diff --git a/src/bin/release-please.ts b/src/bin/release-please.ts
index 39aa9cd42..2ee885454 100644
--- a/src/bin/release-please.ts
+++ b/src/bin/release-please.ts
@@ -878,7 +878,7 @@ interface HandleError {
 }
 
 function extractManifestOptions(
-  argv: GitHubArgs & (PullRequestArgs | ReleaseArgs)
+  argv: GitHubArgs & (PullRequestArgs | ReleaseArgs) & Partial<VersioningArgs>
 ): ManifestOptions {
   const manifestOptions: ManifestOptions = {};
   if ('fork' in argv && argv.fork !== undefined) {
@@ -907,6 +907,12 @@ function extractManifestOptions(
   if ('draftPullRequest' in argv && argv.draftPullRequest !== undefined) {
     manifestOptions.draftPullRequest = argv.draftPullRequest;
   }
+  if ('latestTagVersion' in argv && argv.latestTagVersion) {
+    manifestOptions.latestTagVersion = argv.latestTagVersion;
+  }
+  if ('latestTagSha' in argv && argv.latestTagSha) {
+    manifestOptions.lastReleaseSha = argv.latestTagSha;
+  }
   return manifestOptions;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/manifest.ts b/src/manifest.ts
index d4d453a07..2b598a2b3 100644
--- a/src/manifest.ts
+++ b/src/manifest.ts
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ interface ReleaserConfigJson {
 export interface ManifestOptions {
   bootstrapSha?: string;
   lastReleaseSha?: string;
+  latestTagVersion?: string;
   alwaysLinkLocal?: boolean;
   separatePullRequests?: boolean;
   plugins?: PluginType[];
@@ -437,6 +438,15 @@ export class Manifest {
       parseConfig(github, configFile, targetBranch, path, releaseAs),
       parseReleasedVersions(github, manifestFile, targetBranch),
     ]);
+
+    // Override releasedVersions if latestTagVersion is provided via CLI
+    if (manifestOptionOverrides?.latestTagVersion) {
+      const targetPath = path || ROOT_PROJECT_PATH;
+      releasedVersions[targetPath] = Version.parse(
+        manifestOptionOverrides.latestTagVersion
+      );
+    }
+
     return new Manifest(
       github,
       targetBranch,
@@ -492,14 +502,19 @@ export class Manifest {
     });
     const component = await strategy.getBranchComponent();
     const releasedVersions: ReleasedVersions = {};
-    const latestVersion = await latestReleaseVersion(
-      github,
-      targetBranch,
-      version => isPublishedVersion(strategy, version),
-      config,
-      component,
-      manifestOptions?.logger
-    );
+    let latestVersion: Version | undefined;
+    if (manifestOptions?.latestTagVersion) {
+      latestVersion = Version.parse(manifestOptions.latestTagVersion);
+    } else {
+      latestVersion = await latestReleaseVersion(
+        github,
+        targetBranch,
+        version => isPublishedVersion(strategy, version),
+        config,
+        component,
+        manifestOptions?.logger
+      );
+    }
     if (latestVersion) {
       releasedVersions[path] = latestVersion;
     }
diff --git a/test/manifest.ts b/test/manifest.ts
index 90470b7e6..f47c16da9 100644
--- a/test/manifest.ts
+++ b/test/manifest.ts
@@ -918,6 +918,61 @@ describe('Manifest', () => {
       expect(manifest.repositoryConfig['node-packages'].draftPullRequest).to.be
         .false;
     });
+    it('should override releasedVersions with latestTagVersion', async () => {
+      const getFileContentsStub = sandbox.stub(
+        github,
+        'getFileContentsOnBranch'
+      );
+      getFileContentsStub
+        .withArgs('release-please-config.json', 'main')
+        .resolves(
+          buildGitHubFileContent(fixturesPath, 'manifest/config/simple.json')
+        )
+        .withArgs('.release-please-manifest.json', 'main')
+        .resolves(
+          buildGitHubFileRaw('{".":" 0.0.0"}')
+        );
+      const manifest = await Manifest.fromManifest(
+        github,
+        github.repository.defaultBranch,
+        undefined,
+        undefined,
+        {latestTagVersion: '1.2.3'}
+      );
+      expect(manifest.releasedVersions['.']).to.not.be.undefined;
+      expect(manifest.releasedVersions['.'].toString()).to.eql('1.2.3');
+    });
+    it('should override releasedVersions for specific path with latestTagVersion', async () => {
+      const getFileContentsStub = sandbox.stub(
+        github,
+        'getFileContentsOnBranch'
+      );
+      getFileContentsStub
+        .withArgs('release-please-config.json', 'main')
+        .resolves(
+          buildGitHubFileContent(fixturesPath, 'manifest/config/config.json')
+        )
+        .withArgs('.release-please-manifest.json', 'main')
+        .resolves(
+          buildGitHubFileContent(
+            fixturesPath,
+            'manifest/versions/versions.json'
+          )
+        );
+      const manifest = await Manifest.fromManifest(
+        github,
+        github.repository.defaultBranch,
+        undefined,
+        undefined,
+        {latestTagVersion: '5.0.0'},
+        'packages/gcf-utils'
+      );
+      expect(manifest.releasedVersions['packages/gcf-utils']).to.not.be
+        .undefined;
+      expect(
+        manifest.releasedVersions['packages/gcf-utils'].toString()
+      ).to.eql('5.0.0');
+    });
   });
 
   describe('fromConfig', () => {
@@ -1525,6 +1580,22 @@ describe('Manifest', () => {
       scope.done();
       sinon.assert.callCount(sleepStub, 5);
     });
+    it('should use latestTagVersion from manifestOptions if provided', async () => {
+      // No mocks for commits/releases needed since latestTagVersion bypasses discovery
+      const manifest = await Manifest.fromConfig(
+        github,
+        'target-branch',
+        {
+          releaseType: 'simple',
+        },
+        {
+          latestTagVersion: '2.3.4',
+        }
+      );
+      expect(Object.keys(manifest.repositoryConfig)).lengthOf(1);
+      expect(Object.keys(manifest.releasedVersions)).lengthOf(1);
+      expect(manifest.releasedVersions['.'].toString()).to.equal('2.3.4');
+    });
   });
 
   describe('buildPullRequests', () => {