diff --git a/vnfsdk_pkgtools/cli/__main__.py b/vnfsdk_pkgtools/cli/__main__.py
index 005a1ac..88776de 100644
--- a/vnfsdk_pkgtools/cli/__main__.py
+++ b/vnfsdk_pkgtools/cli/__main__.py
@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@
     csar_create.add_argument(
         '--licenses',
         help='Directory containing license information, relative to service template directory')
+    csar_create.add_argument(
+        '--digest',
+        choices=['SHA256', 'SHA512'],
+        help='If present, means to check the file deigest in manifest;  compute the digest using the specified hash algorithm of all files in the csar package to be put into the manifest file')
 
 
     csar_open = subparsers.add_parser('csar-open')
diff --git a/vnfsdk_pkgtools/packager/csar.py b/vnfsdk_pkgtools/packager/csar.py
index b4bee29..31fba8b 100644
--- a/vnfsdk_pkgtools/packager/csar.py
+++ b/vnfsdk_pkgtools/packager/csar.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 import requests
 from ruamel import yaml # @UnresolvedImport
 
+from vnfsdk_pkgtools.packager import manifest
 
 META_FILE = 'TOSCA-Metadata/TOSCA.meta'
 META_FILE_VERSION_KEY = 'TOSCA-Meta-File-Version'
@@ -90,6 +91,12 @@
                        msg='Please specify a valid manifest file.',
                        check_dir=False)
         metadata[META_ENTRY_MANIFEST_FILE_KEY] = args.manifest
+        manifest_file = manifest.Manifest(source, args.manifest) 
+        manifest_file_full_path = os.path.join(source, args.manifest)
+    else:
+        manifest_file = None
+        manifest_file_full_path = None
+
 
     if(args.history):
         check_file_dir(root=source,
@@ -117,9 +124,14 @@
         for root, dirs, files in os.walk(source):
             for file in files:
                 file_full_path = os.path.join(root, file)
-                file_relative_path = os.path.relpath(file_full_path, source)
-                logger.debug('Writing to archive: {0}'.format(file_relative_path))
-                f.write(file_full_path, file_relative_path)
+                # skip manifest file here in case we need to generate digest
+                if file_full_path!=manifest_file_full_path:
+                    file_relative_path = os.path.relpath(file_full_path, source)
+                    logger.debug('Writing to archive: {0}'.format(file_relative_path))
+                    f.write(file_full_path, file_relative_path)
+                    if manifest_file and args.digest:
+                        logger.debug('Update file digest: {0}'.format(file_relative_path))
+                        manifest_file.add_file(file_relative_path, args.digest)
             # add empty dir
             for dir in dirs:
                 dir_full_path = os.path.join(root, dir)
@@ -128,6 +140,13 @@
                     logger.debug('Writing to archive: {0}'.format(dir_relative_path))
                     f.write(dir_full_path + os.sep, dir_relative_path)
 
+        if manifest_file:
+            if args.digest:
+                logger.debug('Update manifest file to temporary file')
+                manifest_file_full_path = manifest_file.update_to_file(True)
+            logger.debug('Writing to archive: {0}'.format(args.manifest))
+            f.write(manifest_file_full_path, args.manifest)
+
         logger.debug('Writing new metadata file to {0}'.format(META_FILE))
         f.writestr(META_FILE, yaml.dump(metadata, default_flow_style=False))
 
@@ -149,6 +168,7 @@
         self.source = os.path.expanduser(source)
         self.destination = os.path.expanduser(destination)
         self.metadata = {}
+        self.manifest = None
         try:
             if not os.path.exists(self.source):
                 raise ValueError('{0} does not exists. Please specify a valid CSAR path.'
@@ -247,6 +267,9 @@
                             'The manifest file {0} referenced by the metadata '
                             'file does not exist.'.format(self.entry_manifest_file),
                             check_dir=False)
+             self.manifest = manifest.Manifest(self.destination,
+                                               self.entry_manifest_file)
+
 
         if(self.entry_history_file):
              check_file_dir(self.destination,
diff --git a/vnfsdk_pkgtools/packager/manifest.py b/vnfsdk_pkgtools/packager/manifest.py
index a2d9d70..d819a70 100644
--- a/vnfsdk_pkgtools/packager/manifest.py
+++ b/vnfsdk_pkgtools/packager/manifest.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 from collections import namedtuple
 import os
+import tempfile
 
 import udatetime
 
@@ -158,7 +159,13 @@
             ret += "Hash: %s\n" % digest[1]
         return ret
 
-    def update_to_file(self):
+    def update_to_file(self, temporary=False):
         content = self.return_as_string()
-        with open(os.path.join(self.root, self.path), 'w') as fp:
+        if temporary:
+            abs_path = tempfile.mktemp()
+        else:
+            abs_path = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(self.root, self.path))
+
+        with open(abs_path, 'w') as fp:
             fp.write(content)
+        return abs_path