diff --git a/compiler/src/ast/codefiles.cpp b/compiler/src/ast/codefiles.cpp
index 18b59e2c..48bf6d44 100644
--- a/compiler/src/ast/codefiles.cpp
+++ b/compiler/src/ast/codefiles.cpp
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ file_info *codefiles::initialize_parsing_or_null(const std::string &filename) {
   std::error_code err{};
   std::filesystem::path f{filename};
   auto path = std::filesystem::absolute(f, err);
+  path = scratch_file_path(path.string());
   std::string str_path = path.string();
   if (err) {
     print_file_not_found_error(str_path);
@@ -184,6 +185,7 @@ codefiles::import_to_optional_file_path(import_stmt *st) {
   }
   p += ".yaka"; /* add .yaka file extension */
   p = std::filesystem::absolute(p, err);
+  p = scratch_file_path(p.string()); // check for scratch files
   if (err) {
     print_file_not_found_error(p.string());
     return {};
@@ -210,9 +212,31 @@ file_data *codefiles::parse_or_null(std::filesystem::path &file_name) {
   }
   std::string data((std::istreambuf_iterator<char>(script_file)),
                    std::istreambuf_iterator<char>());
+  script_file.close(); // close the file
   std::string fname = file_name.string();
   return parse_or_null(data, fname);
 }
+std::filesystem::path codefiles::scratch_file_path(const std::string &filename) const {
+  if (!this->use_scratch_files_) {
+    return std::filesystem::path{filename};
+  }
+  std::filesystem::path f{filename};
+  auto path = f.parent_path();
+  auto name = f.stem();
+  // Already a scratch file
+  if (name.string().find("_.") == 0) {
+    return std::filesystem::path{filename};
+  }
+  auto ext = f.extension();
+  auto scratch_path = path / ("_." + name.string() + ext.string());
+  std::error_code err{};
+  if (std::filesystem::exists(scratch_path, err)) {
+    if (!err) {
+      return scratch_path;
+    }
+  }
+  return std::filesystem::path{filename};
+}
 file_data *codefiles::parse_or_null(const std::string &data,
                                     const std::string &file_name) {
   auto *t = new tokenizer{file_name, data, yaksha_macros_.get_yk_token_pool()};
diff --git a/compiler/src/ast/codefiles.h b/compiler/src/ast/codefiles.h
index 36739f2e..7b5417dd 100644
--- a/compiler/src/ast/codefiles.h
+++ b/compiler/src/ast/codefiles.h
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ namespace yaksha {
     entry_struct_func_compiler *esc_;
     directives directives_{};
     std::filesystem::path libs_path_{};
+    bool use_scratch_files_{false};
 
 private:
     file_data *parse_or_null(std::filesystem::path &file_name);
@@ -98,6 +99,7 @@ namespace yaksha {
     std::unordered_map<std::intptr_t, std::filesystem::path>
         import_to_path_cache_{};
     errors::error_printer *ep_{nullptr};
+    std::filesystem::path scratch_file_path(const std::string &filename) const;
   };
 }// namespace yaksha
 #endif
diff --git a/compiler/src/comp_main.cpp b/compiler/src/comp_main.cpp
index 42c96d7c..5c045275 100644
--- a/compiler/src/comp_main.cpp
+++ b/compiler/src/comp_main.cpp
@@ -53,7 +53,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   auto no_codegen = argparser::OP_BOOL(
       'd', "--disable-codegen",
       "Do not output generated code, instead just print errors as JSON.");
-  args.optional_ = {&help, &no_main, &no_codegen};
+  auto use_scratch_files =
+      argparser::OP_BOOL('e', "--use-scratch-files",
+                         "Use scratch files such as '_.main.yaka' if present "
+                         "in the same directory instead of 'main.yaka'.");
+  args.optional_ = {&help, &no_main, &no_codegen, &use_scratch_files};
   auto code = argparser::PO("mainfile.yaka", "Yaksha code file.");
   auto lib = argparser::PO_OPT("[LIBS_PARENT_PATH]",
                                "Path to the parent directory of the libraries");
@@ -72,6 +76,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   multifile_compiler mc{};
   try {
     mc.main_required_ = !no_main.is_set_;
+    mc.use_scratch_files_ = use_scratch_files.is_set_;
     if (no_codegen.is_set_) { mc.error_printer_.json_output_ = true; }
     codegen_c cg{};
     do_nothing_codegen dn_cg{};
diff --git a/compiler/src/compiler/multifile_compiler.cpp b/compiler/src/compiler/multifile_compiler.cpp
index 25cc65f8..04bc9729 100644
--- a/compiler/src/compiler/multifile_compiler.cpp
+++ b/compiler/src/compiler/multifile_compiler.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@
 #include "multifile_compiler.h"
 #include "ast/codefiles.h"
 #include "ast/parser.h"
-//#include "compiler/compiler.h"
 #include "compiler/type_checker.h"
 #include "tokenizer/block_analyzer.h"
 #include "usage_analyser.h"
@@ -69,6 +68,7 @@ comp_result multifile_compiler::compile(const std::string &code, bool use_code,
   LOG_COMP("compile:" << main_file);
   std::filesystem::path library_parent{libs_path};
   cf_ = new codefiles{library_parent, &error_printer_};
+  cf_->use_scratch_files_ = use_scratch_files_;
   // Step 0) First of all, we initialize parsing
   // In this step, we initialize all files we know of at this point
   file_info *main_file_info;
diff --git a/compiler/src/compiler/multifile_compiler.h b/compiler/src/compiler/multifile_compiler.h
index 7956288d..0eae6bb6 100644
--- a/compiler/src/compiler/multifile_compiler.h
+++ b/compiler/src/compiler/multifile_compiler.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ namespace yaksha {
     bool main_required_ = true;
     bool check_types_ = true;
     bool usage_analysis_ = true;
+    bool use_scratch_files_ = false;
     errors::error_printer error_printer_{};
 
 private: