diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 0a61f55..c303a99 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@ htmlcov
 *-stubs
 coverage*.xml
 tags
-*-output
+*-out*
diff --git a/.pylintrc b/.pylintrc
index 0f7a7b9..49acf47 100644
--- a/.pylintrc
+++ b/.pylintrc
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 [DESIGN]
-max-attributes=8
+max-attributes=10
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 48aeaf8..927dbd5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,11 +2,11 @@
     =====================================
     generator=datazen
     version=3.1.2
-    hash=4e253e82b70bf6a2a6479e0620da720b
+    hash=d6cd0e307dd25044b7eb3a7adaf13b33
     =====================================
 -->
 
-# rcmpy ([1.0.0](https://pypi.org/project/rcmpy/))
+# rcmpy ([1.1.0](https://pypi.org/project/rcmpy/))
 
 [![python](https://img.shields.io/pypi/pyversions/rcmpy.svg)](https://pypi.org/project/rcmpy/)
 ![Build Status](https://github.com/vkottler/rcmpy/workflows/Python%20Package/badge.svg)
@@ -149,10 +149,12 @@ commands:
 ```
 $ ./venv3.8/bin/rcmpy apply -h
 
-usage: rcmpy apply [-h]
+usage: rcmpy apply [-h] [-f] [-d]
 
 optional arguments:
-  -h, --help  show this help message and exit
+  -h, --help     show this help message and exit
+  -f, --force    whether or not to forcibly render all outputs
+  -d, --dry-run  whether or not to update output files
 
 ```
 
diff --git a/local/configs/package.yaml b/local/configs/package.yaml
index 8accbb5..89b575c 100644
--- a/local/configs/package.yaml
+++ b/local/configs/package.yaml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ description: A configuration-file management system.
 entry: {{entry}}
 requirements:
   - datazen
-  - vcorelib>=1.5.2
+  - vcorelib>=1.6.0
 dev_requirements:
   - setuptools-wrapper
   - types-setuptools
diff --git a/local/variables/package.yaml b/local/variables/package.yaml
index 5b1b583..753387c 100644
--- a/local/variables/package.yaml
+++ b/local/variables/package.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
 major: 1
-minor: 0
+minor: 1
 patch: 0
 entry: rcmpy
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 963d7b3..141579e 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta:__legacy__"
 
 [project]
 name = "rcmpy"
-version = "1.0.0"
+version = "1.1.0"
 description = "A configuration-file management system."
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.7"
diff --git a/rcmpy/__init__.py b/rcmpy/__init__.py
index b3d21be..8fd1da4 100644
--- a/rcmpy/__init__.py
+++ b/rcmpy/__init__.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # =====================================
 # generator=datazen
 # version=3.1.2
-# hash=de6d52cb7b3c576d64df05d995c59d25
+# hash=db6b75d059437ccfb73620d52efc9103
 # =====================================
 
 """
@@ -10,4 +10,4 @@
 
 DESCRIPTION = "A configuration-file management system."
 PKG_NAME = "rcmpy"
-VERSION = "1.0.0"
+VERSION = "1.1.0"
diff --git a/rcmpy/commands/apply.py b/rcmpy/commands/apply.py
index ef11674..7169a0a 100644
--- a/rcmpy/commands/apply.py
+++ b/rcmpy/commands/apply.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 from rcmpy.environment import Environment, load_environment
 
 
-def apply_env(env: Environment) -> int:
+def apply_env(args: _Namespace, env: Environment) -> int:
     """Apply pending changes from the environment."""
 
     result = 0
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ def apply_env(env: Environment) -> int:
         is_new = env.state.is_new()
 
         # Check if this file has any updated templates.
-        if is_new or env.is_updated(file):
+        if args.force or is_new or env.is_updated(file):
             template = env.templates_by_name[file.template]
 
             # If a template doesn't require rendering, use it as-is.
@@ -44,13 +44,14 @@ def apply_env(env: Environment) -> int:
                     path_fd.write(template.template.render(env.state.configs))
                     env.logger.info("Rendered '%s'.", rel(source))
 
