diff --git a/cmd/hauler/cli/store/create.go b/cmd/hauler/cli/store/create_manifest.go
similarity index 100%
rename from cmd/hauler/cli/store/create.go
rename to cmd/hauler/cli/store/create_manifest.go
diff --git a/cmd/hauler/cli/store/create_manifest_test.go b/cmd/hauler/cli/store/create_manifest_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..46f9211
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/hauler/cli/store/create_manifest_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,387 @@
+package store
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"hauler.dev/go/hauler/v2/internal/flags"
+	v1 "hauler.dev/go/hauler/v2/pkg/apis/hauler.cattle.io/v1"
+)
+
+// newCreateManifestOpts returns a CreateManifestOpts writing to a fresh file
+// under t.TempDir().
+func newCreateManifestOpts(t *testing.T, rso *flags.StoreRootOpts) *flags.CreateManifestOpts {
+	t.Helper()
+	return &flags.CreateManifestOpts{
+		StoreRootOpts: rso,
+		Output:        filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "manifest.yaml"),
+	}
+}
+
+// readManifest reads the manifest file at path, failing the test on error.
+func readManifest(t *testing.T, path string) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("reading manifest at %s: %v", path, err)
+	}
+	return string(data)
+}
+
+func TestCreateManifestCmd_EmptyStore(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := newTestContext(t)
+	s := newTestStore(t)
+	o := newCreateManifestOpts(t, defaultRootOpts(s.Root))
+
+	err := CreateManifestCmd(ctx, o, s)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error for empty store, got nil")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "no content to build a manifest from") {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, statErr := os.Stat(o.Output); statErr == nil {
+		t.Errorf("expected no manifest file to be written on error")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCreateManifestCmd_Image(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := newTestContext(t)
+	host, rOpts := newLocalhostRegistry(t)
+	seedImage(t, host, "test/repo", "v1", rOpts...)
+
+	s := newTestStore(t)
+	rso := defaultRootOpts(s.Root)
+	ro := defaultCliOpts()
+	if err := storeImage(ctx, s, v1.Image{Name: host + "/test/repo:v1"}, "", false, rso, ro, ""); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("storeImage: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	o := newCreateManifestOpts(t, rso)
+	if err := CreateManifestCmd(ctx, o, s); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateManifestCmd: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	content := readManifest(t, o.Output)
+	if !strings.Contains(content, "kind: Images") {
+		t.Errorf("expected an Images doc, got:\n%s", content)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(content, "name: "+host+"/test/repo:v1") {
+		t.Errorf("expected image name %q in manifest, got:\n%s", host+"/test/repo:v1", content)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(content, "rewrite:") {
+		t.Errorf("did not expect a rewrite field for a never-rewritten image, got:\n%s", content)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCreateManifestCmd_ImageWithRewrite(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := newTestContext(t)
+	host, rOpts := newLocalhostRegistry(t)
+	seedImage(t, host, "src/repo", "v1", rOpts...)
+
+	s := newTestStore(t)
+	rso := defaultRootOpts(s.Root)
+	ro := defaultCliOpts()
+
+	// storeImage with a rewrite target: the store ends up with the new ref as
+	// the "current" annotations, but consts.OriginalRefAnnotation still holds
+	// the original, pullable source ref captured at the initial add.
+	if err := storeImage(ctx, s, v1.Image{Name: host + "/src/repo:v1"}, "", false, rso, ro, "newrepo/img:v2"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("storeImage with rewrite: %v", err)
+	}
+	assertArtifactInStore(t, s, "newrepo/img:v2")
+
+	o := newCreateManifestOpts(t, rso)
+	if err := CreateManifestCmd(ctx, o, s); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateManifestCmd: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	content := readManifest(t, o.Output)
+	// The recovered name must be the original, pullable source ref...
+	if !strings.Contains(content, "name: "+host+"/src/repo:v1") {
+		t.Errorf("expected original ref %q recovered as name, got:\n%s", host+"/src/repo:v1", content)
+	}
+	// ...and rewrite must reproduce the store's actual current ref so a resync
+	// recreates this exact layout.
+	if !strings.Contains(content, "rewrite: "+host+"/newrepo/img:v2") {
+		t.Errorf("expected rewrite %q in manifest, got:\n%s", host+"/newrepo/img:v2", content)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCreateManifestCmd_MultiPlatformIndexOmitsPlatform(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := newTestContext(t)
+	host, rOpts := newLocalhostRegistry(t)
+	seedIndex(t, host, "test/multiarch", "v1", rOpts...)
