Lateral manipulation of a halosubstituted aromatic thiol (p-bromothiophenol) by use of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) operated at cryogenic temperatures is always associated with the alignment of the molecule in the translation direction. Tip-height traces acquired during lateral manipulation yield further insight into the dynamic behavior of the molecule. CO-functionalization of the STM tip renders imaging conditions more stable by reducing the attractive interaction between the tip and the thiol. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.