diff --git a/addlicense/main.go b/addlicense/main.go
index c0e8963..59a2150 100644
--- a/addlicense/main.go
+++ b/addlicense/main.go
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ Flags:
 var (
 	skipExtensionFlags stringSlice
 	ignorePatterns     stringSlice
-	spdx               spdxFlag
+	spdx               SpdxFlag
 
 	holder    = flag.String("c", "Google LLC", "copyright holder")
 	license   = flag.String("l", "apache", "license type: apache, bsd, mit, mpl")
@@ -85,22 +85,22 @@ func (i *stringSlice) Set(value string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// spdxFlag defines the line flag behavior for specifying SPDX support.
-type spdxFlag string
+// SpdxFlag defines the line flag behavior for specifying SPDX support.
+type SpdxFlag string
 
 const (
-	spdxOff  spdxFlag = ""
-	spdxOn   spdxFlag = "true" // value set by flag package on bool flag
-	spdxOnly spdxFlag = "only"
+	spdxOff  SpdxFlag = ""
+	spdxOn   SpdxFlag = "true" // value set by flag package on bool flag
+	spdxOnly SpdxFlag = "only"
 )
 
 // IsBoolFlag causes a bare '-s' flag to be set as the string 'true'.  This
 // allows the use of the bare '-s' or setting a string '-s=only'.
-func (i *spdxFlag) IsBoolFlag() bool { return true }
-func (i *spdxFlag) String() string   { return string(*i) }
+func (i *SpdxFlag) IsBoolFlag() bool { return true }
+func (i *SpdxFlag) String() string   { return string(*i) }
 
-func (i *spdxFlag) Set(value string) error {
-	v := spdxFlag(value)
+func (i *SpdxFlag) Set(value string) error {
+	v := SpdxFlag(value)
 	if v != spdxOn && v != spdxOnly {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error: flag 's' expects '%v' or '%v'", spdxOn, spdxOnly)
 	}
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ func validatePatterns(patterns []string) error {
 // Run executes addLicense with supplied variables
 func Run(
 	ignorePatternList []string,
-	spdx spdxFlag,
+	spdx SpdxFlag,
 	license LicenseData,
 	licenseFileOverride string, // Provide a file to use as the license header
 	verbose bool,
@@ -453,5 +453,6 @@ func hasLicense(b []byte) bool {
 	}
 	return bytes.Contains(bytes.ToLower(b[:n]), []byte("copyright")) ||
 		bytes.Contains(bytes.ToLower(b[:n]), []byte("mozilla public")) ||
-		bytes.Contains(bytes.ToLower(b[:n]), []byte("spdx-license-identifier"))
+		bytes.Contains(bytes.ToLower(b[:n]), []byte("spdx-license-identifier")) ||
+		bytes.Contains(bytes.ToLower(b[:n]), []byte("©"))
 }
diff --git a/addlicense/main_test.go b/addlicense/main_test.go
index bc5f098..ae79d6c 100644
--- a/addlicense/main_test.go
+++ b/addlicense/main_test.go
@@ -407,6 +407,7 @@ func TestHasLicense(t *testing.T) {
 		{"Subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public License", true},
 		{"SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT", true},
 		{"spdx-license-identifier: MIT", true},
+		{"© 2000 Acme Inc.", true},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
diff --git a/addlicense/tmpl.go b/addlicense/tmpl.go
index 8eba269..6646657 100644
--- a/addlicense/tmpl.go
+++ b/addlicense/tmpl.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ type LicenseData struct {
 // optional templateFile. If templateFile is provided, the license is read
 // from the specified file. Otherwise, a template is loaded for the specified
 // license, if recognized.
-func fetchTemplate(license string, templateFile string, spdx spdxFlag) (string, error) {
+func fetchTemplate(license string, templateFile string, spdx SpdxFlag) (string, error) {
 	var t string
 	if spdx == spdxOnly {
 		t = tmplSPDX
diff --git a/addlicense/tmpl_test.go b/addlicense/tmpl_test.go
index 93635cc..56c8e74 100644
--- a/addlicense/tmpl_test.go
+++ b/addlicense/tmpl_test.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func TestFetchTemplate(t *testing.T) {
 		description  string   // test case description
 		license      string   // license passed to fetchTemplate
 		templateFile string   // templatefile passed to fetchTemplate
-		spdx         spdxFlag // spdx value passed to fetchTemplate
+		spdx         SpdxFlag // spdx value passed to fetchTemplate
 		wantTemplate string   // expected returned template
 		wantErr      error    // expected returned error
 	}{
diff --git a/cmd/headers.go b/cmd/headers.go
index 7cae659..8ba6578 100644
--- a/cmd/headers.go
+++ b/cmd/headers.go
@@ -97,6 +97,29 @@ config, see the "copywrite init" command.`,
 			SPDXID: conf.Project.License,
 		}
 
+		// By default force addlicense's SDPX template
+		var useSPDX addlicense.SpdxFlag = "only"
+
+		// If custom license template is configured, create a temporary file
+		// and write template to it
+		licenseFile := ""
+		if conf.Project.LicenseTemplate != "" {
+			errMsg := "Failed to create a temporary file for custom license template: %v\n\n"
+			if f, e := os.CreateTemp("", "copywrite-custom-license.tpl"); e == nil {
+				licenseFile = f.Name()
+				useSPDX = "" // Don't force SPDX template in case of custom template
+				defer os.Remove(f.Name())
+				if _, e := f.WriteString(conf.Project.LicenseTemplate); e != nil {
+					cmd.Print(text.FgRed.Sprintf(errMsg, e))
+					return
+				}
+				f.Close()
+			} else {
+				cmd.Print(text.FgRed.Sprintf(errMsg, e))
+				return
+			}
+		}
+
 		verbose := true
 
 		// Wrap hclogger to use standard lib's log.Logger
@@ -113,7 +136,7 @@ config, see the "copywrite init" command.`,
 		// return a non-zero error code.
 
 		gha.StartGroup("The following files are missing headers:")
-		err := addlicense.Run(ignoredPatterns, "only", licenseData, "", verbose, plan, []string{"."}, stdcliLogger)
+		err := addlicense.Run(ignoredPatterns, useSPDX, licenseData, licenseFile, verbose, plan, []string{"."}, stdcliLogger)
 		gha.EndGroup()
 
 		cobra.CheckErr(err)
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 1b70f03..68962dc 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ type Project struct {
 	CopyrightHolder string   `koanf:"copyright_holder"`
 	HeaderIgnore    []string `koanf:"header_ignore"`
 	License         string   `koanf:"license"`
+	LicenseTemplate string   `koanf:"license_template"`
 
 	// Upstream is optional and only used if a given repo pulls from another
 	Upstream string `koanf:"upstream"`