diff --git a/k8s.mk b/k8s.mk
index 37f712c..bc962fb 100644
--- a/k8s.mk
+++ b/k8s.mk
@@ -4,13 +4,33 @@
 
 MANDATORY-k8s = K8S_CONTEXT
 
+start-k8s: SHELL:=/bin/bash
 start-k8s:
-	@- echo "\n### starting deployment with k8s"
-	@- echo "\n### setting kubernetes context to $(K8S_CONTEXT)"
-	@ kubectl config use-context $(K8S_CONTEXT)
+	@- echo "### starting deployment with k8s"
+	@- echo "### 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 -
+	@- echo "### run kubectl apply -f kubernetes.yaml and secrets.yaml"
+	@- cat kubernetes.yaml secrets.yaml >_manifest.yaml
+
+ifdef K8S_MANIFESTS
+	@- echo "\n%%%DEBUG1"
+	@- echo $(K8S_MANIFESTS)
+	@- for file in $(K8S_MANIFESTS); do \
+		if [[ $$file == http* ]] ; \
+		then \
+			curl -o _tmpfile.yaml $$file; \
+		else \
+			cp $$file _tmpfile.yaml; \
+		fi; \
+		cat _tmpfile.yaml >>_manifest.yaml; \
+		rm _tmpfile.yaml; \
+	done
+endif
+	@- echo "\n%%%DEBUG22"
+
+	@ cat _manifest.yaml | envsubst | kubectl apply -f -
+	@- rm _manifest.yaml
 
 pull-k8s:
 # nop