diff --git a/scripts/initiate_ritual.py b/scripts/initiate_ritual.py
index f6e64b38..99d8c20d 100644
--- a/scripts/initiate_ritual.py
+++ b/scripts/initiate_ritual.py
@@ -44,21 +44,27 @@
     "--num-nodes",
     help="Number of nodes to use for the ritual.",
     type=int,
-    required=True,
-)
-@click.option(
-    "--random-seed",
-    help="Random seed integer for sampling.",
     required=False,
-    type=int
 )
+@click.option("--random-seed", help="Random seed integer for sampling.", required=False, type=int)
+@click.option("--authority", help="The address of the ritual authority.", required=False, type=str)
 @click.option(
-    "--authority",
-    help="The address of the ritual authority.",
+    "--handpicked",
+    help="The filepath of a file containing staking provider addresses.",
     required=False,
-    type=str
+    type=click.Path(exists=True, readable=True),
 )
-def cli(domain, duration, account, access_controller, fee_model, num_nodes, random_seed, authority):
+def cli(
+    domain,
+    duration,
+    account,
+    access_controller,
+    fee_model,
+    num_nodes,
+    random_seed,
+    authority,
+    handpicked,
+):
     check_plugins()
     transactor = Transactor(account=account)
     registry_filepath = registry_filepath_from_domain(domain=domain)
@@ -66,6 +72,11 @@ def cli(domain, duration, account, access_controller, fee_model, num_nodes, rand
     deployments = contracts_from_registry(filepath=registry_filepath, chain_id=chain_id)
     coordinator = deployments[project.Coordinator.contract_type.name]
 
+    if handpicked and num_nodes:
+        raise ValueError("Cannot specify both --num-nodes and --handpicked.")
+    if not handpicked and not num_nodes:
+        raise ValueError("Must specify either --num-nodes or --handpicked.")
+
     try:
         access_controller = deployments[getattr(project, access_controller).contract_type.name]
         fee_model = deployments[getattr(project, fee_model).contract_type.name]
@@ -76,9 +87,13 @@ def cli(domain, duration, account, access_controller, fee_model, num_nodes, rand
         authority = transactor.get_account().address
         click.confirm(f"Using {authority} as the ritual authority. Continue?", abort=True)
 
-    providers = sample_nodes(
-        domain=domain, num_nodes=num_nodes, duration=duration, random_seed=random_seed
-    )
+    if handpicked:
+        with open(handpicked, "r") as f:
+            providers = sorted([line.strip() for line in f], key=lambda x: x.lower())
+    else:
+        providers = sample_nodes(
+            domain=domain, num_nodes=num_nodes, duration=duration, random_seed=random_seed
+        )
 
     transactor.transact(
         coordinator.initiateRitual,