diff --git a/changelog/recipefile.dd b/changelog/recipefile.dd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2941dbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/recipefile.dd
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+Added `--recipe=` switch to DUB
+
+You can now override which file is used as recipe, instead of the default
+`dub.sdl` and `dub.json`. This means you can define multiple dub.json files for
+local development, for example for special local-machine-only operations, and
+select which one to use over the CLI.
+
+```
+dub build --recipe=custom-dub.json
+```
+
+This can also be used to pick dub.sdl over dub.json, if both of them exist in
+the same directory. Although this is discouraged for interoperability with other
+DUB-supporting tools and general confusion for users. Both existing at the same
+time may also become an error when this switch is not specified in the future.
diff --git a/source/dub/commandline.d b/source/dub/commandline.d
index 56edc9d..bcfbc2d 100644
--- a/source/dub/commandline.d
+++ b/source/dub/commandline.d
@@ -501,11 +501,13 @@
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	// initialize the root package
-	Dub dub = cmd.prepareDub(handler.options);
+	try {
+		// initialize the root package
+		Dub dub = cmd.prepareDub(handler.options);
 
-	// execute the command
-	try return cmd.execute(dub, remaining_args, command_args.appArgs);
+		// execute the command
+		return cmd.execute(dub, remaining_args, command_args.appArgs);
+	}
 	catch (UsageException e) {
 		// usage exceptions get thrown before any logging, so we are
 		// making the errors more narrow to better fit on small screens.
@@ -534,7 +536,7 @@
 	bool verbose, vverbose, quiet, vquiet, verror, version_;
 	bool help, annotate, bare;
 	string[] registry_urls;
-	string root_path;
+	string root_path, recipeFile;
 	enum Color { automatic, on, off }
 	Color colorMode = Color.automatic;
 	SkipPackageSuppliers skipRegistry = SkipPackageSuppliers.none;
@@ -568,6 +570,7 @@
 	{
 		args.getopt("h|help", &help, ["Display general or command specific help"]);
 		args.getopt("root", &root_path, ["Path to operate in instead of the current working dir"]);
+		args.getopt("recipe", &recipeFile, ["Loads a custom recipe path instead of dub.json/dub.sdl"]);
 		args.getopt("registry", &registry_urls, [
 			"Search the given registry URL first when resolving dependencies. Can be specified multiple times. Available registry types:",
 			"  DUB: URL to DUB registry (default)",
@@ -836,11 +839,25 @@
 		dub = new Dub(options.root_path, package_suppliers, options.skipRegistry);
 		dub.dryRun = options.annotate;
 		dub.defaultPlacementLocation = options.placementLocation;
-
+		dub.mainRecipePath = options.recipeFile;
 		// make the CWD package available so that for example sub packages can reference their
 		// parent package.
-		try dub.packageManager.getOrLoadPackage(NativePath(options.root_path), NativePath.init, false, StrictMode.Warn);
-		catch (Exception e) { logDiagnostic("No valid package found in current working directory: %s", e.msg); }
+		try dub.packageManager.getOrLoadPackage(NativePath(options.root_path), NativePath(options.recipeFile), false, StrictMode.Warn);
+		catch (Exception e) {
+			// by default we ignore CWD package load fails in prepareDUB, since
+			// they will fail again later when they are actually requested. This
+			// is done to provide custom options to the loading logic and should
+			// ideally be moved elsewhere. (This catch has been around since 10
+			// years when it was first introduced in _app.d_)
+			logDiagnostic("No valid package found in current working directory: %s", e.msg);
+
+			// for now, we work around not knowing if the package is needed or
+			// not, simply by trusting the user to only use `--recipe` when the
+			// recipe file actually exists, otherwise we throw the error.
+			bool loadMustSucceed = options.recipeFile.length > 0;
+			if (loadMustSucceed)
+				throw e;
+		}
 
 		return dub;
 	}
@@ -1168,6 +1185,7 @@
 			return true;
 		}
 
+
 		bool from_cwd = package_name.length == 0 || package_name.startsWith(":");
 		// load package in root_path to enable searching for sub packages
 		if (loadCwdPackage(dub, from_cwd)) {
@@ -1272,6 +1290,7 @@
 		if (!gensettings.config.length)
 			gensettings.config = m_defaultConfig;
 		gensettings.runArgs = app_args;
+		gensettings.recipeName = dub.mainRecipePath;
 		// legacy compatibility, default working directory is always CWD
 		gensettings.overrideToolWorkingDirectory = getWorkingDirectory();
 
diff --git a/source/dub/dub.d b/source/dub/dub.d
index 87a78bc..b64a386 100644
--- a/source/dub/dub.d
+++ b/source/dub/dub.d
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@
 		PackageManager m_packageManager;
 		PackageSupplier[] m_packageSuppliers;
 		NativePath m_rootPath;
+		string m_mainRecipePath;
 		SpecialDirs m_dirs;
 		Settings m_config;
 		Project m_project;
@@ -391,6 +392,14 @@
 	/// application.
 	@property string projectName() const { return m_project.name; }
 
