diff --git a/samples/multi-yaml/be/tye.yaml b/samples/multi-yaml/be/tye.yaml
index 4c65866b..f717ff14 100644
--- a/samples/multi-yaml/be/tye.yaml
+++ b/samples/multi-yaml/be/tye.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-name: multi-tye
+app: multi-tye # name of the bigger application
+name: backend # name of this application
 services:
 - name: backend
   project: backend/backend.csproj
diff --git a/samples/multi-yaml/fe/tye.yaml b/samples/multi-yaml/fe/tye.yaml
index 01b522ee..62711be5 100644
--- a/samples/multi-yaml/fe/tye.yaml
+++ b/samples/multi-yaml/fe/tye.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-name: multi-tye
+app: multi-tye # name of the bigger application
+name: frontend # name of this application
 services:
 - name: frontend
   project: frontend/frontend.csproj
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.Tye.Core/ApplicationBuilder.cs b/src/Microsoft.Tye.Core/ApplicationBuilder.cs
index 7b794c46..a6eac5c0 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.Tye.Core/ApplicationBuilder.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.Tye.Core/ApplicationBuilder.cs
@@ -13,12 +13,15 @@ namespace Microsoft.Tye
         {
             Source = source;
             Name = name;
+            Application = name;
         }
 
         public FileInfo Source { get; set; }
 
         public string Name { get; set; }
 
+        public string? Application { get; set; }
+
         public ContainerRegistry? Registry { get; set; }
 
         public List<ServiceBuilder> Services { get; } = new List<ServiceBuilder>();
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.Tye.Core/ApplicationFactory.cs b/src/Microsoft.Tye.Core/ApplicationFactory.cs
index 1392d5e0..fbd920b1 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.Tye.Core/ApplicationFactory.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.Tye.Core/ApplicationFactory.cs
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.Tye
             var rootConfig = ConfigFactory.FromFile(source);
             ValidateConfigApplication(rootConfig);
             var root = new ApplicationBuilder(source, rootConfig.Name ?? source.Directory.Name.ToLowerInvariant());
+            root.Application ??= rootConfig.Application;
 
             queue.Enqueue(rootConfig);
 
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.Tye.Core/ConfigModel/ConfigApplication.cs b/src/Microsoft.Tye.Core/ConfigModel/ConfigApplication.cs
index 0450d771..0dbc5f21 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.Tye.Core/ConfigModel/ConfigApplication.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.Tye.Core/ConfigModel/ConfigApplication.cs
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ namespace Microsoft.Tye.ConfigModel
 
         public string? Name { get; set; }
 
+        [YamlMember(Alias = "app")]
+        public string? Application { get; set; }
+
         public string? Registry { get; set; }
 
         public List<ConfigService> Services { get; set; } = new List<ConfigService>();