diff --git a/__snapshots__/manifest.js b/__snapshots__/manifest.js
index 69195db56..492c9e978 100644
--- a/__snapshots__/manifest.js
+++ b/__snapshots__/manifest.js
@@ -1,70 +1,70 @@
 exports['Manifest pullRequest allows root module to be published, via special "." path: changes'] = `
 
-filename: node/pkg1/CHANGELOG.md
+filename: CHANGELOG.md
 # Changelog
 
-## [4.0.0](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/compare/pkg1-v3.2.1...pkg1-v4.0.0) (1983-10-10)
+## [3.0.0](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/compare/googleapis-v2.0.0...googleapis-v3.0.0) (1983-10-10)
 
 
 ### ⚠ BREAKING CHANGES
 
 * **@node/pkg1:** major new feature
+* **@node/pkg2:** major new feature
 
 ### Features
 
 * **@node/pkg1:** major new feature ([e3ab0ab](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/commit/e3ab0abfd66e66324f685ceeececf35c))
+* **@node/pkg2:** major new feature ([72f962d](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/commit/72f962d44ba0bcee15594ea6bdc67d8b))
 
-filename: node/pkg1/package.json
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+* **root:** root only change ([8b55db3](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/commit/8b55db3f6115306cc9c132bec0bb1447))
+
+filename: package.json
 {
-  "name": "@node/pkg1",
-  "version": "4.0.0"
+  "name": "googleapis",
+  "version": "3.0.0"
 }
 
-filename: node/pkg2/CHANGELOG.md
+filename: node/pkg1/CHANGELOG.md
 # Changelog
 
-## [2.0.0](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/compare/pkg2-v1.2.3...pkg2-v2.0.0) (1983-10-10)
+## [4.0.0](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/compare/pkg1-v3.2.1...pkg1-v4.0.0) (1983-10-10)
 
 
 ### ⚠ BREAKING CHANGES
 
-* **@node/pkg2:** major new feature
+* **@node/pkg1:** major new feature
 
 ### Features
 
-* **@node/pkg2:** major new feature ([72f962d](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/commit/72f962d44ba0bcee15594ea6bdc67d8b))
+* **@node/pkg1:** major new feature ([e3ab0ab](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/commit/e3ab0abfd66e66324f685ceeececf35c))
 
-filename: node/pkg2/package.json
+filename: node/pkg1/package.json
 {
-  "name": "@node/pkg2",
-  "version": "2.0.0"
+  "name": "@node/pkg1",
+  "version": "4.0.0"
 }
 
-filename: CHANGELOG.md
+filename: node/pkg2/CHANGELOG.md
 # Changelog
 
-## [3.0.0](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/compare/googleapis-v2.0.0...googleapis-v3.0.0) (1983-10-10)
+## [2.0.0](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/compare/pkg2-v1.2.3...pkg2-v2.0.0) (1983-10-10)
 
 
 ### ⚠ BREAKING CHANGES
 
-* **@node/pkg1:** major new feature
 * **@node/pkg2:** major new feature
 
 ### Features
 
-* **@node/pkg1:** major new feature ([e3ab0ab](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/commit/e3ab0abfd66e66324f685ceeececf35c))
 * **@node/pkg2:** major new feature ([72f962d](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/commit/72f962d44ba0bcee15594ea6bdc67d8b))
 
-
-### Bug Fixes
-
-* **root:** root only change ([8b55db3](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/commit/8b55db3f6115306cc9c132bec0bb1447))
-
-filename: package.json
+filename: node/pkg2/package.json
 {
-  "name": "googleapis",
-  "version": "3.0.0"
+  "name": "@node/pkg2",
+  "version": "2.0.0"
 }
 
 filename: .release-please-manifest.json
@@ -85,54 +85,54 @@ branch: release-please/branches/main
 description: :robot: I have created a release \\*beep\\* \\*boop\\*
 
 ---
-@node/pkg1: 4.0.0
-## [4.0.0](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/compare/pkg1-v3.2.1...pkg1-v4.0.0) (1983-10-10)
+googleapis: 3.0.0
+## [3.0.0](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/compare/googleapis-v2.0.0...googleapis-v3.0.0) (1983-10-10)
 
 
 ### ⚠ BREAKING CHANGES
 
 * **@node/pkg1:** major new feature
+* **@node/pkg2:** major new feature
 
 ### Features
 
 * **@node/pkg1:** major new feature ([e3ab0ab](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/commit/e3ab0abfd66e66324f685ceeececf35c))
+* **@node/pkg2:** major new feature ([72f962d](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/commit/72f962d44ba0bcee15594ea6bdc67d8b))
+
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+* **root:** root only change ([8b55db3](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/commit/8b55db3f6115306cc9c132bec0bb1447))
 ---
 