+
+	s := newTestStore(t)
+	rso := defaultRootOpts(s.Root)
+	ro := defaultCliOpts()
+	if err := storeImage(ctx, s, v1.Image{Name: host + "/test/multiarch:v1"}, "", false, rso, ro, ""); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("storeImage multi-arch index: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	o := newCreateManifestOpts(t, rso)
+	if err := CreateManifestCmd(ctx, o, s); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateManifestCmd: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	content := readManifest(t, o.Output)
+	if !strings.Contains(content, "name: "+host+"/test/multiarch:v1") {
+		t.Errorf("expected multi-arch image name in manifest, got:\n%s", content)
+	}
+	// A stored index has no single unambiguous platform, so it must be left
+	// unset rather than pinning one arbitrary arch.
+	if strings.Contains(content, "platform:") {
+		t.Errorf("did not expect a platform field for a multi-platform index, got:\n%s", content)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCreateManifestCmd_Chart(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := newTestContext(t)
+	s := newTestStore(t)
+	rso := defaultRootOpts(s.Root)
+	ro := defaultCliOpts()
+
+	co := newAddChartOpts(chartTestdataDir, "")
+	if err := AddChartCmd(ctx, co, s, "rancher-cluster-templates-0.5.2.tgz", rso, ro); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("AddChartCmd: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	o := newCreateManifestOpts(t, rso)
+	if err := CreateManifestCmd(ctx, o, s); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateManifestCmd: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	content := readManifest(t, o.Output)
+	if !strings.Contains(content, "kind: Charts") {
+		t.Errorf("expected a Charts doc, got:\n%s", content)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(content, "name: rancher-cluster-templates") {
+		t.Errorf("expected chart name in manifest, got:\n%s", content)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(content, "repoURL: "+chartTestdataDir) {
+		t.Errorf("expected repoURL %q in manifest, got:\n%s", chartTestdataDir, content)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(content, "NOTE: repoURL could not be recovered") {
+		t.Errorf("did not expect the missing-repoURL note when repoURL is known, got:\n%s", content)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCreateManifestCmd_ChartMissingRepoURL(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := newTestContext(t)
+	s := newTestStore(t)
+	rso := defaultRootOpts(s.Root)
+	ro := defaultCliOpts()
+
+	// storeChart called directly with a bare local .tgz path and no RepoURL,
+	// mirroring how a chart added without --repo has no recoverable source.
+	chartDir := t.TempDir()
+	tgzPath := seedChartWithImages(t, chartDir, nil)
+
+	co := newAddChartOpts("", "")
+	if err := storeChart(ctx, s, v1.Chart{Name: tgzPath}, co, rso, ro, ""); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("storeChart: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	o := newCreateManifestOpts(t, rso)
+	if err := CreateManifestCmd(ctx, o, s); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateManifestCmd: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	content := readManifest(t, o.Output)
+	if !strings.Contains(content, "NOTE: repoURL could not be recovered from the store's metadata") {
+		t.Errorf("expected missing-repoURL note, got:\n%s", content)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(content, "name: test-chart") {
+		t.Errorf("expected chart name in manifest, got:\n%s", content)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCreateManifestCmd_ChartWithRewrite(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := newTestContext(t)
+	s := newTestStore(t)
+	rso := defaultRootOpts(s.Root)
+	ro := defaultCliOpts()
+
+	co := newAddChartOpts(chartTestdataDir, "")
+	co.Rewrite = "myorg/custom-chart"
+	if err := AddChartCmd(ctx, co, s, "rancher-cluster-templates-0.5.2.tgz", rso, ro); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("AddChartCmd with rewrite: %v", err)
+	}
+	assertArtifactInStore(t, s, "myorg/custom-chart")
+
+	o := newCreateManifestOpts(t, rso)
+	if err := CreateManifestCmd(ctx, o, s); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateManifestCmd: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	content := readManifest(t, o.Output)
+	// The recovered name/repoURL must be the original chart, not the rewritten one.
