diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index c39a11081f..69edab825c 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -4415,7 +4415,8 @@
       "requires": {
         "import-fresh": "^2.0.0",
         "is-directory": "^0.3.1",
-        "js-yaml": "^3.13.1"
+        "js-yaml": "^3.13.1",
+        "parse-json": "^4.0.0"
       },
       "dependencies": {
         "caller-path": {
@@ -4437,6 +4438,16 @@
             "resolve-from": "^3.0.0"
           }
         },
+        "parse-json": {
+          "version": "4.0.0",
+          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/parse-json/-/parse-json-4.0.0.tgz",
+          "integrity": "sha1-vjX1Qlvh9/bHRxhPmKeIy5lHfuA=",
+          "dev": true,
+          "requires": {
+            "error-ex": "^1.3.1",
+            "json-parse-better-errors": "^1.0.1"
+          }
+        },
         "resolve-from": {
           "version": "3.0.0",
           "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/resolve-from/-/resolve-from-3.0.0.tgz",
@@ -4837,7 +4848,18 @@
       "version": "2.0.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/default-require-extensions/-/default-require-extensions-2.0.0.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha1-9fj7sYp9bVCyH2QfZJ67Uiz+JPc=",
-      "dev": true
+      "dev": true,
+      "requires": {
+        "strip-bom": "^3.0.0"
+      },
+      "dependencies": {
+        "strip-bom": {
+          "version": "3.0.0",
+          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/strip-bom/-/strip-bom-3.0.0.tgz",
+          "integrity": "sha1-IzTBjpx1n3vdVv3vfprj1YjmjtM=",
+          "dev": true
+        }
+      }
     },
     "defaults": {
       "version": "1.0.3",
@@ -5847,7 +5869,8 @@
           "requires": {
             "graceful-fs": "^4.1.2",
             "parse-json": "^2.2.0",
-            "pify": "^2.0.0"
+            "pify": "^2.0.0",
+            "strip-bom": "^3.0.0"
           }
         },
         "locate-path": {
@@ -5928,6 +5951,12 @@
             "find-up": "^2.0.0",
             "read-pkg": "^2.0.0"
           }
+        },
+        "strip-bom": {
+          "version": "3.0.0",
+          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/strip-bom/-/strip-bom-3.0.0.tgz",
+          "integrity": "sha1-IzTBjpx1n3vdVv3vfprj1YjmjtM=",
+          "dev": true
         }
       }
     },
@@ -8465,7 +8494,27 @@
       "dev": true,
       "requires": {
         "graceful-fs": "^4.1.2",
-        "pify": "^3.0.0"
+        "parse-json": "^4.0.0",
+        "pify": "^3.0.0",
+        "strip-bom": "^3.0.0"
+      },
+      "dependencies": {
+        "parse-json": {
+          "version": "4.0.0",
+          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/parse-json/-/parse-json-4.0.0.tgz",
+          "integrity": "sha1-vjX1Qlvh9/bHRxhPmKeIy5lHfuA=",
+          "dev": true,
+          "requires": {
+            "error-ex": "^1.3.1",
+            "json-parse-better-errors": "^1.0.1"
+          }
+        },
+        "strip-bom": {
+          "version": "3.0.0",
+          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/strip-bom/-/strip-bom-3.0.0.tgz",
+          "integrity": "sha1-IzTBjpx1n3vdVv3vfprj1YjmjtM=",
+          "dev": true
+        }
       }
     },
     "loader-runner": {
diff --git a/src/cmd/build.js b/src/cmd/build.js
index 572fa54f00..e509c66141 100644
--- a/src/cmd/build.js
+++ b/src/cmd/build.js
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ export type PackageCreatorParams = {|
   fileFilter: FileFilter,
   artifactsDir: string,
   overwriteDest: boolean,
-  showReadyMessage: boolean
+  showReadyMessage: boolean,
+  filename?: string,
 |};
 
 export type LocalizedNameParams = {|
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@ export async function defaultPackageCreator(
     artifactsDir,
     overwriteDest,
     showReadyMessage,
+    filename,
   }: PackageCreatorParams,
   {
     eventToPromise = defaultEventToPromise,
@@ -132,22 +134,27 @@ export async function defaultPackageCreator(
     filter: (...args) => fileFilter.wantFile(...args),
   });
 
-  let extensionName: string = manifestData.name;
-
-  let {default_locale} = manifestData;
-  if (default_locale) {
-    default_locale = default_locale.replace(/-/g, '_');
-    const messageFile = path.join(
-      sourceDir, '_locales',
-      default_locale, 'messages.json'
-    );
-    log.debug('Manifest declared default_locale, localizing extension name');
-    extensionName = await getDefaultLocalizedName({
-      messageFile, manifestData,
-    });
+  let packageName;
+  if (filename) {
+    packageName = `${filename}.zip`;
+  } else {
+    let extensionName: string = manifestData.name;
+
+    let {default_locale} = manifestData;
+    if (default_locale) {
+      default_locale = default_locale.replace(/-/g, '_');
+      const messageFile = path.join(
+        sourceDir, '_locales',
+        default_locale, 'messages.json'
+      );
+      log.debug('Manifest declared default_locale, localizing extension name');
+      extensionName = await getDefaultLocalizedName({
+        messageFile, manifestData,
+      });
+    }
+    packageName = safeFileName(
+      `${extensionName}-${manifestData.version}.zip`);
   }
-  const packageName = safeFileName(
-    `${extensionName}-${manifestData.version}.zip`);
   const extensionPath = path.join(artifactsDir, packageName);
 
   // Added 'wx' flags to avoid overwriting of existing package.
@@ -187,6 +194,7 @@ export type BuildCmdParams = {|
   asNeeded?: boolean,
   overwriteDest?: boolean,
   ignoreFiles?: Array<string>,
+  filename?: string,
 |};
 
 export type BuildCmdOptions = {|
@@ -206,6 +214,7 @@ export default async function build(
     asNeeded = false,
     overwriteDest = false,
     ignoreFiles = [],
+    filename,
   }: BuildCmdParams,
   {
     manifestData,
@@ -231,6 +240,7 @@ export default async function build(
     artifactsDir,
     overwriteDest,
     showReadyMessage,
+    filename,
   });
 
   await prepareArtifactsDir(artifactsDir);
diff --git a/src/program.js b/src/program.js
index 865c136ec9..739844883b 100644
--- a/src/program.js
+++ b/src/program.js
@@ -381,6 +381,15 @@ Example: $0 --help run.
       default: true,
       type: 'boolean',
     },
+    'filename': {
+      alias: 'f',
+      describe: 'Name of the created extension package.',
+      default: undefined,
+      normalize: true,
+      demandOption: false,
+      requiresArg: false,
+      type: 'string',
+    },
   });
 
   program
diff --git a/tests/unit/test-cmd/test.build.js b/tests/unit/test-cmd/test.build.js
index 291f93cedb..2be1ad27d2 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test-cmd/test.build.js
+++ b/tests/unit/test-cmd/test.build.js
@@ -72,6 +72,21 @@ describe('build', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it('gives the correct custom name to an extension', () => {
+    return withTempDir(
+      (tmpDir) =>
+        build({
+          sourceDir: fixturePath('minimal-web-ext'),
+          artifactsDir: tmpDir.path(),
+          filename: 'test',
+        })
+          .then((buildResult) => {
+            assert.match(buildResult.extensionPath,
+                         /test\.zip$/);
+          })
+    );
+  });
+
   it('gives the correct name to a localized extension', () => {
     return withTempDir(
       (tmpDir) =>