diff --git a/cli/app/rollback.go b/cli/app/rollback.go
index 2f7e67b6..6ffff04b 100644
--- a/cli/app/rollback.go
+++ b/cli/app/rollback.go
@@ -109,15 +109,19 @@ EXAMPLE:
 		if specificVersion != "" {
 			parsedDeployedVersion, err := tagcmp.Parse(deployMeta.Version)
 			if err != nil {
-				log.Fatal(err)
+				log.Fatalf("'%s' is not a known version for %s", deployMeta.Version, app.Recipe.Name)
 			}
 
 			parsedSpecificVersion, err := tagcmp.Parse(specificVersion)
 			if err != nil {
-				log.Fatal(err)
+				log.Fatalf("'%s' is not a known version for %s", specificVersion, app.Recipe.Name)
 			}
 
-			if parsedSpecificVersion.IsGreaterThan(parsedDeployedVersion) || parsedSpecificVersion.Equals(parsedDeployedVersion) {
+			if parsedSpecificVersion.IsGreaterThan(parsedDeployedVersion) && !parsedSpecificVersion.Equals(parsedDeployedVersion) {
+				log.Fatalf("%s is not a downgrade for %s?", deployMeta.Version, specificVersion)
+			}
+
+			if parsedSpecificVersion.Equals(parsedDeployedVersion) && !internal.Force {
 				log.Fatalf("%s is not a downgrade for %s?", deployMeta.Version, specificVersion)
 			}
 
diff --git a/cli/app/upgrade.go b/cli/app/upgrade.go
index e34d537d..74ffef28 100644
--- a/cli/app/upgrade.go
+++ b/cli/app/upgrade.go
@@ -108,15 +108,21 @@ EXAMPLE:
 		if specificVersion != "" {
 			parsedDeployedVersion, err := tagcmp.Parse(deployMeta.Version)
 			if err != nil {
-				log.Fatal(err)
+				log.Fatalf("'%s' is not a known version for %s", deployMeta.Version, app.Recipe.Name)
 			}
 			parsedSpecificVersion, err := tagcmp.Parse(specificVersion)
 			if err != nil {
-				log.Fatal(err)
+				log.Fatalf("'%s' is not a known version for %s", specificVersion, app.Recipe.Name)
 			}
-			if parsedSpecificVersion.IsLessThan(parsedDeployedVersion) || parsedSpecificVersion.Equals(parsedDeployedVersion) {
+
+			if parsedSpecificVersion.IsLessThan(parsedDeployedVersion) && !parsedSpecificVersion.Equals(parsedDeployedVersion) {
 				log.Fatalf("%s is not an upgrade for %s?", deployMeta.Version, specificVersion)
 			}
+
+			if parsedSpecificVersion.Equals(parsedDeployedVersion) && !internal.Force {
+				log.Fatalf("%s is not an upgrade for %s?", deployMeta.Version, specificVersion)
+			}
+
 			availableUpgrades = append(availableUpgrades, specificVersion)
 		}
 
diff --git a/tests/integration/app_rollback.bats b/tests/integration/app_rollback.bats
index 5662336d..f1ec824d 100644
--- a/tests/integration/app_rollback.bats
+++ b/tests/integration/app_rollback.bats
@@ -111,6 +111,26 @@ teardown(){
   assert_output --partial "0.1.0+1.20.0"
 }
 
+# bats test_tags=slow
+@test "force rollback to previous version" {
+  run $ABRA app deploy "$TEST_APP_DOMAIN" "0.1.1+1.20.2" --no-input --no-converge-checks
+  assert_success
+  assert_output --partial '0.1.1+1.20.2'
+
+  run $ABRA app rollback "$TEST_APP_DOMAIN" "0.1.0+1.20.0" --no-input --no-converge-checks
+  assert_success
+  assert_output --partial "0.1.0+1.20.0"
+
+  run $ABRA app rollback "$TEST_APP_DOMAIN" "0.1.0+1.20.0" --no-input --no-converge-checks
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output --partial "not a downgrade"
+
+  run $ABRA app rollback "$TEST_APP_DOMAIN" "0.1.0+1.20.0" \
+    --no-input --no-converge-checks --force
+  assert_success
+  assert_output --partial "0.1.0+1.20.0"
+}
+
 # bats test_tags=slow
 @test "rollback to a version 2 tags behind" {
   run $ABRA app deploy "$TEST_APP_DOMAIN" "0.2.0+1.21.0" --no-input --no-converge-checks
diff --git a/tests/integration/app_upgrade.bats b/tests/integration/app_upgrade.bats
index a970f07b..4bbfd96c 100644
--- a/tests/integration/app_upgrade.bats
+++ b/tests/integration/app_upgrade.bats
@@ -97,6 +97,26 @@ teardown(){
   assert_output --partial '0.2.0+1.21.0'
 }
 
+# bats test_tags=slow
+@test "force upgrade specific version" {
+  run $ABRA app deploy "$TEST_APP_DOMAIN" "0.1.0+1.20.0" --no-input --no-converge-checks
+  assert_success
+  assert_output --partial '0.1.0+1.20.0'
+
+  run $ABRA app upgrade "$TEST_APP_DOMAIN" "0.2.0+1.21.0" --no-input --no-converge-checks
+  assert_success
+  assert_output --partial '0.2.0+1.21.0'
+
+  run $ABRA app upgrade "$TEST_APP_DOMAIN" "0.2.0+1.21.0" --no-input --no-converge-checks
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output --partial 'not an upgrade'
+
+  run $ABRA app upgrade "$TEST_APP_DOMAIN" "0.2.0+1.21.0" \
+    --no-input --no-converge-checks --force
+  assert_success
+  assert_output --partial '0.2.0+1.21.0'
+}
+
 # bats test_tags=slow
 @test "upgrade to latest" {
   run $ABRA app deploy "$TEST_APP_DOMAIN" "0.1.0+1.20.0" --no-input --no-converge-checks