+	if !strings.Contains(content, "name: rancher-cluster-templates") {
+		t.Errorf("expected original chart name in manifest, got:\n%s", content)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(content, "repoURL: "+chartTestdataDir) {
+		t.Errorf("expected original repoURL in manifest, got:\n%s", content)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(content, "rewrite: myorg/custom-chart") {
+		t.Errorf("expected rewrite field in manifest, got:\n%s", content)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCreateManifestCmd_File(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := newTestContext(t)
+	s := newTestStore(t)
+	rso := defaultRootOpts(s.Root)
+	ro := defaultCliOpts()
+
+	tmp, err := os.CreateTemp(t.TempDir(), "testfile-*.txt")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	tmp.WriteString("hello hauler") //nolint:errcheck
+	tmp.Close()
+
+	if err := storeFile(ctx, s, v1.File{Path: tmp.Name()}, ro, rso); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("storeFile: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	o := newCreateManifestOpts(t, rso)
+	if err := CreateManifestCmd(ctx, o, s); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateManifestCmd: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	content := readManifest(t, o.Output)
+	if !strings.Contains(content, "kind: Files") {
+		t.Errorf("expected a Files doc, got:\n%s", content)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(content, "path: "+tmp.Name()) {
+		t.Errorf("expected original local path %q recovered, got:\n%s", tmp.Name(), content)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(content, "name: "+filepath.Base(tmp.Name())) {
+		t.Errorf("expected file name %q in manifest, got:\n%s", filepath.Base(tmp.Name()), content)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCreateManifestCmd_FileHTTP(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := newTestContext(t)
+	s := newTestStore(t)
+	rso := defaultRootOpts(s.Root)
+	ro := defaultCliOpts()
+
+	url := seedFileInHTTPServer(t, "script.sh", "#!/bin/sh\necho ok")
+	if err := storeFile(ctx, s, v1.File{Path: url}, ro, rso); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("storeFile: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	o := newCreateManifestOpts(t, rso)
+	if err := CreateManifestCmd(ctx, o, s); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateManifestCmd: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	content := readManifest(t, o.Output)
+	if !strings.Contains(content, "path: "+url) {
+		t.Errorf("expected original URL %q recovered as path, got:\n%s", url, content)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCreateManifestCmd_MixedContent(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := newTestContext(t)
+	host, rOpts := newLocalhostRegistry(t)
+	seedImage(t, host, "test/repo", "v1", rOpts...)
+
+	s := newTestStore(t)
+	rso := defaultRootOpts(s.Root)
+	ro := defaultCliOpts()
+
+	if err := storeImage(ctx, s, v1.Image{Name: host + "/test/repo:v1"}, "", false, rso, ro, ""); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("storeImage: %v", err)
+	}
+	co := newAddChartOpts(chartTestdataDir, "")
+	if err := AddChartCmd(ctx, co, s, "rancher-cluster-templates-0.5.2.tgz", rso, ro); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("AddChartCmd: %v", err)
+	}
+	tmp, err := os.CreateTemp(t.TempDir(), "testfile-*.txt")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	tmp.Close()
+	if err := storeFile(ctx, s, v1.File{Path: tmp.Name()}, ro, rso); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("storeFile: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	o := newCreateManifestOpts(t, rso)
+	if err := CreateManifestCmd(ctx, o, s); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateManifestCmd: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	content := readManifest(t, o.Output)
+	for _, kind := range []string{"kind: Images", "kind: Charts", "kind: Files"} {
+		if !strings.Contains(content, kind) {
+			t.Errorf("expected %q doc in mixed-content manifest, got:\n%s", kind, content)
+		}
+	}
+	if got := strings.Count(content, "---\n"); got != 3 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 3 YAML documents, got %d in:\n%s", got, content)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSanitizeName(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		in   string
+		want string
+	}{
+		{name: "already valid", in: "my-store", want: "my-store"},
+		{name: "uppercase lowered", in: "MyStore", want: "mystore"},
+		{name: "spaces and dots replaced", in: "my store.v1", want: "my-store-v1"},
+		{name: "leading and trailing separators trimmed", in: "--store--", want: "store"},
+		{name: "empty string falls back to store", in: "", want: "store"},
+		{name: "entirely invalid falls back to store", in: "***", want: "store"},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if got := sanitizeName(tc.in); got != tc.want {
+				t.Errorf("sanitizeName(%q) = %q, want %q", tc.in, got, tc.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDecodeOriginalChartRef(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name        string
+		in          string
+		wantRepoURL string
+		wantTotal   string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:        "repoURL and ref separated by pipe",
+			in:          "https://charts.example.com|myrepo/mychart:1.0.0",
+			wantRepoURL: "https://charts.example.com",
+			wantTotal:   "myrepo/mychart:1.0.0",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "empty repoURL with leading pipe",
+			in:          "|myrepo/mychart:1.0.0",
+			wantRepoURL: "",
+			wantTotal:   "myrepo/mychart:1.0.0",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "no pipe treated as bare ref with unknown repoURL",
+			in:          "myrepo/mychart:1.0.0",
+			wantRepoURL: "",
+			wantTotal:   "myrepo/mychart:1.0.0",
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			gotRepoURL, gotTotal := decodeOriginalChartRef(tc.in)
+			if gotRepoURL != tc.wantRepoURL || gotTotal != tc.wantTotal {
+				t.Errorf("decodeOriginalChartRef(%q) = (%q, %q), want (%q, %q)",
+					tc.in, gotRepoURL, gotTotal, tc.wantRepoURL, tc.wantTotal)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}