diff --git a/dvc/api.py b/dvc/api.py
index 38b324a65..7f963a4b1 100644
--- a/dvc/api.py
+++ b/dvc/api.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def _make_repo(repo_url, rev=None):
             yield repo
 
 
-def summon(name, args=None, repo=None, rev=None):
+def summon(name, fname=None, args=None, repo=None, rev=None):
     # 1. Read dvcsummon.yaml
     # 2. Pull dependencies
     # 3. Get the call and parameters
@@ -84,9 +84,10 @@ def summon(name, args=None, repo=None, rev=None):
     # 5. Return the result
 
     with _make_repo(repo, rev=rev) as _repo:
-        dvcsummon_path = os.path.join(_repo.root_dir, "dvcsummon.yaml")
+        fname = fname or "dvcsummon.yaml"
+        summon_path = os.path.join(_repo.root_dir, fname)
 
-        with open(dvcsummon_path, "r") as fobj:
+        with open(summon_path, "r") as fobj:
             objects = ruamel.yaml.safe_load(fobj.read()).get("objects")
             obj = next(x for x in objects if x.get("name") == name)
             _summon = obj.get("summon")
diff --git a/tests/func/test_api.py b/tests/func/test_api.py
index 0bc124765..0b019d42f 100644
--- a/tests/func/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/func/test_api.py
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ def test_summon(tmp_dir, erepo_dir, dvc, monkeypatch):
 
         erepo_dir.dvc_gen("number", "100", commit="Add number.dvc")
         erepo_dir.scm_gen("dvcsummon.yaml", dvcsummon_yaml)
+        erepo_dir.scm_gen("non-canon.yaml", dvcsummon_yaml)
         erepo_dir.scm_gen(
             "calculator.py",
             "def add_to_num(x): return x + int(open('number').read())",
@@ -164,3 +165,4 @@ def test_summon(tmp_dir, erepo_dir, dvc, monkeypatch):
 
     assert api.summon("sum", repo=repo_url) == 101
     assert api.summon("sum", repo=repo_url, args={"x": 2}) == 102
+    assert api.summon("sum", repo=repo_url, fname="non-canon.yaml") == 101