diff --git a/packages/constraint-solver/input-tests.js b/packages/constraint-solver/input-tests.js
index dbb8b011ab..29c3e700ee 100644
--- a/packages/constraint-solver/input-tests.js
+++ b/packages/constraint-solver/input-tests.js
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ Tinytest.add("constraint solver - input - don't break root dep", function (test)
         "bar 2.0.1": []
       }
     }
-  }, 'Breaking change required to top-level dependency: bar 2.0.0, was 2.0.1.\nConstraints on package "bar":\n* bar@=2.0.0 <- foo 1.0.0\n\nTo allow breaking changes to top-level dependencies, you must pass --allow-incompatible-update to meteor [run], update, add, or remove.');
+  }, 'Potentially incompatible change required to top-level dependency: bar 2.0.0, was 2.0.1.\nConstraints on package "bar":\n* bar@=2.0.0 <- foo 1.0.0\n\nTo allow potentially incompatible changes to top-level dependencies, you must pass --allow-incompatible-update on the command line.');
 });
 
 Tinytest.add("constraint solver - input - don't pick RCs", function (test) {
diff --git a/packages/constraint-solver/solver.js b/packages/constraint-solver/solver.js
index d8e166e99d..e5a5fd7d86 100644
--- a/packages/constraint-solver/solver.js
+++ b/packages/constraint-solver/solver.js
@@ -713,12 +713,13 @@ CS.Solver.prototype.getSolution = function (options) {
              var pv = CS.PackageAndVersion.fromString(pvStr);
              var prevVersion = input.previousSolution[pv.package];
              self.errors.push(
-               'Breaking change required to top-level dependency: ' +
+               'Potentially incompatible change required to top-level dependency: ' +
                  pvStr + ', was ' + prevVersion + '.\n' +
                  self.listConstraintsOnPackage(pv.package));
            });
-    self.errors.push('To allow breaking changes to top-level dependencies, you ' +
-                     'must pass --allow-incompatible-update to meteor [run], update, add, or remove.');
+    self.errors.push('To allow potentially incompatible changes to top-level ' +
+                     'dependencies, you must pass --allow-incompatible-update ' +
+                     'on the command line.');
     self.throwAnyErrors();
   }
 
diff --git a/tools/commands-packages.js b/tools/commands-packages.js
index ea37633d98..ab0d0cabef 100644
--- a/tools/commands-packages.js
+++ b/tools/commands-packages.js
@@ -112,14 +112,18 @@ var formatArchitecture = function (s) {
 // whenever necessary!
 main.registerCommand({
   name: '--get-ready',
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: false })
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: false }),
+  options: {
+    'allow-incompatible-update': { type: Boolean }
+  }
 }, function (options) {
   // If we're in an app, make sure that we can build the current app. Otherwise
   // just make sure that we can build some fake app.
   var projectContext = new projectContextModule.ProjectContext({
     projectDir: options.appDir || files.mkdtemp('meteor-get-ready'),
     neverWriteProjectConstraintsFile: true,
-    neverWritePackageMap: true
+    neverWritePackageMap: true,
+    allowIncompatibleUpdate: options['allow-incompatible-update']
   });
   main.captureAndExit("=> Errors while initializing project:", function () {
     projectContext.initializeCatalog();
@@ -157,10 +161,14 @@ main.registerCommand({
 main.registerCommand({
   name: '--prepare-app',
   requiresApp: true,
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.Never()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.Never(),
+  options: {
+    'allow-incompatible-update': { type: Boolean }
+  }
 }, function (options) {
   var projectContext = new projectContextModule.ProjectContext({
-    projectDir: options.appDir
+    projectDir: options.appDir,
+    allowIncompatibleUpdate: options['allow-incompatible-update']
   });
   main.captureAndExit("=> Errors while initializing project:", function () {
     projectContext.prepareProjectForBuild();
diff --git a/tools/commands.js b/tools/commands.js
index c63daa6bb3..99077cace3 100644
--- a/tools/commands.js
+++ b/tools/commands.js
@@ -712,7 +712,8 @@ var buildCommands = {
     server: { type: String },
     // XXX COMPAT WITH 0.9.2.2
     "mobile-port": { type: String },
-    verbose: { type: Boolean, short: "v" }
+    verbose: { type: Boolean, short: "v" },
+    'allow-incompatible-update': { type: Boolean }
   },
   catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.Never()
 };
@@ -761,7 +762,8 @@ var buildCommand = function (options) {
 
   var projectContext = new projectContextModule.ProjectContext({
     projectDir: options.appDir,
-    serverArchitectures: _.uniq([bundleArch, archinfo.host()])
+    serverArchitectures: _.uniq([bundleArch, archinfo.host()]),
+    allowIncompatibleUpdate: options['allow-incompatible-update']
   });
 
   main.captureAndExit("=> Errors while initializing project:", function () {
@@ -1078,7 +1080,8 @@ main.registerCommand({
     // it contains binary packages that should be incompatible. A hack to allow
     // people to deploy from checkout or do other weird shit. We are not
     // responsible for the consequences.
-    'override-architecture-with-local' : { type: Boolean }
+    'override-architecture-with-local' : { type: Boolean },
+    'allow-incompatible-update': { type: Boolean }
   },
   requiresApp: function (options) {
     return ! options.delete;
@@ -1125,7 +1128,8 @@ main.registerCommand({
 
   var projectContext = new projectContextModule.ProjectContext({
     projectDir: options.appDir,
-    serverArchitectures: _.uniq([buildArch, archinfo.host()])
+    serverArchitectures: _.uniq([buildArch, archinfo.host()]),
+    allowIncompatibleUpdate: options['allow-incompatible-update']
   });
 
   main.captureAndExit("=> Errors while initializing project:", function () {
diff --git a/tools/help.txt b/tools/help.txt
index 17c04f7a77..c8d5376389 100644
--- a/tools/help.txt
+++ b/tools/help.txt
@@ -296,6 +296,10 @@ Options:
                       developer machine's architecture. Valid architectures
                       include os.osx.x86_64, os.linux.x86_64, and
                       os.linux.x86_32.
+  --allow-incompatible-update   Allow packages in your project to be upgraded or
+                      downgraded to versions that are potentially incompatible
+                      with the current versions, if required to satisfy all
+                      package version constraints.
 
 
 >>> shell
@@ -379,6 +383,10 @@ Options:
   --delete, -D  permanently delete this deployment
   --debug       deploy in debug mode (don't minify, etc)
   --settings    set optional data for Meteor.settings
+  --allow-incompatible-update   Allow packages in your project to be upgraded or
+                downgraded to versions that are potentially incompatible with
+                the current versions, if required to satisfy all package version
+                constraints.
 
 
 >>> logs