diff --git a/tools/commands-packages.js b/tools/commands-packages.js
index 4ae9185628..a4dca92998 100644
--- a/tools/commands-packages.js
+++ b/tools/commands-packages.js
@@ -1050,11 +1050,10 @@ main.registerCommand({
   }
 
   // Update the packages to the latest version. We don't do this for patch
-  // releases.
-  //
-  // XXX: Can we figure out if we got here with update --release foo,
-  // or just with update?
-  if (!options['patch']) {
+  // releases, or if you specified the release with a --release flag.  (Why?
+  // Because it sure seems like you probably care about the release at that
+  // point, that's what --release would look like anyway)
+  if (!options['patch'] && !release.explicit) {
     // We can't update packages when we are not in a release.
     if (!options.appDir) return 0;
 
diff --git a/tools/main.js b/tools/main.js
index 1884ec6d55..4a0747a251 100644
--- a/tools/main.js
+++ b/tools/main.js
@@ -659,6 +659,7 @@ Fiber(function () {
 
   var releaseOverride = null;
   var releaseForced = false;
+  var releaseExplicit = false;
   if (_.has(rawOptions, '--release')) {
     if (rawOptions['--release'].length > 1) {
       process.stderr.write(
@@ -676,6 +677,13 @@ Fiber(function () {
     }
     delete rawOptions['--release'];
   }
+
+  // Let's keep track of whether this is an explicit release, due to different
+  // update behavior.
+  if (releaseOverride) {
+   releaseExplicit = true;
+  }
+
   if (_.has(process.env, 'METEOR_SPRINGBOARD_RELEASE')) {
     // See #SpringboardEnvironmentVar
     // Note that this does *NOT* cause release.forced to be true.
@@ -788,7 +796,7 @@ Fiber(function () {
       throw e;
     }
 
-    release.setCurrent(rel, releaseForced);
+    release.setCurrent(rel, releaseForced, releaseExplicit);
   }
 
   // If we're not running the correct version of the tools for this
diff --git a/tools/release.js b/tools/release.js
index 0c4d88381a..97fcbd8169 100644
--- a/tools/release.js
+++ b/tools/release.js
@@ -163,6 +163,10 @@ release.current = null;
 // a checkin.) null if release.current is null.
 release.forced = null;
 
+// True if the release was explicitly specified by the user with the --release
+// flag. Useful for update semantics.
+release.explicit = null;
+
 // True if release.current is the release we'd use if we wanted to run the app
 // in the current project. (taking into account release.forced and whether we're
 // currently running from a checkout).
@@ -259,12 +263,14 @@ release.load = function (name, options) {
 // - releaseObject: a Release as returned from release.load()
 // - forced: true if the chosen release was forced from the command
 //   line (by the user or by the update springboard).
-release.setCurrent = function (releaseObject, forced) {
+// - explicit: true if the release was specifically requested by the user.
+release.setCurrent = function (releaseObject, forced, explicit) {
   if (release.current)
     throw new Error("release set twice?");
 
   release.current = releaseObject;
   release.forced = !! forced;
+  release.explicit = !! explicit;
 };
 
 // XXX hack
@@ -281,4 +287,3 @@ release._setCurrentForOldTest = function () {
 // new packaging world.  (It may still exist in the pre-0.9.0 packaging world.)
 release.NoSuchReleaseError = function () {
 };
-