diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b7d038f..ddf8960 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -186,8 +186,23 @@ vertex
 
 #### Pipelines
 
-You file `{pipeline_name}.py` must contain a function called `pipeline` decorated using `kfp.dsl.pipeline`.
-
+You file `{pipeline_name}.py` must contain a function called `{pipeline_name}` decorated using `kfp.dsl.pipeline`.
+In previous versions, the functions / object used to be called `pipeline` but it was changed to `{pipeline_name}` to avoid confusion with the `kfp.dsl.pipeline` decorator.
+
+```python
+# vertex/pipelines/dummy_pipeline.py
+import kfp.dsl
+
+# New name to avoid confusion with the kfp.dsl.pipeline decorator
+@kfp.dsl.pipeline()
+def dummy_pipeline():
+    ...
+
+# Old name
+@kfp.dsl.pipeline()
+def pipeline():
+    ...
+```
 
 #### Configs
 
diff --git a/deployer/cli.py b/deployer/cli.py
index 6720957..7def058 100644
--- a/deployer/cli.py
+++ b/deployer/cli.py
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ def check(
     Checking that a pipeline is valid includes:
 
     * Checking that the pipeline can be imported. It must be a valid python module with a
-    `pipeline` function decorated with `@kfp.dsl.pipeline`.
+    `{pipeline_name}` function decorated with `@kfp.dsl.pipeline`.
 
     * Checking that the pipeline can be compiled using `kfp.compiler.Compiler`.
 
diff --git a/deployer/pipeline_checks.py b/deployer/pipeline_checks.py
index bcd0f89..9352d21 100644
--- a/deployer/pipeline_checks.py
+++ b/deployer/pipeline_checks.py
@@ -70,8 +70,12 @@ def populate_config_names(cls, data: Any) -> Any:
     @computed_field
     def pipeline(self) -> Any:
         """Import pipeline"""
-        with disable_logger("deployer.utils.utils"):
-            return import_pipeline_from_dir(PIPELINE_ROOT_PATH, self.pipeline_name.value)
+        if getattr(self, "_pipeline", None) is None:
+            with disable_logger("deployer.utils.utils"):
+                self._pipeline = import_pipeline_from_dir(
+                    PIPELINE_ROOT_PATH, self.pipeline_name.value
+                )
+        return self._pipeline
 
     @model_validator(mode="after")
     def import_pipeline(self):
diff --git a/deployer/utils/utils.py b/deployer/utils/utils.py
index 511a867..1879307 100644
--- a/deployer/utils/utils.py
+++ b/deployer/utils/utils.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import importlib
+import warnings
 from enum import Enum
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Dict, Optional
@@ -40,11 +41,22 @@ def import_pipeline_from_dir(dirpath: Path, pipeline_name: str) -> graph_compone
         ) from e
 
     try:
-        pipeline: Optional[graph_component.GraphComponent] = pipeline_module.pipeline
+        pipeline: Optional[graph_component.GraphComponent]
+        pipeline = getattr(pipeline_module, pipeline_name, None)
+        if pipeline is None:
+            pipeline = pipeline_module.pipeline
+            warnings.warn(
+                f"Pipeline in `{module_path}` is named `pipeline` instead of `{pipeline_name}`. "
+                "This is deprecated and will be removed in a future version. "
+                f"Please rename your pipeline to `{pipeline_name}`.",
+                FutureWarning,
+                stacklevel=1,
+            )
     except AttributeError as e:
         raise ImportError(
-            f"Pipeline {module_path}:pipeline not found. "
+            f"Pipeline object not found in `{module_path}`. "
             "Please check that the pipeline is correctly defined and named."
+            f"It should be named `{pipeline_name}` or `pipeline` (deprecated)."
         ) from e
 
     logger.debug(f"Pipeline {module_path} imported successfully.")
diff --git a/example/vertex/pipelines/broken_pipeline.py b/example/vertex/pipelines/broken_pipeline.py
index 28d7e8d..5ccba5b 100644
--- a/example/vertex/pipelines/broken_pipeline.py
+++ b/example/vertex/pipelines/broken_pipeline.py
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@
 
 
 @kfp.dsl.pipeline(name="broken-pipeline")
-def pipeline(name: str):
+def broken_pipeline(name: str):
     """This pipeline is broken!"""
     broken_component(name=name)
diff --git a/example/vertex/pipelines/dummy_pipeline.py b/example/vertex/pipelines/dummy_pipeline.py
index c150c05..802d7ea 100644
--- a/example/vertex/pipelines/dummy_pipeline.py
+++ b/example/vertex/pipelines/dummy_pipeline.py
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@
 
 
 @kfp.dsl.pipeline(name="dummy-pipeline")
-def pipeline(name: str):
+def dummy_pipeline(name: str):
     """This pipeline prints hello {name}"""
     dummy_component(name=name)