diff --git a/src/tito/cli.py b/src/tito/cli.py
index 162f432..4f59f7b 100644
--- a/src/tito/cli.py
+++ b/src/tito/cli.py
@@ -500,6 +500,8 @@ class TagModule(BaseCliModule):
                 action="store_true",
                 help=("Use spec file version/release exactly as "
                     "specified in spec file to tag package."))
+        self.parser.add_option("--use-version", dest="use_version",
+                help=("Update the spec file with the specified version."))
 
         self.parser.add_option("--no-auto-changelog", action="store_true",
                 default=False,
@@ -532,7 +534,9 @@ class TagModule(BaseCliModule):
                 None, None)
 
         tagger_class = None
-        if self.pkg_config.has_option("buildconfig", "tagger"):
+        if self.options.use_version:
+            tagger_class = get_class_by_name("tito.tagger.ForceVersionTagger")
+        elif self.pkg_config.has_option("buildconfig", "tagger"):
             tagger_class = get_class_by_name(self.pkg_config.get("buildconfig",
                 "tagger"))
         else:
@@ -550,7 +554,9 @@ class TagModule(BaseCliModule):
         except TitoException, e:
             error_out(e.message)
 
-
+    def _validate_options(self):
+        if self.options.keep_version and self.options.use_version:
+            error_out("Cannot combine --keep-version and --use-version")
 
 class InitModule(BaseCliModule):
     """ CLI Module for initializing a project for use with tito. """
diff --git a/src/tito/tagger.py b/src/tito/tagger.py
index 4078e88..603aa91 100644
--- a/src/tito/tagger.py
+++ b/src/tito/tagger.py
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ class VersionTagger(object):
             self._accept_auto_changelog=True
         if options.auto_changelog_msg:
             self._new_changelog_msg = options.auto_changelog_msg
+        if options.use_version:
+            self._use_version = options.use_version
 
         # Only two paths through the tagger module right now:
         if options.undo:
@@ -303,7 +305,7 @@ class VersionTagger(object):
         relative = current_dir[len(git_root) + 1:] + "/"
         return relative
 
-    def _bump_version(self, release=False, zstream=False):
+    def _bump_version(self, release=False, zstream=False, force=False):
         """
         Bump up the package version in the spec file.
 
@@ -337,6 +339,20 @@ class VersionTagger(object):
                                         , increase_zstream(match.group(2))
                                         , "\n"
                         ))
+                elif force:
+                    match = re.match(version_regex, line)
+                    if match:
+                        line = "".join((match.group(1)
+                                        , self._use_version
+                                        , "\n"
+                        ))
+
+                    match = re.match(release_regex, line)
+                    if match:
+                        line = "".join((match.group(1)
+                                        , reset_release(match.group(2))
+                                        , "\n"
+                        ))
                 else:
                     match = re.match(version_regex, line)
                     if match:
@@ -508,3 +524,20 @@ class ReleaseTagger(VersionTagger):
     def release_type(self):
         """ return short string "minor release" """
         return "minor release"
+
+class ForceVersionTagger(VersionTagger):
+    """
+    Tagger which forcibly updates the spec file to a version provided on the
+    command line by the --use-version option.
+    """
+
+    def _tag_release(self):
+        """
+        Tag a new release of the package.
+        """
+        self._make_changelog()
+        new_version = self._bump_version(force=True)
+        self._check_tag_does_not_exist(self._get_new_tag(new_version))
+        self._update_changelog(new_version)
+        self._update_setup_py(new_version)
+        self._update_package_metadata(new_version)
diff --git a/test/functional/singleproject_tests.py b/test/functional/singleproject_tests.py
index 96c832e..533a351 100644
--- a/test/functional/singleproject_tests.py
+++ b/test/functional/singleproject_tests.py
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ class SingleProjectTests(TitoGitTestFixture):
         tito("tag --accept-auto-changelog --debug")
         check_tag_exists("%s-0.0.2-1" % PKG_NAME, offline=True)
 
+    def test_tag_with_version(self):
+        tito("tag --accept-auto-changelog --debug --use-version 9.0.0")
+        check_tag_exists("%s-9.0.0-1" % PKG_NAME, offline=True)
+
     def test_undo_tag(self):
         commit = self.repo.heads.master.commit
         tito("tag --accept-auto-changelog --debug")