diff --git a/__tests__/commands/version.js b/__tests__/commands/version.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1c3e0ec1d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__tests__/commands/version.js
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+/* @flow */
+
+jest.mock('../../src/util/execute-lifecycle-script');
+jest.mock('../../src/util/child');
+
+import {run as buildRun} from './_helpers.js';
+import {BufferReporter} from '../../src/reporters/index.js';
+import {run} from '../../src/cli/commands/version.js';
+import * as fs from '../../src/util/fs.js';
+import * as reporters from '../../src/reporters/index.js';
+
+jasmine.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_INTERVAL = 90000;
+
+const execCommand: $FlowFixMe = require('../../src/util/execute-lifecycle-script').execCommand;
+
+const path = require('path');
+
+beforeEach(() => execCommand.mockClear());
+
+const fixturesLoc = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'fixtures', 'version');
+const runRun = buildRun.bind(null, BufferReporter, fixturesLoc, (args, flags, config, reporter): Promise<void> => {
+  return run(config, reporter, flags, args);
+});
+
+const oldVersion = '1.0.0';
+const newVersion = '2.0.0';
+
+const gitTagVersion = true;
+
+test('run version with no arguments and --new-version flag', (): Promise<void> => {
+  return runRun([], {newVersion, gitTagVersion}, 'no-args', (config, reporter): ?Promise<void> => {
+    const rprtr = new reporters.BufferReporter({stdout: null, stdin: null});
+
+    // Emulate run output
+    rprtr.info(`${rprtr.lang('currentVersion')}: ${oldVersion}`);
+    rprtr.info(`${rprtr.lang('newVersion')}: ${newVersion}`);
+
+    expect(reporter.getBuffer()).toEqual(rprtr.getBuffer());
+  });
+});
+
+test('run version and make sure all lifecycle steps are executed', (): Promise<void> => {
+  return runRun([], {newVersion, gitTagVersion}, 'no-args', async(config): ?Promise<void> => {
+    const pkg = await fs.readJson(path.join(config.cwd, 'package.json'));
+
+    const preversionLifecycle = ['preversion', config, pkg.scripts.preversion, config.cwd];
+    const versionLifecycle = ['version', config, pkg.scripts.version, config.cwd];
+    const postversionLifecycle = ['postversion', config, pkg.scripts.postversion, config.cwd];
+
+    expect(execCommand.mock.calls.length).toBe(3);
+
+    expect(execCommand.mock.calls[0]).toEqual(preversionLifecycle);
+    expect(execCommand.mock.calls[1]).toEqual(versionLifecycle);
+    expect(execCommand.mock.calls[2]).toEqual(postversionLifecycle);
+  });
+});
+
+test('run version and make sure only the defined lifecycle steps are executed', (): Promise<void> => {
+  return runRun([], {newVersion, gitTagVersion}, 'pre-post', async(config): ?Promise<void> => {
+    const pkg = await fs.readJson(path.join(config.cwd, 'package.json'));
+
+    const preversionLifecycle = ['preversion', config, pkg.scripts.preversion, config.cwd];
+    const postversionLifecycle = ['postversion', config, pkg.scripts.postversion, config.cwd];
+
+    expect(execCommand.mock.calls.length).toBe(2);
+
+    expect(execCommand.mock.calls[0]).toEqual(preversionLifecycle);
+    expect(execCommand.mock.calls[1]).toEqual(postversionLifecycle);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/__tests__/fixtures/version/no-args/package.json b/__tests__/fixtures/version/no-args/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c8c699e438
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__tests__/fixtures/version/no-args/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "license": "BSD-2-Clause",
+  "scripts": {
+    "preversion": "echo preversion",
+    "version": "echo version",
+    "postversion": "echo postversion"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/__tests__/fixtures/version/pre-post/package.json b/__tests__/fixtures/version/pre-post/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..66dcf9c40f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__tests__/fixtures/version/pre-post/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "license": "BSD-2-Clause",
+  "scripts": {
+    "preversion": "echo preversion",
+    "postversion": "echo postversion"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/version.js b/src/cli/commands/version.js
index 6eb834d797..ad3d25cc54 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/version.js
+++ b/src/cli/commands/version.js
@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@
 import type {Reporter} from '../../reporters/index.js';
 import type Config from '../../config.js';
 import {registryNames} from '../../registries/index.js';
+import {execCommand} from '../../util/execute-lifecycle-script.js';
 import {MessageError} from '../../errors.js';
 import {spawn} from '../../util/child.js';
 import * as fs from '../../util/fs.js';
+import map from '../../util/map.js';
 
 const invariant = require('invariant');
 const semver = require('semver');
@@ -31,6 +33,7 @@ export async function setVersion(
 ): Promise<() => Promise<void>> {
   const pkg = await config.readRootManifest();
   const pkgLoc = pkg._loc;
+  const scripts = map();
   let newVersion = flags.newVersion;
   invariant(pkgLoc, 'expected package location');
 
@@ -38,6 +41,19 @@ export async function setVersion(
     throw new MessageError(reporter.lang('invalidVersionArgument', NEW_VERSION_FLAG));
   }
 
+  async function runLifecycle(lifecycle: string): Promise<void> {
+    if (scripts[lifecycle]) {
+      return await execCommand(lifecycle, config, scripts[lifecycle], config.cwd);
+    }
+
+    return Promise.resolve();
+  }
+
+  if (pkg.scripts) {
+    // inherit `scripts` from manifest
+    Object.assign(scripts, pkg.scripts);
+  }
+
   // get old version
   let oldVersion = pkg.version;
   if (oldVersion) {
@@ -77,7 +93,7 @@ export async function setVersion(
     throw new MessageError(reporter.lang('publishSame'));
   }
 
-  await config.executeLifecycleScript('preversion');
+  await runLifecycle('preversion');
 
   // update version
   reporter.info(`${reporter.lang('newVersion')}: ${newVersion}`);
@@ -115,6 +131,9 @@ export async function setVersion(
         parts.pop();
       }
     }
+
+    await runLifecycle('version');
+
     if (isGit) {
       const message = (flags.message || String(config.getOption('version-git-message'))).replace(/%s/g, newVersion);
       const sign: boolean = Boolean(config.getOption('version-sign-git-tag'));
@@ -131,7 +150,7 @@ export async function setVersion(
       await spawn('git', ['tag', `${prefix}${newVersion}`, flag, message]);
     }
 
-    await config.executeLifecycleScript('postversion');
+    await runLifecycle('postversion');
   };
 }