-                # Update the output file.
-            file.update(source, env.logger)
+            # Update the output file.
+            if not args.dry_run:
+                file.update(source, env.logger)
 
     return result
 
 
-def apply_cmd(_: _Namespace) -> int:
+def apply_cmd(args: _Namespace) -> int:
     """Execute the apply command."""
 
     result = 1
@@ -58,12 +59,25 @@ def apply_cmd(_: _Namespace) -> int:
     with log_time(getLogger(__name__), "Command"):
         with load_environment() as env:
             if env.config_loaded:
-                result = apply_env(env)
+                result = apply_env(args, env)
 
     return result
 
 
-def add_apply_cmd(_: _ArgumentParser) -> _CommandFunction:
+def add_apply_cmd(parser: _ArgumentParser) -> _CommandFunction:
     """Add apply-command arguments to its parser."""
 
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-f",
+        "--force",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="whether or not to forcibly render all outputs",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-d",
+        "--dry-run",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="whether or not to update output files",
+    )
+
     return apply_cmd
diff --git a/rcmpy/config/__init__.py b/rcmpy/config/__init__.py
index cd3cf67..591e17d 100644
--- a/rcmpy/config/__init__.py
+++ b/rcmpy/config/__init__.py
@@ -3,74 +3,22 @@
 """
 
 # built-in
-from contextlib import suppress
-from dataclasses import dataclass
 from os.path import expandvars
 from pathlib import Path
-from shutil import copyfile
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Set, cast
 
 # third-party
 from vcorelib.dict.codec import BasicDictCodec as _BasicDictCodec
 from vcorelib.io.types import JsonObject as _JsonObject
-from vcorelib.logging import LoggerType
-from vcorelib.paths import rel
 
 # internal
+from rcmpy.config.file import ManagedFile
 from rcmpy.schemas import RcmpyDictCodec as _RcmpyDictCodec
 
-
-@dataclass
-class ManagedFile:
-    """
-    A data structure for managed files specified in the configuration data.
-    """
-
-    template: str
-    extra_templates: Set[str]
-
-    directory: Path
-    name: str
-
-    link: bool
-
-    @property
-    def output(self) -> Path:
-        """Get the full output path."""
-        return self.directory.joinpath(self.name)
-
-    def update_root(self, root: Path) -> None:
-        """
-        If the output directory is a relative path, update it to be an
-        absolute one based on the provided root directory.
-        """
-
-        if not self.directory.is_absolute():
-            self.directory = root.joinpath(self.directory)
-            assert self.directory.is_absolute(), self.directory
-
-    def update(self, source: Path, logger: LoggerType) -> None:
-        """Update this managed file based on the provided source file."""
-
-        output = self.output
-
-        # At some point this could be skipped for existing symlinks.
-        with suppress(FileNotFoundError):
-            output.unlink()
-
-        # Ensure the output directory exists.
-        self.directory.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-
-        if self.link:
-            output.symlink_to(source)
-        else:
-            copyfile(source, output)
-
-        logger.info("'%s' -> '%s'.", rel(source), rel(output))
-
-
 FilesConfig = List[Dict[str, Any]]
 
