A method for automatically resuming vehicle speed control after a gear change of the vehicle's manual transmission. The method may be implemented as a subroutine in the vehicle's general control software. After disengagement of the clutch, the subroutine suspends the automatic speed control system and then periodically checks to determine if the driver has shifted gears within a predetermined time period. This determination is made by checking to see if the clutch has once again been engaged with the transmission in gear. If this occurs within the predetermined time period, then the control system automatically resumes the speed control of the engine. The determination of whether the transmission has been placed into another gear is made by an examination of calculated gear ratios, rather than by the addition of a hardware sensor.