diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a651b83..cff44d0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ Help
 
 
     Usage: rebar3 relflow [-u <upfrom>] [-x [<nextver>]] [-g [<autogit>]]
-                          [-f [<force>]]
+                          [-f [<force>]] [-s [semver]]
 
       -u, --upfrom       Git revision/tag to upgrade from (for appup
                          generation)
@@ -144,9 +144,10 @@ Help
                          [default: true]
       -f, --force        Force relflow to run even with uncommitted local
                          changes [default: false]
+      -s, --semver       Compare the versions as semantic versions (0.0.9 < 0.0.10)
+                         [default: false]
       -v, --version      Print relflow version and exit
 
-
 License
 -------
 
diff --git a/src/relflow.erl b/src/relflow.erl
index fd92b21..4cb4558 100644
--- a/src/relflow.erl
+++ b/src/relflow.erl
@@ -46,7 +46,9 @@ opts() ->
      {force, $f, "force", {boolean, false},
       "Force relflow to run even with uncommitted local changes"},
      {version, $v, "version", undefined,
-      "Print relflow version and exit"}
+      "Print relflow version and exit"},
+     {semver, $s, "semver", {boolean, false},
+      "Uses semantic versioning to compare versions"}
     ].
 
 relflow_version() ->
@@ -152,11 +154,28 @@ exec(Map, State, Next) ->
 
 exec_1(Map, State, Next) ->
     NewRelVsn = relflow_state:nextver(State),
-    case NewRelVsn > relflow_state:oldrelver(State) of
+    OldRelVsn = relflow_state:oldrelver(State),
+    case greater_than(NewRelVsn, OldRelVsn, relflow_state:semver(State)) of
         true  -> Next(Map, State, NewRelVsn);
-        false -> ?PRV_ERROR({relvsn_ordering, relflow_state:oldrelver(State), NewRelVsn})
+        false -> ?PRV_ERROR({relvsn_ordering, OldRelVsn, NewRelVsn})
     end.
 
+greater_than(NewVersion, OldVersion, true) ->
+    [NewMajor, NewMinor, NewPatch] = lists:map(fun string:to_integer/1, string:tokens(NewVersion, ".")),
+    [OldMajor, OldMinor, OldPatch] = lists:map(fun string:to_integer/1, string:tokens(OldVersion, ".")),
+    if 
+        NewMajor > OldMajor -> true;
+        NewMajor < OldMajor -> false;
+        NewMajor == OldMajor ->
+            if 
+                NewMinor > OldMinor -> true;
+                NewMinor < OldMinor -> false;
+                NewMinor == OldMinor -> NewPatch > OldPatch
+            end
+    end;
+greater_than(NewVersion, OldVersion, false) -> NewVersion > OldVersion.
+
+
 exec_2(Map, State, NewRelVsn) ->
     lists:foreach(fun({_AppName, #{appup_path := Path,
                                    appup_term := T,
diff --git a/src/relflow_state.erl b/src/relflow_state.erl
index 8399689..dcc5967 100644
--- a/src/relflow_state.erl
+++ b/src/relflow_state.erl
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
     profile/1,
     force/1,
     autogit/1,
+    semver/1,
     rebar_state/1,
     nextver/1,
     set_default_nextver/2,
@@ -45,6 +46,8 @@ upfrom(State) -> parg(upfrom, State).
 
 autogit(State) -> parg(autogit, State) == true.
 
+semver(State) -> parg(semver, State) == true.
+
 profile(State) -> lists:last(filename:split(build_dir(State))).
 
 nextappver(#relflow_st{nextappver=V}) -> V.