diff --git a/src/strategies/base.ts b/src/strategies/base.ts
index b169f99f5..4af681837 100644
--- a/src/strategies/base.ts
+++ b/src/strategies/base.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import {
   MANIFEST_PULL_REQUEST_TITLE_PATTERN,
   ExtraFile,
   DEFAULT_CUSTOM_VERSION_LABEL,
-  DEFAULT_RELEASE_PLEASE_MANIFEST,
 } from '../manifest';
 import {DefaultVersioningStrategy} from '../versioning-strategies/default';
 import {DefaultChangelogNotes} from '../changelog-notes/default';
@@ -275,14 +274,12 @@ export abstract class BaseStrategy implements Strategy {
     labels = [],
     latestRelease,
     draft,
-    manifestPath,
   }: {
     commits: Commit[];
     latestRelease?: Release;
     draft?: boolean;
     labels?: string[];
     existingPullRequest?: PullRequest;
-    manifestPath?: string;
   }): Promise<ReleasePullRequest | undefined> {
     this.logger.info(`Considering: ${commits.length} raw commits`);
 
@@ -391,13 +388,7 @@ To set a custom version be sure to use the [semantic versioning format](https://
       } else {
         // look at the manifest from release branch and compare against version from PR title
         try {
-          const manifest =
-            (await this.github.getFileJson<Record<string, string>>(
-              manifestPath || DEFAULT_RELEASE_PLEASE_MANIFEST,
-              existingPullRequest.headBranchName
-            )) || {};
-          const componentVersion = manifest[component || '.'];
-          if (componentVersion !== existingPRTitleVersion?.toString()) {
+          if (newVersion.toString() !== existingPRTitleVersion.toString()) {
             // version from title has been edited, add custom version label, a comment, and use the title version
             this.github.addIssueLabels(
               [DEFAULT_CUSTOM_VERSION_LABEL],
diff --git a/src/strategies/java.ts b/src/strategies/java.ts
index b114b8cdb..06f1d623c 100644
--- a/src/strategies/java.ts
+++ b/src/strategies/java.ts
@@ -79,14 +79,12 @@ export class Java extends BaseStrategy {
     labels = [],
     latestRelease,
     draft,
-    manifestPath,
   }: {
     commits: ConventionalCommit[];
     latestRelease?: Release;
     draft?: boolean;
     labels?: string[];
     existingPullRequest?: PullRequest;
-    manifestPath?: string;
   }): Promise<ReleasePullRequest | undefined> {
     if (await this.needsSnapshot(commits, latestRelease)) {
       this.logger.info('Repository needs a snapshot bump.');
@@ -102,7 +100,6 @@ export class Java extends BaseStrategy {
       latestRelease,
       draft,
       labels,
-      manifestPath,
     });
   }
 
diff --git a/test/manifest.ts b/test/manifest.ts
index d1e15f215..10b33e50f 100644
--- a/test/manifest.ts
+++ b/test/manifest.ts
@@ -2494,28 +2494,6 @@ describe('Manifest', () => {
             })
           )
         )
-        .withArgs(
-          '.release-please-manifest.json',
-          'release-please--branches--main--changes--next--components--pkg1'
-        )
-        .resolves(
-          buildGitHubFileRaw(
-            JSON.stringify({
-              'path/a': '1.0.1',
-            })
-          )
-        )
-        .withArgs(
-          '.release-please-manifest.json',
-          'release-please--branches--main--changes--next--components--pkg2'
-        )
-        .resolves(
-          buildGitHubFileRaw(
-            JSON.stringify({
-              'path/b': '2.0.1',
-            })
-          )
-        )
         .withArgs('path/b/package.json', 'next')
         .resolves(
           buildGitHubFileRaw(
@@ -2523,38 +2501,6 @@ describe('Manifest', () => {
               name: 'pkg2',
             })
           )
-        )
-        .withArgs(
-          '.release-please-manifest.json',
-          'release-please--branches--main--changes--next--components--pkg3'
-        )
-        .resolves(
-          buildGitHubFileRaw(
-            JSON.stringify({
-              'path/c': '3.0.1',
-            })
-          )
-        )
-        .withArgs('path/c/setup.py', 'next')
-        .resolves(
-          buildGitHubFileRaw(
-            `
-name = "pkg3"
-description = "Something"
-version = "3.0.0"
-`
-          )
-        )
-        .withArgs(
-          '.release-please-manifest.json',
-          'release-please--branches--main--changes--next--components--pkg4'
-        )
-        .resolves(
-          buildGitHubFileRaw(
-            JSON.stringify({
-              'path/d': '4.0.1',
-            })
-          )
         );
 
       const findFilesByFilenameAndRefStub = sandbox
@@ -2589,7 +2535,7 @@ version = "3.0.0"
       const pullRequests = await manifest.buildPullRequests(
         [
           {
-            title: 'chore(main): release v6.7.9-alpha.1', // version from title differs from PR manifest
+            title: 'chore(main): release v6.7.9-alpha.1', // version from title differs from expected 4.0.1
             body: 'some content',
             headBranchName:
               'release-please--branches--main--changes--next--components--pkg1',
@@ -2599,7 +2545,7 @@ version = "3.0.0"
             files: [],
           },
           {
-            title: 'chore(main): release v7.8.9', // version from title differs from PR manifest
+            title: 'chore(main): release v7.8.9', // version from title differs from expected 4.0.1
             body: 'some content',
             headBranchName:
               'release-please--branches--main--changes--next--components--pkg2',
@@ -2609,7 +2555,7 @@ version = "3.0.0"
             files: [],
           },
           {
-            title: 'chore(main): release 8.9.0', // version from title differs from PR manifest
+            title: 'chore(main): release 8.9.0', // version from title differs from expected 4.0.1
             body: 'some content',
             headBranchName:
               'release-please--branches--main--changes--next--components--pkg3',
@@ -2619,7 +2565,7 @@ version = "3.0.0"
             files: [],
           },
           {
-            title: 'chore(main): release v9.0.1', // version from title differs from PR manifest
+            title: 'chore(main): release v9.0.1', // version from title differs from expected 4.0.1
             body: 'some content',
             headBranchName:
               'release-please--branches--main--changes--next--components--pkg4',
@@ -2636,9 +2582,9 @@ version = "3.0.0"
       expect(pullRequests[1].version?.toString()).to.eql('7.8.9');
       expect(pullRequests[2].version?.toString()).to.eql('8.9.0');
       expect(pullRequests[3].version?.toString()).to.eql('9.0.1');
-      sinon.assert.called(getFileContentsOnBranchStub);
       sinon.assert.called(addIssueLabelsStub);
       sinon.assert.called(findFilesByFilenameAndRefStub);
+      sinon.assert.called(getFileContentsOnBranchStub);
       expect(commentCount).to.eql(4);
     });