diff --git a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/versions/AbstractVersionsUpdaterMojo.java b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/versions/AbstractVersionsUpdaterMojo.java
index 8babe9d49a..234cf25b9a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/versions/AbstractVersionsUpdaterMojo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/versions/AbstractVersionsUpdaterMojo.java
@@ -409,6 +409,10 @@ protected abstract void update( ModifiedPomXMLEventReader pom )
         throws MojoExecutionException, MojoFailureException, XMLStreamException, ArtifactMetadataRetrievalException;
 
     /**
+     * @deprecated
+     *  This method no longer supported.
+     *  use shouldApplyUpdate( Artifact artifact, String currentVersion, ArtifactVersion updateVersion, Boolean forceUpdate )
+     *
      * Returns <code>true</code> if the update should be applied.
      *
      * @param artifact The artifact.
@@ -417,10 +421,31 @@ protected abstract void update( ModifiedPomXMLEventReader pom )
      * @return <code>true</code> if the update should be applied.
      * @since 1.0-alpha-1
      */
+    @Deprecated
     protected boolean shouldApplyUpdate( Artifact artifact, String currentVersion, ArtifactVersion updateVersion )
+    {
+        return shouldApplyUpdate(artifact,currentVersion,updateVersion,false);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns <code>true</code> if the update should be applied.
+     *
+     * @param artifact The artifact.
+     * @param currentVersion The current version of the artifact.
+     * @param updateVersion The proposed new version of the artifact.
+     * @return <code>true</code> if the update should be applied to the pom.
+     * @since 2.9
+     */
+    protected boolean shouldApplyUpdate( Artifact artifact, String currentVersion, ArtifactVersion updateVersion, boolean forceUpdate )
     {
         getLog().debug( "Proposal is to update from " + currentVersion + " to " + updateVersion );
 
+        if ( forceUpdate )
+        {
+            getLog().info( "Force update enabled. LATEST or RELEASE versions will be overwritten with real version" );
+            return true;
+        }
+
         if ( updateVersion == null )
         {
             getLog().warn( "Not updating version: could not resolve any versions" );
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/versions/UpdateParentMojo.java b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/versions/UpdateParentMojo.java
index 840c6a0340..57335e6b95 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/versions/UpdateParentMojo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/versions/UpdateParentMojo.java
@@ -54,6 +54,14 @@ public class UpdateParentMojo
     @Parameter( property = "parentVersion", defaultValue = "null" )
     protected String parentVersion = null;
 
+    /**
+     * to update parent version by force when it is RELEASE or LATEST
+     *
+     * @since 2.9
+     */
+    @Parameter( property = "forceUpdate", defaultValue = "false" )
+    protected boolean forceUpdate = false;
+
     // -------------------------- OTHER METHODS --------------------------
 
     /**
@@ -111,7 +119,7 @@ protected void update( ModifiedPomXMLEventReader pom )
             throw new MojoExecutionException( e.getMessage(), e );
         }
 
-        if ( !shouldApplyUpdate( artifact, currentVersion, artifactVersion ) )
+        if ( !shouldApplyUpdate( artifact, currentVersion, artifactVersion, forceUpdate ) )
         {
             return;
         }
@@ -124,4 +132,4 @@ protected void update( ModifiedPomXMLEventReader pom )
         }
     }
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}