diff --git a/packages/nest/migrations.json b/packages/nest/migrations.json
index 6ded115b8c82f..c19d484f7b166 100644
--- a/packages/nest/migrations.json
+++ b/packages/nest/migrations.json
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 {
-  "schematics": {},
+  "schematics": {
+    "update-8-7-0.": {
+      "version": "8.7.0-beta.1",
+      "description": "Update Nest.js libraries",
+      "factory": "./src/migrations/update-8-7-0/update-8-7-0"
+    }
+  },
   "packageJsonUpdates": {
     "8.7.0": {
-      "version": "8.7.0-beta.1",
+      "version": "8.7.0-beta.4",
       "packages": {
-        "@nrwl/nest": {
-          "version": "8.7.0",
-          "alwaysAddToPackageJson": false
-        },
         "@nestjs/common": {
           "version": "^6.8.3",
           "alwaysAddToPackageJson": false
diff --git a/packages/nest/src/migrations/update-8-7-0/update-8-7-0.ts b/packages/nest/src/migrations/update-8-7-0/update-8-7-0.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..1091c37c58316
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nest/src/migrations/update-8-7-0/update-8-7-0.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import { Rule } from '@angular-devkit/schematics';
+import { updatePackagesInPackageJson } from '@nrwl/workspace';
+import * as path from 'path';
+
+export default function update(): Rule {
+  return updatePackagesInPackageJson(
+    path.join(__dirname, '../../../', 'migrations.json'),
+    '8.7.0'
+  );
+}
diff --git a/packages/react/migrations.json b/packages/react/migrations.json
index 8f640292c618e..b44f038efc6cd 100644
--- a/packages/react/migrations.json
+++ b/packages/react/migrations.json
@@ -16,27 +16,10 @@
       "factory": "./src/migrations/update-8-7-0/update-8-7-0"
     }
   },
-
   "packageJsonUpdates": {
     "8.7.0": {
-      "version": "8.7.0-beta.1",
+      "version": "8.7.0-beta.4",
       "packages": {
-        "@nrwl/react": {
-          "version": "8.7.0",
-          "alwaysAddToPackageJson": false
-        },
-        "@nrwl/web": {
-          "version": "8.7.0",
-          "alwaysAddToPackageJson": false
-        },
-        "@nrwl/jest": {
-          "version": "8.7.0",
-          "alwaysAddToPackageJson": false
-        },
-        "@nrwl/cypress": {
-          "version": "8.7.0",
-          "alwaysAddToPackageJson": false
-        },
         "react": {
           "version": "16.10.2",
           "alwaysAddToPackageJson": false
diff --git a/packages/react/src/migrations/update-8-7-0/update-8-7-0.ts b/packages/react/src/migrations/update-8-7-0/update-8-7-0.ts
index cc1102b783e63..1961023efa818 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/migrations/update-8-7-0/update-8-7-0.ts
+++ b/packages/react/src/migrations/update-8-7-0/update-8-7-0.ts
@@ -6,9 +6,16 @@ import {
 } from '@angular-devkit/schematics';
 import { readJsonInTree, updatePackagesInPackageJson } from '@nrwl/workspace';
 import { stripIndents } from '@angular-devkit/core/src/utils/literals';
+import * as path from 'path';
 
 export default function update(): Rule {
-  return chain([displayInformation, updatePackagesInPackageJson('8.7.0')]);
+  return chain([
+    displayInformation,
+    updatePackagesInPackageJson(
+      path.join(__dirname, '../../../', 'migrations.json'),
+      '8.7.0'
+    )
+  ]);
 }
 
 function displayInformation(host: Tree, context: SchematicContext) {
diff --git a/packages/tao/src/commands/migrate.spec.ts b/packages/tao/src/commands/migrate.spec.ts
index a449d7be69c6d..dd216cf7260d6 100644
--- a/packages/tao/src/commands/migrate.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tao/src/commands/migrate.spec.ts
@@ -274,6 +274,44 @@ describe('Migration', () => {
         }
       });
     });
+
+    // this is temporary. if tao gets used by other projects,
+    // we will extract the special casing
+    it('should special case @nrwl/workspace', async () => {
+      const migrator = new Migrator({
+        versions: () => '1.0.0',
+        fetch: (p, v) => Promise.resolve({ version: '2.0.0' }),
+        from: {},
+        to: {}
+      });
+
+      expect(
+        await migrator.updatePackageJson('@nrwl/workspace', '2.0.0')
+      ).toEqual({
+        migrations: [],
+        packageJson: {
+          '@nrwl/workspace': {
+            version: '2.0.0',
+            alwaysAddToPackageJson: false
+          },
+          '@nrwl/angular': { version: '2.0.0', alwaysAddToPackageJson: false },
+          '@nrwl/cypress': { version: '2.0.0', alwaysAddToPackageJson: false },
+          '@nrwl/eslint-plugin-nx': {
+            version: '2.0.0',
+            alwaysAddToPackageJson: false
+          },
+          '@nrwl/express': { version: '2.0.0', alwaysAddToPackageJson: false },
+          '@nrwl/jest': { version: '2.0.0', alwaysAddToPackageJson: false },
+          '@nrwl/linter': { version: '2.0.0', alwaysAddToPackageJson: false },
+          '@nrwl/nest': { version: '2.0.0', alwaysAddToPackageJson: false },
+          '@nrwl/next': { version: '2.0.0', alwaysAddToPackageJson: false },
+          '@nrwl/node': { version: '2.0.0', alwaysAddToPackageJson: false },
+          '@nrwl/react': { version: '2.0.0', alwaysAddToPackageJson: false },
+          '@nrwl/tao': { version: '2.0.0', alwaysAddToPackageJson: false },
+          '@nrwl/web': { version: '2.0.0', alwaysAddToPackageJson: false }
+        }
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   describe('migrations', () => {
diff --git a/packages/tao/src/commands/migrate.ts b/packages/tao/src/commands/migrate.ts
index 8608048494155..1360af3c31513 100644
--- a/packages/tao/src/commands/migrate.ts
+++ b/packages/tao/src/commands/migrate.ts
@@ -159,7 +159,34 @@ export class Migrator {
     // this should be used to know what version to include
     // we should use from everywhere we use versions
 