 
 ---
-@node/pkg2: 2.0.0
-## [2.0.0](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/compare/pkg2-v1.2.3...pkg2-v2.0.0) (1983-10-10)
+@node/pkg1: 4.0.0
+## [4.0.0](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/compare/pkg1-v3.2.1...pkg1-v4.0.0) (1983-10-10)
 
 
 ### ⚠ BREAKING CHANGES
 
-* **@node/pkg2:** major new feature
+* **@node/pkg1:** major new feature
 
 ### Features
 
-* **@node/pkg2:** major new feature ([72f962d](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/commit/72f962d44ba0bcee15594ea6bdc67d8b))
+* **@node/pkg1:** major new feature ([e3ab0ab](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/commit/e3ab0abfd66e66324f685ceeececf35c))
 ---
 
 
 ---
-googleapis: 3.0.0
-## [3.0.0](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/compare/googleapis-v2.0.0...googleapis-v3.0.0) (1983-10-10)
+@node/pkg2: 2.0.0
+## [2.0.0](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/compare/pkg2-v1.2.3...pkg2-v2.0.0) (1983-10-10)
 
 
 ### ⚠ BREAKING CHANGES
 
-* **@node/pkg1:** major new feature
 * **@node/pkg2:** major new feature
 
 ### Features
 
-* **@node/pkg1:** major new feature ([e3ab0ab](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/commit/e3ab0abfd66e66324f685ceeececf35c))
 * **@node/pkg2:** major new feature ([72f962d](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/commit/72f962d44ba0bcee15594ea6bdc67d8b))
-
-
-### Bug Fixes
-
-* **root:** root only change ([8b55db3](https://www.github.com/fake/repo/commit/8b55db3f6115306cc9c132bec0bb1447))
 ---
 
 
diff --git a/src/commit-split.ts b/src/commit-split.ts
index 4ee62401a..ccdedd018 100644
--- a/src/commit-split.ts
+++ b/src/commit-split.ts
@@ -91,7 +91,11 @@ export class CommitSplit {
         let pkgName;
         if (this.packagePaths) {
           // only track paths under this.packagePaths
-          pkgName = this.packagePaths.find(p => file.indexOf(p) >= 0);
+          pkgName = this.packagePaths.find(p => {
+            // The special "." path, representing the root of the module
+            // should be ignored by commit-split:
+            return file.indexOf(p) >= 0 && p !== '.';
+          });
         } else {
           // track paths by top level folder
           pkgName = splitPath[0];
diff --git a/test/manifest.ts b/test/manifest.ts
index 0de8b81f9..98cfea235 100644
--- a/test/manifest.ts
+++ b/test/manifest.ts
@@ -288,15 +288,15 @@ describe('Manifest', () => {
 
     it('allows root module to be published, via special "." path', async function () {
       const manifest = JSON.stringify({
+        '.': '2.0.0',
         'node/pkg1': '3.2.1',
         'node/pkg2': '1.2.3',
-        '.': '2.0.0',
       });
       const config = JSON.stringify({
         packages: {
+          '.': {},
           'node/pkg1': {},
           'node/pkg2': {},
-          '.': {},
         },
       });
       const commits = [
@@ -341,20 +341,20 @@ describe('Manifest', () => {
       expect(pr).to.equal(22);
       expect(logs).to.eql([
         [
-          'Found version 3.2.1 for node/pkg1 in .release-please-manifest.json at abc123 of main',
+          'Found version 2.0.0 for . in .release-please-manifest.json at abc123 of main',
           CheckpointType.Success,
         ],
         [
-          'Found version 1.2.3 for node/pkg2 in .release-please-manifest.json at abc123 of main',
+          'Found version 3.2.1 for node/pkg1 in .release-please-manifest.json at abc123 of main',
           CheckpointType.Success,
         ],
         [
-          'Found version 2.0.0 for . in .release-please-manifest.json at abc123 of main',
+          'Found version 1.2.3 for node/pkg2 in .release-please-manifest.json at abc123 of main',
           CheckpointType.Success,
         ],
+        ['Processing package: Node(googleapis)', CheckpointType.Success],
         ['Processing package: Node(@node/pkg1)', CheckpointType.Success],
         ['Processing package: Node(@node/pkg2)', CheckpointType.Success],
-        ['Processing package: Node(googleapis)', CheckpointType.Success],
       ]);
     });