diff --git a/k8s.mk b/k8s.mk
index 37f712c..c965a5d 100644
--- a/k8s.mk
+++ b/k8s.mk
@@ -4,13 +4,31 @@
 
 MANDATORY-k8s = K8S_CONTEXT
 
+k8s_fetch_manifest = \
+	if [ $(1) == "http*" ]; then \
+		curl -o $(2) $(1) \
+	else \
+		cp $(1) $(2) \
+	fi
+
 start-k8s:
 	@- echo "\n### starting deployment with k8s"
 	@- echo "\n### setting kubernetes context to $(K8S_CONTEXT)"
 	@ kubectl config use-context $(K8S_CONTEXT)
 
 	@- echo "\n### run kubectl apply -f kubernetes.yaml and secrets.yaml"
-	@ cat kubernetes.yaml secrets.yaml | envsubst | kubectl apply -f -
+	@- cat kubernetes.yaml secrets.yaml >_manifest.yaml
+
+ifdef K8S_MANIFESTS
+	@- $(foreach file,$(K8S_MANIFESTS), \
+		$(call k8s_fetch_manifest($(file),"_tmpfile.yaml")); \
+		cat _tmpfile.yaml >>_manifest.yaml; \
+		rm _tmpfile.yaml; \
+	)
+endif
+
+	@ cat _manifest.yaml | envsubst | kubectl apply -f -
+	@- rm _manifest.yaml
 
 pull-k8s:
 # nop