+	@property string mainRecipePath() const { return m_mainRecipePath; }
+	/// Whenever the switch --recipe= is supplied, this member will be populated.
+	@property string mainRecipePath(string recipePath) 
+	{ 
+		return m_mainRecipePath = recipePath;
+	}
+
+
 	@property NativePath projectPath() const { return this.m_project.rootPackage.path; }
 
 	@property string[] configurations() const { return m_project.configurations; }
diff --git a/source/dub/generators/build.d b/source/dub/generators/build.d
index 73fe18b..707ba0d 100644
--- a/source/dub/generators/build.d
+++ b/source/dub/generators/build.d
@@ -46,8 +46,16 @@
 	addHash(settings.platform.architecture);
 	addHash(settings.platform.compiler);
 	addHash(settings.platform.compilerVersion);
+	if(settings.recipeName != "")
+		addHash(settings.recipeName);
 	const hashstr = Base64URL.encode(hash.finish()[0 .. $ / 2]).stripRight("=");
 
+	if(settings.recipeName != "")
+	{
+		import std.path:stripExtension, baseName;
+		string recipeName = settings.recipeName.baseName.stripExtension;
+		return format("%s-%s-%s-%s", config, settings.buildType, recipeName, hashstr);
+	}
 	return format("%s-%s-%s", config, settings.buildType, hashstr);
 }
 
@@ -747,10 +755,9 @@
 			(cast(uint)(buildsettings.options & ~BuildOption.color)).to!string, // exclude color option from id
 			settings.platform.compilerBinary,
 			settings.platform.compiler,
-			settings.platform.compilerVersion,
+			settings.platform.compilerVersion
 		],
 	];
-
 	return computeBuildName(config, settings, hashing);
 }
 
diff --git a/source/dub/generators/generator.d b/source/dub/generators/generator.d
index 5816058..20a301c 100644
--- a/source/dub/generators/generator.d
+++ b/source/dub/generators/generator.d
@@ -809,6 +809,7 @@
 	BuildPlatform platform;
 	Compiler compiler;
 	string config;
+	string recipeName;
 	string buildType;
 	BuildSettings buildSettings;
 	BuildMode buildMode = BuildMode.separate;
diff --git a/test/issue2684-recipe-file.sh b/test/issue2684-recipe-file.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..2567395
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/issue2684-recipe-file.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+cd ${CURR_DIR}/issue2684-recipe-file
+${DUB} | grep -c "This was built using dub.json" > /dev/null
+${DUB} --recipe=dubWithAnotherSource.json | grep -c "This was built using dubWithAnotherSource.json" > /dev/null
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/issue2684-recipe-file/.gitignore b/test/issue2684-recipe-file/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3de530e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/issue2684-recipe-file/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+.dub
+docs.json
+__dummy.html
+docs/
+/issue2684-recipe-file
+issue2684-recipe-file.so
+issue2684-recipe-file.dylib
+issue2684-recipe-file.dll
+issue2684-recipe-file.a
+issue2684-recipe-file.lib
+issue2684-recipe-file-test-*
+*.exe
+*.pdb
+*.o
+*.obj
+*.lst
diff --git a/test/issue2684-recipe-file/anotherSource/app.d b/test/issue2684-recipe-file/anotherSource/app.d
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f28bb40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/issue2684-recipe-file/anotherSource/app.d
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+module app;
+import std.stdio;
+
+void main()
+{
+	writeln("This was built using dubWithAnotherSource.json");
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/issue2684-recipe-file/dub.json b/test/issue2684-recipe-file/dub.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..17ac6ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/issue2684-recipe-file/dub.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+	"authors": [
+		"Hipreme"
+	],
+	"copyright": "Copyright © 2023, Hipreme",
+	"description": "A minimal D application.",
+	"license": "public domain",
+	"name": "issue2684-recipe-file"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/issue2684-recipe-file/dubWithAnotherSource.json b/test/issue2684-recipe-file/dubWithAnotherSource.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0ef1676
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/issue2684-recipe-file/dubWithAnotherSource.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+	"authors": [
+		"Hipreme"
+	],
+	"copyright": "Copyright © 2023, Hipreme",
+	"description": "A minimal D application.",
+	"sourcePaths": ["anotherSource"],
+	"license": "public domain",
+	"name": "issue2684-recipe-file"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/issue2684-recipe-file/source/app.d b/test/issue2684-recipe-file/source/app.d
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..022b7ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/issue2684-recipe-file/source/app.d
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+module app;
+import std.stdio;
+
+void main()
+{
+	writeln("This was built using dub.json.
+Try using the other configuration by calling dub with:
+dub --recipe=dubWithAnotherSource.json
+");
+}