diff --git a/idf_build_apps/args.py b/idf_build_apps/args.py
index 565a02e..bd5f44d 100644
--- a/idf_build_apps/args.py
+++ b/idf_build_apps/args.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 import argparse
 import enum
+import glob
 import inspect
 import logging
 import os
@@ -191,6 +192,15 @@ class DependencyDrivenBuildArguments(GlobalArguments):
         validation_alias=AliasChoices('manifest_files', 'manifest_file'),
         default=None,
     )
+    manifest_filepatterns: t.Optional[t.List[str]] = field(
+        FieldMetadata(
+            validate_method=[ValidateMethod.TO_LIST],
+            nargs='+',
+        ),
+        description='space-separated list of file patterns to search for the manifest files. '
+        'The matched files will be loaded as the manifest files.',
+        default=None,
+    )
     manifest_rootpath: str = field(
         None,
         description='Root path to resolve the relative paths defined in the manifest files. '
@@ -279,6 +289,17 @@ class DependencyDrivenBuildArguments(GlobalArguments):
     def model_post_init(self, __context: Any) -> None:
         super().model_post_init(__context)
 
+        if self.manifest_filepatterns:
+            matched_paths = set()
+            for pat in [to_absolute_path(p, self.manifest_rootpath) for p in self.manifest_filepatterns]:
+                matched_paths.update(glob.glob(str(pat), recursive=True))
+
+            if matched_paths:
+                if self.manifest_files:
+                    self.manifest_files.extend(matched_paths)
+                else:
+                    self.manifest_files = list(matched_paths)
+
         Manifest.CHECK_MANIFEST_RULES = self.check_manifest_rules
         if self.manifest_files:
             App.MANIFEST = Manifest.from_files(
diff --git a/tests/test_cmd.py b/tests/test_cmd.py
index ce701b1..20b519d 100644
--- a/tests/test_cmd.py
+++ b/tests/test_cmd.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2024 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
-
+import os
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 
@@ -67,3 +67,31 @@ def test_manifest_dump_sha_values(
                 f'foo:{sha_of_enable_only_esp32}\n'
                 f'foobar:{sha_of_enable_esp32_or_esp32s2}\n'
             )
+
+
+def test_manifest_patterns(tmp_path, monkeypatch, capsys):
+    manifest = tmp_path / 'manifest.yml'
+    manifest.write_text(
+        """foo:
+  enable:
+    - if: IDF_TARGET == "esp32"
+bar:
+  enable:
+    - if: IDF_TARGET == "esp32"
+        """
+    )
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as e:
+        with monkeypatch.context() as m:
+            m.setattr(
+                sys,
+                'argv',
+                ['idf-build-apps', 'find', '--manifest-filepatterns', '**.whatever', '**/manifest.yml', '-vv'],
+            )
+            main()
+        assert e.retcode == 0
+
+    _, err = capsys.readouterr()
+    assert f'Loading manifest file {os.path.join(tmp_path, "manifest.yml")}' in err
+    assert f'"{os.path.join(tmp_path, "foo")}" does not exist' in err
+    assert f'"{os.path.join(tmp_path, "bar")}" does not exist' in err