diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 70d6e13..5ab1435 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ CLI для управления конвенциями. Модель здесь
 ```
 internal/lang       словарь: реестр «версия языка × естественный язык»
 internal/source     ссылки между уровнями: путь на диске, git-репозиторий
-internal/manifest   suite.toml и .conventions.toml — чтение и запись
+internal/manifest   оба манифеста: чтение и запись
 internal/doc        разбор документа: шапка, области правил, блоки
 internal/suite      сборка набора в память, отбор слоёв под компонент
 internal/project    сборка копий в проекте: разделы, маркер, READING.md
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 69f8816..ec5e98f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ CLI для управления конвенциями разработки: в
 | Уровень | Что это |
 |---|---|
 | язык | как записывается правило: слова, версия, `READING.md` |
-| набор | репозиторий с конвенциями, манифестом `suite.toml` и обвязкой |
+| набор | репозиторий с конвенциями, манифестом `.conventions-suite.toml` и обвязкой |
 | проект | репозиторий-потребитель с манифестом `.conventions.toml` |
 | тема | набор правил об одном фокусе разработки; единица подписки |
 | слой | один файл темы: базовый, языковой или стековый |
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ go build -o convy .
   convy check         проверить форму того, что здесь
 ```
 
-Контекст определяется по манифесту рядом: `suite.toml` — набор,
+Контекст определяется по манифесту рядом: `.conventions-suite.toml` — набор,
 `.conventions.toml` — проект. Наугад не делается ничего: команда не того уровня
 отказывает и подсказывает нужную.
 
@@ -194,9 +194,9 @@ topics = ["logging", "time"]
 
 ```
 $ convy suite add --topic time --about "время" --prefix TIME --title "Время"
-suite.toml holds 1 key the tool does not know (language.descriptoin); a write
-goes out of what the tool understands, so the key would be dropped — fix the
-spelling first
+.conventions-suite.toml holds 1 key the tool does not know
+(language.descriptoin); a write goes out of what the tool understands, so the
+key would be dropped — fix the spelling first
 ```
 
 ## Манифест — источник истины
@@ -278,7 +278,8 @@ errors: 1, warnings: 0
 
 Слова, которыми записаны модальность и метки, — свойство версии языка и
 естественного языка набора, а не самого набора. Инструмент знает их сам, и
-`suite.toml` их не дублирует: достаточно `[language] version` и `lang`.
+`.conventions-suite.toml` их не дублирует: хватает `[language] version` и
+`lang`.
 
 Поэтому ступень называется категорией, а не словом:
 
diff --git a/internal/check/check_test.go b/internal/check/check_test.go
index f263163..22f6405 100644
--- a/internal/check/check_test.go
+++ b/internal/check/check_test.go
@@ -74,10 +74,10 @@ type files map[string]string
 
