diff --git a/__snapshots__/php-composer-update-packages.js b/__snapshots__/php-composer-update-packages.js
index aaa6053e1..d72b3eb13 100644
--- a/__snapshots__/php-composer-update-packages.js
+++ b/__snapshots__/php-composer-update-packages.js
@@ -1,17 +1,17 @@
 exports['PHPComposer updateContent does not update a version when version is the same 1'] = `
-{"version":"1.0.0","replace":{"version":"1.0.0"}}
+{"version":"1.0.0","replace":{"my/package":"1.0.0"}}
 `
 
 exports['PHPComposer updateContent update all versions in composer.json 1'] = `
-{"version":"1.0.0","replace":{"version":"1.0.0"}}
+{"version":"1.0.0","replace":{"my/package":"1.0.0"}}
 `
 
-exports['PHPComposer updateContent update replace version in composer.json when version is missing 1'] = `
-{"replace":{"version":"1.0.0"}}
+exports['PHPComposer updateContent update replace package in composer.json when package is missing 1'] = `
+{"replace":{"my/package":"1.0.0"}}
 `
 
-exports['PHPComposer updateContent update replace version in composer.json when version is present 1'] = `
-{"replace":{"version":"1.0.0"}}
+exports['PHPComposer updateContent update replace package in composer.json when package is set in version map 1'] = `
+{"replace":{"my/package":"1.0.0"}}
 `
 
 exports['PHPComposer updateContent update root version in composer.json 1'] = `
diff --git a/__snapshots__/root-composer-update-packages.js b/__snapshots__/root-composer-update-packages.js
index 6f933de3f..c8a210006 100644
--- a/__snapshots__/root-composer-update-packages.js
+++ b/__snapshots__/root-composer-update-packages.js
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+exports['composer-update-package.json updateContent does not update version in composer if it does not exist 1'] = `
+{}
+`
+
 exports['composer-update-package.json updateContent updates all versions in root composer file 1'] = `
 {
     "name": "google/cloud",
@@ -256,3 +260,7 @@ exports['composer-update-package.json updateContent updates all versions in root
 }
 
 `
+
+exports['composer-update-package.json updateContent updates version in composer if it exists 1'] = `
+{"version":"1.0.0"}
+`
diff --git a/src/strategies/php-yoshi.ts b/src/strategies/php-yoshi.ts
index 998d5c978..67a675c92 100644
--- a/src/strategies/php-yoshi.ts
+++ b/src/strategies/php-yoshi.ts
@@ -172,14 +172,11 @@ export class PHPYoshi extends BaseStrategy {
           version,
         }),
       });
-      const directoryVersion: VersionsMap = new Map();
-      directoryVersion.set('version', version);
       updates.push({
         path: this.addPath(`${directory}/composer.json`),
         createIfMissing: false,
         updater: new RootComposerUpdatePackages({
           version,
-          versionsMap: directoryVersion,
         }),
       });
       if (componentInfo.composer.extra?.component?.entry) {
diff --git a/src/strategies/php.ts b/src/strategies/php.ts
index cba6468d9..ccf46047f 100644
--- a/src/strategies/php.ts
+++ b/src/strategies/php.ts
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ export class PHP extends BaseStrategy {
     const updates: Update[] = [];
     const version = options.newVersion;
     const versionsMap: VersionsMap = new Map();
-    versionsMap.set('version', version);
 
     updates.push({
       path: this.addPath(this.changelogPath),
diff --git a/src/updaters/php/root-composer-update-packages.ts b/src/updaters/php/root-composer-update-packages.ts
index c30de2153..b39592dfc 100644
--- a/src/updaters/php/root-composer-update-packages.ts
+++ b/src/updaters/php/root-composer-update-packages.ts
@@ -26,11 +26,17 @@ export class RootComposerUpdatePackages extends DefaultUpdater {
    * @returns {string} The updated content
    */
   updateContent(content: string, logger: Logger = defaultLogger): string {
-    if (!this.versionsMap || this.versionsMap.size === 0) {
+    if (!this.version && (!this.versionsMap || this.versionsMap.size === 0)) {
       logger.info('no updates necessary');
       return content;
     }
     const parsed = JSON.parse(content);
+    if (parsed['version']) {
+      const fromVersion: string = parsed['version'];
+      const toVersion = this.version.toString() || '1.0.0';
+      parsed['version'] = toVersion;
+      logger.info(`updating "version" from ${fromVersion} to ${toVersion}`);
+    }
     if (this.versionsMap) {
       for (const [key, version] of this.versionsMap.entries()) {
         const toVersion = version.toString() || '1.0.0';
diff --git a/test/updaters/php-composer-update-packages.ts b/test/updaters/php-composer-update-packages.ts
index 08059c1ae..7fc9c6369 100644
--- a/test/updaters/php-composer-update-packages.ts
+++ b/test/updaters/php-composer-update-packages.ts
@@ -21,32 +21,34 @@ import {Version, VersionsMap} from '../../src/version';
 describe('PHPComposer', () => {
   describe('updateContent', () => {
     it('does not update a version when version is the same', async () => {
-      const oldContent = '{"version":"1.0.0","replace":{"version":"1.0.0"}}';
+      const oldContent = '{"version":"1.0.0","replace":{"my/package":"1.0.0"}}';
 
       const version = Version.parse('1.0.0');
 
       const versionsMap: VersionsMap = new Map();
 
