diff --git a/cmd/cmd_utils.go b/cmd/cmd_utils.go
index ad4debf4f..a8db5f541 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd_utils.go
+++ b/cmd/cmd_utils.go
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ func executeCustomCommand(
 			}
 			if component == "" || component == "<no value>" {
 				u.LogErrorAndExit(cliConfig, fmt.Errorf("the command defines an invalid 'component_config.component: %s' in '%s'",
-					commandConfig.ComponentConfig.Component, cfg.CliConfigFileName))
+					commandConfig.ComponentConfig.Component, cfg.CliConfigFileName+cfg.DefaultStackConfigFileExtension))
 			}
 
 			// Process Go templates in the command's 'component_config.stack'
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ func executeCustomCommand(
 			}
 			if stack == "" || stack == "<no value>" {
 				u.LogErrorAndExit(cliConfig, fmt.Errorf("the command defines an invalid 'component_config.stack: %s' in '%s'",
-					commandConfig.ComponentConfig.Stack, cfg.CliConfigFileName))
+					commandConfig.ComponentConfig.Stack, cfg.CliConfigFileName+cfg.DefaultStackConfigFileExtension))
 			}
 
 			// Get the config for the component in the stack
diff --git a/internal/exec/vendor_utils.go b/internal/exec/vendor_utils.go
index 0185e8b58..03f55bc6a 100644
--- a/internal/exec/vendor_utils.go
+++ b/internal/exec/vendor_utils.go
@@ -125,15 +125,10 @@ func ReadAndProcessVendorConfigFile(cliConfig schema.CliConfiguration, vendorCon
 	var vendorConfig schema.AtmosVendorConfig
 	vendorConfigFileExists := true
 
-	// If the vendoring manifest is specified without an extension, use the default extension
-	if filepath.Ext(vendorConfigFile) == "" {
-		vendorConfigFile = vendorConfigFile + cfg.DefaultVendoringManifestFileExtension
-	}
-
-	foundVendorConfigFile := vendorConfigFile
+	// Check if the vendoring manifest file exists
+	foundVendorConfigFile, fileExists := u.SearchConfigFile(vendorConfigFile)
 
-	// Look for the vendoring manifest in the current directory
-	if !u.FileExists(vendorConfigFile) {
+	if !fileExists {
 		// Look for the vendoring manifest in the directory pointed to by the `base_path` setting in the `atmos.yaml`
 		pathToVendorConfig := path.Join(cliConfig.BasePath, vendorConfigFile)
 
diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index 0a719d79b..63014bf4d 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -338,11 +338,12 @@ func processConfigFile(
 	path string,
 	v *viper.Viper,
 ) (bool, error) {
-	if !u.FileExists(path) {
+	// Check if the config file exists
+	configPath, fileExists := u.SearchConfigFile(path)
+	if !fileExists {
 		return false, nil
 	}
-
-	reader, err := os.Open(path)
+	reader, err := os.Open(configPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
@@ -350,7 +351,7 @@ func processConfigFile(
 	defer func(reader *os.File) {
 		err := reader.Close()
 		if err != nil {
-			u.LogWarning(cliConfig, fmt.Sprintf("error closing file '"+path+"'. "+err.Error()))
+			u.LogWarning(cliConfig, fmt.Sprintf("error closing file '"+configPath+"'. "+err.Error()))
 		}
 	}(reader)
 
diff --git a/pkg/config/const.go b/pkg/config/const.go
index 530ce3192..720f53507 100644
--- a/pkg/config/const.go
+++ b/pkg/config/const.go
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package config
 const (
 	DefaultStackConfigFileExtension       = ".yaml"
 	DefaultVendoringManifestFileExtension = ".yaml"
-	CliConfigFileName                     = "atmos.yaml"
+	CliConfigFileName                     = "atmos"
 	SystemDirConfigFilePath               = "/usr/local/etc/atmos"
 	WindowsAppDataEnvVar                  = "LOCALAPPDATA"
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ const (
 	HelpFlag2 = "--help"
 
 	ComponentVendorConfigFileName = "component.yaml"
-	AtmosVendorConfigFileName     = "vendor.yaml"
+	AtmosVendorConfigFileName     = "vendor"
 
 	ImportSectionName      = "import"
 	OverridesSectionName   = "overrides"
diff --git a/pkg/utils/file_utils.go b/pkg/utils/file_utils.go
index 693ae10b7..5cf32bb66 100644
--- a/pkg/utils/file_utils.go
+++ b/pkg/utils/file_utils.go
@@ -173,3 +173,22 @@ func IsSocket(path string) (bool, error) {
 	isSocket := fileInfo.Mode().Type() == fs.ModeSocket
 	return isSocket, nil
 }
+
+// SearchConfigFile searches for a config file in the provided path.
+// If the path has a file extension, it checks if the file exists.
+// If the path does not have a file extension, it checks for the existence of the file with the provided path and the possible config file extensions
+func SearchConfigFile(path string) (string, bool) {
+	// check if the provided has a file extension
+	if filepath.Ext(path) != "" {
+		return path, FileExists(path)
+	}
+	// Define the possible config file extensions
+	configExtensions := []string{".yaml", ".yml"}
+	for _, ext := range configExtensions {
+		filePath := path + ext
+		if FileExists(filePath) {
+			return filePath, true
+		}
+	}
+	return "", false
+}