diff --git a/infra-cdk/lib/utils/config-manager.ts b/infra-cdk/lib/utils/config-manager.ts
index fc31655f..da0a49b2 100644
--- a/infra-cdk/lib/utils/config-manager.ts
+++ b/infra-cdk/lib/utils/config-manager.ts
@@ -47,8 +47,21 @@ export class ConfigManager {
   }
 
   private _loadConfig(configFile: string): AppConfig {
-    const configPath = path.join(__dirname, "..", "..", configFile) // nosemgrep: javascript.lang.security.audit.path-traversal.path-join-resolve-traversal.path-join-resolve-traversal
-
+    let configPath: string
+
+    // Uses the specified configFile if the file exists
+    // otherwise fallsback to existing behavior where the configFile should be
+    // named config.yaml and be in the infra-cdk directory. Throws an error if the
+    // configFile does not exist and is not the default "config.yaml"
+    if (fs.existsSync(configFile)) {
+      configPath = configFile
+    } else {
+      if (path.basename(configFile) !== "config.yaml") {
+        throw new Error(`Configuration file '${configFile}' not found.`)
+      }
+      const defaultConfigPath = path.join(__dirname, "..", "..", configFile) // nosemgrep: javascript.lang.security.audit.path-traversal.path-join-resolve-traversal.path-join-resolve-traversal
+      configPath = defaultConfigPath
+    }
     if (!fs.existsSync(configPath)) {
       throw new Error(`Configuration file ${configPath} does not exist. Please create config.yaml file.`)
     }
@@ -59,12 +72,12 @@ export class ConfigManager {
 
       const deploymentType = parsedConfig.backend?.deployment_type || "docker"
       if (deploymentType !== "docker" && deploymentType !== "zip") {
-        throw new Error(`Invalid deployment_type '${deploymentType}'. Must be 'docker' or 'zip'.`)
+        throw new Error(`Invalid deployment_type '${deploymentType}' in ${configPath}. Must be 'docker' or 'zip'.`)
       }
 
       const stackNameBase = parsedConfig.stack_name_base
       if (!stackNameBase) {
-        throw new Error("stack_name_base is required in config.yaml")
+        throw new Error(`stack_name_base is required in ${configPath}`)
       }
       if (stackNameBase.length > MAX_STACK_NAME_BASE_LENGTH) {
         throw new Error(
@@ -76,20 +89,20 @@ export class ConfigManager {
       // Validate network_mode if provided
       const networkMode = parsedConfig.backend?.network_mode || "PUBLIC"
       if (networkMode !== "PUBLIC" && networkMode !== "VPC") {
-        throw new Error(`Invalid network_mode '${networkMode}'. Must be 'PUBLIC' or 'VPC'.`)
+        throw new Error(`Invalid network_mode '${networkMode}' in ${configPath}. Must be 'PUBLIC' or 'VPC'.`)
       }
 
       // Validate VPC configuration when network_mode is VPC
       const vpcConfig = parsedConfig.backend?.vpc
       if (networkMode === "VPC") {
         if (!vpcConfig) {
-          throw new Error("backend.vpc configuration is required when network_mode is 'VPC'.")
+          throw new Error(`backend.vpc configuration is required in ${configPath} when network_mode is 'VPC'.`)
         }
         if (!vpcConfig.vpc_id) {
-          throw new Error("backend.vpc.vpc_id is required when network_mode is 'VPC'.")
+          throw new Error(`backend.vpc.vpc_id is required in ${configPath} when network_mode is 'VPC'.`)
         }
         if (!vpcConfig.subnet_ids || vpcConfig.subnet_ids.length === 0) {
-          throw new Error("backend.vpc.subnet_ids must contain at least one subnet ID when network_mode is 'VPC'.")
+          throw new Error(`backend.vpc.subnet_ids must contain at least one subnet ID in ${configPath} when network_mode is 'VPC'.`)
         }
       }