+__all__ = ["FilesConfig", "Config", "ManagedFile"]
+
 
 class Config(_RcmpyDictCodec, _BasicDictCodec):
     """The top-level configuration object for the package."""
diff --git a/rcmpy/config/file.py b/rcmpy/config/file.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ddd21cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rcmpy/config/file.py
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+"""
+A module implementing an interface for package-managed files.
+"""
+
+# built-in
+from contextlib import suppress
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from pathlib import Path
+from shutil import copyfile
+from typing import Set
+
+# third-party
+from vcorelib.logging import LoggerType
+from vcorelib.paths import rel
+
+
+@dataclass
+class ManagedFile:
+    """
+    A data structure for managed files specified in the configuration data.
+    """
+
+    template: str
+    extra_templates: Set[str]
+
+    directory: Path
+    name: str
+
+    link: bool
+
+    @property
+    def output(self) -> Path:
+        """Get the full output path."""
+        return self.directory.joinpath(self.name)
+
+    def update_root(self, root: Path) -> None:
+        """
+        If the output directory is a relative path, update it to be an
+        absolute one based on the provided root directory.
+        """
+
+        if not self.directory.is_absolute():
+            self.directory = root.joinpath(self.directory)
+            assert self.directory.is_absolute(), self.directory
+
+    def update(self, source: Path, logger: LoggerType) -> None:
+        """Update this managed file based on the provided source file."""
+
+        output = self.output
+
+        # At some point this could be skipped for existing symlinks.
+        with suppress(FileNotFoundError):
+            output.unlink()
+
+        # Ensure the output directory exists.
+        self.directory.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+
+        if self.link:
+            output.symlink_to(source)
+        else:
+            copyfile(source, output)
+
+        logger.info("'%s' -> '%s'.", rel(source), rel(output))
diff --git a/rcmpy/data/schemas/ManagedFile.yaml b/rcmpy/data/schemas/ManagedFile.yaml
index 490665b..d207055 100644
--- a/rcmpy/data/schemas/ManagedFile.yaml
+++ b/rcmpy/data/schemas/ManagedFile.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ properties:
   # Relative to the data-repository root.
   directory:
     type: string
-    default: rcmpy-output
+    default: rcmpy-out
 
   # Whether or not to create a symbolic link instead of a copy.
   link:
diff --git a/rcmpy/data/schemas/State.yaml b/rcmpy/data/schemas/State.yaml
index 9fec655..6fa8ecd 100644
--- a/rcmpy/data/schemas/State.yaml
+++ b/rcmpy/data/schemas/State.yaml
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ properties:
     type: string
     default: "default"
 
+  manifest:
+    $ref: package://rcmpy/schemas/Config.yaml
+
   previous:
     type: object
     additionalProperties: false
diff --git a/rcmpy/environment/base.py b/rcmpy/environment/base.py
index b8a851a..9900375 100644
--- a/rcmpy/environment/base.py
+++ b/rcmpy/environment/base.py
@@ -4,12 +4,14 @@
 
 # built-in
 from contextlib import ExitStack
+from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Optional
 
 # third-party
-from vcorelib.io.types import FileExtension
-from vcorelib.logging import LoggerMixin
-from vcorelib.paths import rel
+from vcorelib.io import ARBITER
+from vcorelib.io.types import FileExtension, LoadResult
+from vcorelib.logging import LoggerMixin, LoggerType
+from vcorelib.paths import Pathlike, normalize, rel
 
 # internal
 from rcmpy import PKG_NAME
@@ -18,6 +20,60 @@
 from rcmpy.state import State
 
 
+def load_if_single_candidate(
+    path: Pathlike, logger: LoggerType = None
+) -> Optional[LoadResult]:
+    """
+    Attempt to load a configuration file if a candidate exists at the given
+    path.
+    """
+
+    result = None
+    path = normalize(path)
+
+    config_candidates = list(
+        FileExtension.data_candidates(path, exists_only=True)
+    )
+
+    if not config_candidates:
+        if logger is not None:
+            logger.error(
+                "No config found: %s.",
+                list(str(x) for x in FileExtension.data_candidates(path)),
+            )
+    elif len(config_candidates) == 1:
+        result = ARBITER.decode(
+            config_candidates[0],
+            includes_key="includes",
+            expect_overwrite=True,
+        )
+        if logger is not None:
+            logger.info("Loaded config '%s'.", rel(config_candidates[0]))
+
+    return result
+
+
+def load_manifest(
+    root: Path, variant: str, logger: LoggerType
+) -> Optional[LoadResult]:
+    """Load the top-level data repository configuration."""
+
+    # Attempt to load the base manifest.
+    config_data = load_if_single_candidate(
+        root.joinpath(PKG_NAME), logger=logger
+    )
+
+    if config_data is not None:
+        # Attempt to load variant-specific manifest data.
+        variant_data = load_if_single_candidate(
+            root.joinpath("includes", variant)
+        )
+        if variant_data is not None:
+            config_data.merge(variant_data, expect_overwrite=True)
+
+    return config_data
+
+
 class BaseEnvironment(LoggerMixin):
     """A class implementing this package's base runtime environment."""
 
