diff --git a/src/check_release.rs b/src/check_release.rs
index 6f4e126c..c6d456b2 100644
--- a/src/check_release.rs
+++ b/src/check_release.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use trustfall_rustdoc::{VersionedCrate, VersionedIndexedCrate, VersionedRustdocA
 
 use crate::{
     query::{ActualSemverUpdate, RequiredSemverUpdate, SemverQuery},
-    GlobalConfig,
+    GlobalConfig, ReleaseType,
 };
 
 type QueryResultItem = BTreeMap<Arc<str>, FieldValue>;
@@ -83,11 +83,14 @@ pub(super) fn run_check_release(
     crate_name: &str,
     current_crate: VersionedCrate,
     baseline_crate: VersionedCrate,
+    release_type: Option<ReleaseType>,
 ) -> anyhow::Result<bool> {
     let current_version = current_crate.crate_version();
     let baseline_version = baseline_crate.crate_version();
 
-    let version_change = classify_semver_version_change(current_version, baseline_version)
+    let version_change = release_type
+        .map(Into::into)
+        .or_else(|| classify_semver_version_change(current_version, baseline_version))
         .unwrap_or_else(|| {
             config
                 .shell_warn(
@@ -102,6 +105,10 @@ pub(super) fn run_check_release(
         ActualSemverUpdate::Patch => "patch",
         ActualSemverUpdate::NotChanged => "no",
     };
+    let assume = match release_type {
+        Some(_) => "assume ",
+        None => "",
+    };
 
     let queries = SemverQuery::all_queries();
 
@@ -119,9 +126,10 @@ pub(super) fn run_check_release(
     config.shell_status(
         "Checking",
         format_args!(
-            "{crate_name} v{} -> v{} ({} change)",
+            "{crate_name} v{} -> v{} ({}{} change)",
             baseline_version.unwrap_or("unknown"),
             current_version.unwrap_or("unknown"),
+            assume,
             change
         ),
     )?;
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index fef1989c..2b53ed18 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ use rustdoc_cmd::RustdocCommand;
 use semver::Version;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 
-use clap::{Args, Parser, Subcommand};
+use clap::{Args, Parser, Subcommand, ValueEnum};
 use trustfall_rustdoc::{load_rustdoc, VersionedCrate};
 
 use crate::{check_release::run_check_release, config::GlobalConfig, util::slugify};
@@ -143,7 +143,13 @@ fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
                     baseline_highest_allowed_version,
                 )?;
 
-                let success = run_check_release(&mut config, name, current_crate, baseline_crate)?;
+                let success = run_check_release(
+                    &mut config,
+                    name,
+                    current_crate,
+                    baseline_crate,
+                    args.release_type,
+                )?;
                 vec![Ok(success)]
             } else {
                 let metadata = args.manifest.metadata().exec()?;
@@ -184,6 +190,7 @@ fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
                                 crate_name,
                                 current_crate,
                                 baseline_crate,
+                                args.release_type,
                             )?)
                         }
                     })
@@ -243,6 +250,13 @@ fn generate_versioned_crates(
     Ok((current_crate, baseline_crate))
 }
 
+#[derive(ValueEnum, Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
+enum ReleaseType {
+    Major,
+    Minor,
+    Patch,
+}
+
 #[derive(Parser)]
 #[command(name = "cargo")]
 #[command(bin_name = "cargo")]
@@ -334,6 +348,16 @@ struct CheckRelease {
     )]
     baseline_rustdoc: Option<PathBuf>,
 
+    /// Sets the release type instead of deriving it from the version number.
+    #[arg(
+        value_enum,
+        long,
+        value_name = "TYPE",
+        help_heading = "Overrides",
+        group = "overrides"
+    )]
+    release_type: Option<ReleaseType>,
+
     #[command(flatten)]
     verbosity: clap_verbosity_flag::Verbosity<clap_verbosity_flag::InfoLevel>,
 }
diff --git a/src/query.rs b/src/query.rs
index f7aa5b70..e8c87ff3 100644
--- a/src/query.rs
+++ b/src/query.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ use std::collections::BTreeMap;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use trustfall_core::ir::TransparentValue;
 
+use crate::ReleaseType;
+
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub(crate) enum RequiredSemverUpdate {
     Major,
@@ -37,6 +39,16 @@ impl ActualSemverUpdate {
     }
 }
 
+impl From<ReleaseType> for ActualSemverUpdate {
+    fn from(value: ReleaseType) -> Self {
+        match value {
+            ReleaseType::Major => Self::Major,
+            ReleaseType::Minor => Self::Minor,
+            ReleaseType::Patch => Self::Patch,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// A query that can be executed on a pair of rustdoc output files,
 /// returning instances of a particular kind of semver violation.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]