 func base() files {
 	return files{
-		"suite.toml":          baseManifest,
-		"LANGUAGE.md":         "# Язык конвенций\n\nОписание языка.\n",
-		"READING.md":          reading,
-		"conventions/time.md": baseTime,
+		".conventions-suite.toml": baseManifest,
+		"LANGUAGE.md":             "# Язык конвенций\n\nОписание языка.\n",
+		"READING.md":              reading,
+		"conventions/time.md":     baseTime,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -270,14 +270,14 @@ func TestChecks(t *testing.T) {
 	}, {
 		name: "topic listed among the retired ones",
 		setup: func(f files) {
-			f["suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(baseManifest,
+			f[".conventions-suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(baseManifest,
 				"[topics.retired]", `[topics.retired]`+"\ntime = \"снята 2026-07-01\"", 1)
 		},
 		want: "is listed both live and retired",
 	}, {
 		name: "live topic without layers",
 		setup: func(f files) {
-			f["suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(baseManifest,
+			f[".conventions-suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(baseManifest,
 				`time = "время: хранение, зоны, форматы"`,
 				`time = "время"`+"\nlogging = \"логирование\"", 1)
 		},
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ func TestChecks(t *testing.T) {
 	}, {
 		name: "declared file is missing",
 		setup: func(f files) {
-			f["suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(baseManifest,
+			f[".conventions-suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(baseManifest,
 				`TIME = "conventions/time.md"`,
 				`TIME = "conventions/time.md"`+"\nSLOG = \"conventions/logging.md\"", 1)
 		},
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ func TestChecks(t *testing.T) {
 	}, {
 		name: "prefix starts with X",
 		setup: func(f files) {
-			f["suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(baseManifest,
+			f[".conventions-suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(baseManifest,
 				`TIME = "conventions/time.md"`, `XTIM = "conventions/time.md"`, 1)
 			f["conventions/time.md"] = strings.ReplaceAll(baseTime, "TIME", "XTIM")
 		},
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ func TestChecks(t *testing.T) {
 	}, {
 		name: "one file with two prefixes declared",
 		setup: func(f files) {
-			f["suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(baseManifest,
+			f[".conventions-suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(baseManifest,
 				`TIME = "conventions/time.md"`,
 				`TIME = "conventions/time.md"`+"\nGTIM = \"conventions/time.md\"", 1)
 		},
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ func TestChecks(t *testing.T) {
 	}, {
 		name: "unknown manifest key",
 		setup: func(f files) {
-			f["suite.toml"] = baseManifest + "\n[extra]\nkey = 1\n"
+			f[".conventions-suite.toml"] = baseManifest + "\n[extra]\nkey = 1\n"
 		},
 		want: "is unknown to the tool",
 	}, {
@@ -362,21 +362,21 @@ func TestChecks(t *testing.T) {
 		setup: func(f files) {
 			// A bare non-ASCII key TOML rejects on its own; a quoted one
 			// passes straight through, which is what the check is for.
-			f["suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(baseManifest, "time =", `"время" =`, 1)
+			f[".conventions-suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(baseManifest, "time =", `"время" =`, 1)
 			f["conventions/time.md"] = strings.Replace(baseTime, "topic: time", "topic: время", 1)
 		},
 		want: "is not usable as a file name",
 	}, {
 		name: "topic name is not lower kebab-case",
 		setup: func(f files) {
-			f["suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(baseManifest, "time =", "Time_Zone =", 1)
+			f[".conventions-suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(baseManifest, "time =", "Time_Zone =", 1)
 			f["conventions/time.md"] = strings.Replace(baseTime, "topic: time", "topic: Time_Zone", 1)
 		},
 		want: "is not lower kebab-case",
 	}, {
 		name: "a second document without a topic",
 		setup: func(f files) {
-			f["suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(baseManifest,
+			f[".conventions-suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(baseManifest,
 				`TIME = "conventions/time.md"`,
 				`TIME = "conventions/time.md"`+"\nMETA = \"GUIDE.md\"\nRULE = \"conventions/rules.md\"", 1)
 			f["GUIDE.md"] = "---\nprefix: META\n---\n\n# Как мы ведём конвенции\n\n" + versionLine + "\n"
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ func TestChecks(t *testing.T) {
 	}, {
 		name: "document without a topic carries layer keys",
 		setup: func(f files) {
-			f["suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(baseManifest,
+			f[".conventions-suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(baseManifest,
 				`TIME = "conventions/time.md"`,
 				`TIME = "conventions/time.md"`+"\nGTIM = \"conventions/go.md\"", 1)
 			f["conventions/go.md"] = "---\nprefix: GTIM\nlang: go\n---\n\n# Go\n\n" + versionLine + "\n"
diff --git a/internal/check/layers_test.go b/internal/check/layers_test.go
index 7ba0e63..ad43636 100644
--- a/internal/check/layers_test.go
+++ b/internal/check/layers_test.go
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ prefix: SLOG
 
 func layered() files {
 	return files{
-		"suite.toml":                  layeredManifest,
+		".conventions-suite.toml":     layeredManifest,
 		"LANGUAGE.md":                 "# Язык конвенций\n\nОписание языка.\n",
 		"READING.md":                  reading,
 		"conventions/arch/time.md":    archTime,
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ func TestLayeredChecks(t *testing.T) {
 	}, {
 		name: "topic with two layers lacking axis keys",
 		setup: func(f files) {
-			f["suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(layeredManifest,
+			f[".conventions-suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(layeredManifest,
 				`GTIM = "conventions/lang/go/time.md"`,
 				`GTIM = "conventions/second/time.md"`, 1)
 			f["conventions/lang/go/time.md"] = ""
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ func TestNoFalsePositives(t *testing.T) {
 	}, {
 		name: "the single document without a topic is the one the suite governs itself by",
 		setup: func(f files) {
-			f["suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(layeredManifest,
+			f[".conventions-suite.toml"] = strings.Replace(layeredManifest,
 				`SLOG = "conventions/arch/logging.md"`,
 				`SLOG = "conventions/arch/logging.md"`+"\nMETA = \"GUIDE.md\"", 1)
 			f["GUIDE.md"] = "---\nprefix: META\n---\n\n# Как мы ведём конвенции\n\n" + versionLine + "\n"
diff --git a/internal/cli/cli_test.go b/internal/cli/cli_test.go
index 7151926..d856145 100644
--- a/internal/cli/cli_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/cli_test.go
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ func TestAddInInteractiveMode(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("the file lost %q:\n%s", want, body)
 		}
 	}
-	if !strings.Contains(read(t, root, "suite.toml"), `logging = "логирование: уровни"`) {
+	if !strings.Contains(read(t, root, ".conventions-suite.toml"), `logging = "логирование: уровни"`) {
 		t.Error("the topic did not reach the manifest")
 	}
 	checkClean(t, root)
diff --git a/internal/cli/retire_test.go b/internal/cli/retire_test.go
index d2ec9b9..8eef2e4 100644
--- a/internal/cli/retire_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/retire_test.go
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ func TestRetirePrefixMovesTheNameAndTakesTheFile(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error("the file stayed behind")
 	}
 