+      versionsMap.set('my/package', version);
+
       const newContent = new RootComposerUpdatePackages({
         version,
         versionsMap,
       }).updateContent(oldContent);
 
       expect(newContent).to.eq(
-        '{"version":"1.0.0","replace":{"version":"1.0.0"}}'
+        '{"version":"1.0.0","replace":{"my/package":"1.0.0"}}'
       );
 
       snapshot(newContent);
     });
 
     it('update all versions in composer.json', async () => {
-      const oldContent = '{"version":"0.0.0","replace":{"version":"0.0.0"}}';
+      const oldContent = '{"version":"0.0.0","replace":{"my/package":"0.0.0"}}';
 
       const version = Version.parse('1.0.0');
 
       const versionsMap: VersionsMap = new Map();
 
-      versionsMap.set('version', version);
+      versionsMap.set('my/package', version);
 
       const newContent = new RootComposerUpdatePackages({
         version,
@@ -54,7 +56,7 @@ describe('PHPComposer', () => {
       }).updateContent(oldContent);
 
       expect(newContent).to.eq(
-        '{"version":"1.0.0","replace":{"version":"1.0.0"}}'
+        '{"version":"1.0.0","replace":{"my/package":"1.0.0"}}'
       );
 
       snapshot(newContent);
@@ -79,40 +81,40 @@ describe('PHPComposer', () => {
       snapshot(newContent);
     });
 
-    it('update replace version in composer.json when version is present', async () => {
-      const oldContent = '{"replace":{"version":"0.0.0"}}';
+    it('update replace package in composer.json when package is set in version map', async () => {
+      const oldContent = '{"replace":{"my/package":"0.0.0"}}';
 
       const version = Version.parse('1.0.0');
 
       const versionsMap: VersionsMap = new Map();
 
-      versionsMap.set('version', version);
+      versionsMap.set('my/package', version);
 
       const newContent = new RootComposerUpdatePackages({
         version,
         versionsMap,
       }).updateContent(oldContent);
 
-      expect(newContent).to.eq('{"replace":{"version":"1.0.0"}}');
+      expect(newContent).to.eq('{"replace":{"my/package":"1.0.0"}}');
 
       snapshot(newContent);
     });
 
-    it('update replace version in composer.json when version is missing', async () => {
+    it('update replace package in composer.json when package is missing', async () => {
       const oldContent = '{"replace":{}}';
 
       const version = Version.parse('1.0.0');
 
       const versionsMap: VersionsMap = new Map();
 
-      versionsMap.set('version', version);
+      versionsMap.set('my/package', version);
 
       const newContent = new RootComposerUpdatePackages({
         version,
         versionsMap,
       }).updateContent(oldContent);
 
-      expect(newContent).to.eq('{"replace":{"version":"1.0.0"}}');
+      expect(newContent).to.eq('{"replace":{"my/package":"1.0.0"}}');
 
       snapshot(newContent);
     });
diff --git a/test/updaters/root-composer-update-packages.ts b/test/updaters/root-composer-update-packages.ts
index dbf59f8ae..b87b1931c 100644
--- a/test/updaters/root-composer-update-packages.ts
+++ b/test/updaters/root-composer-update-packages.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {readFileSync} from 'fs';
 import {resolve} from 'path';
 import * as snapshot from 'snap-shot-it';
 import {describe, it} from 'mocha';
+import {expect} from 'chai';
 import {RootComposerUpdatePackages} from '../../src/updaters/php/root-composer-update-packages';
 import {Version} from '../../src/version';
 
@@ -38,5 +39,21 @@ describe('composer-update-package.json', () => {
       const newContent = composer.updateContent(oldContent);
       snapshot(newContent);
     });
+    it('updates version in composer if it exists', async () => {
+      const composer = new RootComposerUpdatePackages({
+        version: Version.parse('1.0.0'),
+      });
+      const newContent = composer.updateContent('{"version": "0.8.0"}');
+      expect(newContent).to.eql('{"version":"1.0.0"}');
+      snapshot(newContent);
+    });
+    it('does not update version in composer if it does not exist', async () => {
+      const composer = new RootComposerUpdatePackages({
+        version: Version.parse('1.0.0'),
+      });
+      const newContent = composer.updateContent('{}');
+      expect(newContent).to.eql('{}');
+      snapshot(newContent);
+    });
   });
 });