diff --git a/src/options/helpers/manifest/ManifestResolver.test.ts b/src/options/helpers/manifest/ManifestResolver.test.ts
index 1c84eff..27aeb25 100644
--- a/src/options/helpers/manifest/ManifestResolver.test.ts
+++ b/src/options/helpers/manifest/ManifestResolver.test.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ describe('manifest', () => {
     expect(typeof version).toBe('string');
   });
 
+  it('should return a fallback if the specified property is not found in the current package', async () => {
+    const value = await manifest((m) => m.someProperty, 'fallback');
+    expect(value).toBe('fallback');
+  });
+
   it('should return a specific property of the package.json content of the specified package', async () => {
     const version = await manifest('lodash', (m) => m.version);
     expect(typeof version).toBe('string');
@@ -33,6 +38,11 @@ describe('manifest', () => {
     expect(name1).toBe(name2);
   });
 
+  it('should return a fallback if the specified property is not found in the specified package', async () => {
+    const value = await manifest('lodash', 'someProperty', 'fallback');
+    expect(value).toBe('fallback');
+  });
+
   it('should provide more convenient access to other manifest properties', async () => {
     const name1 = await manifest('lodash', 'name');
     const name2 = await manifest('lodash', ['name']);
@@ -41,4 +51,9 @@ describe('manifest', () => {
     expect(name1).toBe(name2);
     expect(name2).toBe(name3);
   });
+
+  it('should use a fallback value if the manifest is not found', async () => {
+    const result = await manifest('non-existing-package', ['name'], '-');
+    expect(result).toBe('-');
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/options/helpers/manifest/ManifestResolver.ts b/src/options/helpers/manifest/ManifestResolver.ts
index 0bb0ae1..fde6db0 100644
--- a/src/options/helpers/manifest/ManifestResolver.ts
+++ b/src/options/helpers/manifest/ManifestResolver.ts
@@ -63,8 +63,15 @@ export class ManifestResolver {
   };
 
   private async resolveManifestPath(packageName?: string) {
-    return packageName
-      ? require.resolve(packageName + '/package.json')
-      : await pkgUp({ cwd: this.cwd });
+    return packageName ? this.resolveCJS(packageName) : await pkgUp({ cwd: this.cwd });
+  }
+
+  private resolveCJS(packageName: string) {
+    try {
+      return require.resolve(packageName + '/package.json');
+    } catch (error: unknown) {
+      log.debug(error, `Failed to resolve package.json for "${packageName}"`);
+      return;
+    }
   }
 }