-	toml := read(t, root, "suite.toml")
+	toml := read(t, root, ".conventions-suite.toml")
 	if strings.Contains(toml, `SLOG = "conventions/logging.md"`) {
 		t.Errorf("the prefix stayed in the live half:\n%s", toml)
 	}
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ func TestRetireTopicWaitsForItsLayers(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("retiring an empty topic returned %d: %s", code, out)
 	}
 
-	toml := read(t, root, "suite.toml")
+	toml := read(t, root, ".conventions-suite.toml")
 	if strings.Contains(toml, `time = "время"`) {
 		t.Errorf("the topic stayed in the live half:\n%s", toml)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/cli/suiteinit.go b/internal/cli/suiteinit.go
index 326debd..9d81c46 100644
--- a/internal/cli/suiteinit.go
+++ b/internal/cli/suiteinit.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ particular suite is for and how it is kept.
 
 ## The manifest
 
-` + "`suite.toml`" + ` holds the identity of the suite: the language its rules are
+` + "`.conventions-suite.toml`" + ` holds the identity of the suite: the language its rules are
 written in, its topics and its rule prefixes. It is written by ` + "`convy`" + ` and
 carries no comments — a command rewrites the whole file, and a comment would not
 survive that. Explanations belong here instead.
diff --git a/internal/manifest/manifest.go b/internal/manifest/manifest.go
index a8715c0..8c7baee 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/manifest.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/manifest.go
@@ -30,9 +30,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 // Name is the name of a suite manifest. Which of the two manifests lies next
-// to you tells you where you are: suite.toml means a suite, .conventions.toml
-// means a project.
-const Name = "suite.toml"
+// to you tells you where you are, and both start with a dot for the same
+// reason: a manifest is data the tool writes, not a document of the repository,
+// and it sits with the rest of the service files rather than among the
+// conventions themselves.
+const Name = ".conventions-suite.toml"
 
 // DefaultLanguageCode is the suite's natural language when the manifest says
 // nothing about it. The key is optional on purpose: the vocabulary lives in the
@@ -83,7 +85,7 @@ func (s *Section) Retire(key, note string) {
 	s.Retired[key] = note
 }
 
-// Manifest is a parsed suite.toml.
+// Manifest is a parsed suite manifest.
 type Manifest struct {
 	Language Language `toml:"language"`
 	Topics   Section  `toml:"topics,omitempty"`
diff --git a/internal/source/source_test.go b/internal/source/source_test.go
index e472437..4781f5c 100644
--- a/internal/source/source_test.go
+++ b/internal/source/source_test.go
@@ -118,13 +118,13 @@ func TestOpenGitTakesTheCommittedState(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Skip("no git in PATH")
 	}
 	repo := t.TempDir()
-	name := filepath.Join(repo, "suite.toml")
+	name := filepath.Join(repo, ".conventions-suite.toml")
 	if err := os.WriteFile(name, []byte("committed\n"), 0o644); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	for _, args := range [][]string{
 		{"init", "--quiet", "-b", "main"},
-		{"-c", "user.email=t@example.org", "-c", "user.name=t", "add", "suite.toml"},
+		{"-c", "user.email=t@example.org", "-c", "user.name=t", "add", ".conventions-suite.toml"},
 		{"-c", "user.email=t@example.org", "-c", "user.name=t", "commit", "--quiet", "-m", "first"},
 	} {
 		cmd := exec.Command("git", args...)
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ func TestOpenGitTakesTheCommittedState(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("cloning a local repository: %v", err)
 	}
-	body, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(tree.Dir(), "suite.toml"))
+	body, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(tree.Dir(), ".conventions-suite.toml"))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}