions": {
+    "outDir": "dist",
+    "rootDir": "src"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/update-ts-references.test.js b/tests/update-ts-references.test.js
index b63f88e..52ee21c 100644
--- a/tests/update-ts-references.test.js
+++ b/tests/update-ts-references.test.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ const rootFolderYarnCreate = path.join(
     'yarn-ws-create'
 );
 const rootFolderPnpm = path.join(process.cwd(), 'test-run', 'pnpm');
+const rootFolderTsRefYaml = path.join(process.cwd(), 'test-run', 'ts-ref-yaml');
 const rootFolderYarnCheck = path.join(
   process.cwd(),
   'test-run',
@@ -247,6 +248,18 @@ test('Support pnpm workspaces', async () => {
   });
 });
 
+test('Support update-ts-reference.yaml workspaces', async () => {
+  await setup(rootFolderTsRefYaml);
+
+  tsconfigs.forEach((tsconfig) => {
+    const [configPath, config] = tsconfig;
+
+    expect(
+        parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(rootFolderTsRefYaml, configPath, 'tsconfig.json')).toString())
+    ).toEqual(config);
+  });
+});
+
 test('Test create tsconfig', async () => {
   await setup(rootFolderYarnCreate, undefined, true);
   const r = [