@@ -33,30 +89,19 @@ def __init__(self, state: State, stack: ExitStack) -> None:
         self.build = state.directory.joinpath("build")
         self.build.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
 
-        config_base = state.directory.joinpath(PKG_NAME)
-
-        config_candidates = list(
-            FileExtension.data_candidates(config_base, exists_only=True)
+        config_data = load_manifest(
+            state.directory, state.variant, self.logger
         )
-
-        if not config_candidates:
-            self.logger.error(
-                "No config found: %s.",
-                list(
-                    str(x) for x in FileExtension.data_candidates(config_base)
-                ),
-            )
-        else:
-            assert len(config_candidates) == 1, config_candidates
-            self._config = Config.decode(
-                config_candidates[0], includes_key="includes"
-            )
-            self.logger.info("Loaded config '%s'.", rel(config_candidates[0]))
+        if config_data is not None:
+            self._config = Config(data=config_data.data)
 
             # Ensure that any relative paths called out are relative to the
             # root directory of the data repository.
             self._config.update_root(state.directory)
 
+            # Treat manifest changes as criteria for updating outputs.
+            self.state.update_manifest(self._config.data)
+
             # Consider the config not loaded if initialization fails.
             #
             # **Add this back in if initialization can actually fail.**
diff --git a/rcmpy/requirements.txt b/rcmpy/requirements.txt
index bca969a..d10c36c 100644
--- a/rcmpy/requirements.txt
+++ b/rcmpy/requirements.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 datazen
-vcorelib>=1.5.2
+vcorelib>=1.6.0
diff --git a/rcmpy/state/__init__.py b/rcmpy/state/__init__.py
index f3104f7..2c7af25 100644
--- a/rcmpy/state/__init__.py
+++ b/rcmpy/state/__init__.py
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ class State(_RcmpyDictCodec):
     variant: str
     variables_new: bool
     configs_new: bool
+    manifest: Dict[str, Any]
+    manifest_new: bool
 
     def init(self, data: _JsonObject) -> None:
         """Perform implementation-specific initialization."""
@@ -64,14 +66,26 @@ def init(self, data: _JsonObject) -> None:
         self.previous.setdefault("configs", {})
         self._load_configs()
 
+        # Manifest configuration.
+        self.manifest: Dict[str, Any] = cast(
+            Dict[str, Any], data.get("manifest", {})
+        )
+        self.manifest_new: bool = False
+
     def is_new(self) -> bool:
         """Determine if state has changed."""
         return (
             self.variant != self.previous["variant"]
             or self.variables_new
             or self.configs_new
+            or self.manifest_new
         )
 
+    def update_manifest(self, data: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        """Set new manifest data."""
+        self.manifest_new = self.manifest != data
+        self.manifest = data
+
     def root_directories(self, subdir: str) -> List[Path]:
         """
         Get up to a pair of directories from some sub-directory of the current
@@ -107,6 +121,7 @@ def preprocessor(stream: DataStream) -> DataStream:
                         require_success=True,
                         recurse=True,
                         includes_key="includes",
+                        expect_overwrite=True,
                         preprocessor=preprocessor,
                     ).data,
                     logger=self.logger,
@@ -130,6 +145,7 @@ def _load_variables(self) -> None:
                     require_success=True,
                     recurse=True,
                     includes_key="includes",
+                    expect_overwrite=True,
                 ).data,
                 logger=self.logger,
             )
@@ -171,6 +187,7 @@ def asdict(self) -> _JsonObject:
             "directory": str(self.directory),
             "variant": self.variant,
             "previous": self.previous,
+            "manifest": self.manifest,
         }
 
 
diff --git a/tests/data/valid/scenarios/simple/includes/default.yaml b/tests/data/valid/scenarios/simple/includes/default.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed97d53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data/valid/scenarios/simple/includes/default.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+---
diff --git a/tests/data/valid/scenarios/simple/includes/test.yaml b/tests/data/valid/scenarios/simple/includes/test.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed97d53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data/valid/scenarios/simple/includes/test.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+---