+    if (packageName === '@nrwl/workspace') {
+      if (!m.packageJsonUpdates) m.packageJsonUpdates = {};
+      m.packageJsonUpdates[targetVersion + '-defaultPackages'] = {
+        version: targetVersion,
+        packages: [
+          '@nrwl/angular',
+          '@nrwl/cypress',
+          '@nrwl/eslint-plugin-nx',
+          '@nrwl/express',
+          '@nrwl/jest',
+          '@nrwl/linter',
+          '@nrwl/nest',
+          '@nrwl/next',
+          '@nrwl/node',
+          '@nrwl/react',
+          '@nrwl/tao',
+          '@nrwl/web'
+        ].reduce(
+          (m, c) => ({
+            ...m,
+            [c]: { verson: targetVersion, alwaysAddToPackageJson: false }
+          }),
+          {}
+        )
+      };
+    }
     if (!m.packageJsonUpdates) return {};
+
     return Object.keys(m.packageJsonUpdates)
       .filter(r => {
         return (
@@ -271,47 +298,56 @@ function versions(root: string) {
 }
 
 // testing-fetch-start
-async function fetch(
-  packageName: string,
-  packageVersion: string
-): Promise<MigrationsJson> {
-  const dir = dirSync().name;
-  execSync(`npm install ${packageName}@${packageVersion} --prefix=${dir}`, {
-    stdio: []
-  });
-  const json = JSON.parse(
-    stripJsonComments(
-      readFileSync(
-        path.join(dir, 'node_modules', packageName, 'package.json')
-      ).toString()
-    )
-  );
-  let migrationsFile = json['nx-migrations'] || json['ng-update'];
+function createFetcher(logger: logging.Logger) {
+  let cache = {};
+  return async function f(
+    packageName: string,
+    packageVersion: string
+  ): Promise<MigrationsJson> {
+    if (!cache[`${packageName}-${packageVersion}`]) {
+      const dir = dirSync().name;
+      logger.info(`Fetching ${packageName}@${packageVersion}`);
+      execSync(`npm install ${packageName}@${packageVersion} --prefix=${dir}`, {
+        stdio: []
+      });
+      const json = JSON.parse(
+        stripJsonComments(
+          readFileSync(
+            path.join(dir, 'node_modules', packageName, 'package.json')
+          ).toString()
+        )
+      );
+      let migrationsFile = json['nx-migrations'] || json['ng-update'];
 
-  // migrationsFile is an object
-  if (migrationsFile && migrationsFile.migrations) {
-    migrationsFile = migrationsFile.migrations;
-  }
+      // migrationsFile is an object
+      if (migrationsFile && migrationsFile.migrations) {
+        migrationsFile = migrationsFile.migrations;
+      }
 
-  // packageVersion can be a tag, resolvedVersion works with semver
-  const resolvedVersion = json.version;
+      // packageVersion can be a tag, resolvedVersion works with semver
+      const resolvedVersion = json.version;
 
-  if (migrationsFile) {
-    const json = JSON.parse(
-      stripJsonComments(
-        readFileSync(
-          path.join(dir, 'node_modules', packageName, migrationsFile)
-        ).toString()
-      )
-    );
-    return {
-      version: resolvedVersion,
-      schematics: json.schematics,
-      packageJsonUpdates: json.packageJsonUpdates
-    };
-  } else {
-    return { version: resolvedVersion };
-  }
+      if (migrationsFile) {
+        const json = JSON.parse(
+          stripJsonComments(
+            readFileSync(
+              path.join(dir, 'node_modules', packageName, migrationsFile)
+            ).toString()
+          )
+        );
+        cache[`${packageName}-${packageVersion}`] = {
+          version: resolvedVersion,
+          schematics: json.schematics,
+          packageJsonUpdates: json.packageJsonUpdates
+        };
+      } else {
+        cache[`${packageName}-${packageVersion}`] = {
+          version: resolvedVersion
+        };
+      }
+    }
+    return cache[`${packageName}-${packageVersion}`];
+  };
 }
 // testing-fetch-end
 
@@ -359,7 +395,7 @@ async function generateMigrationsJsonAndUpdatePackageJson(
   logger.info(`It may take a few minutes.`);
   const migrator = new Migrator({
     versions: versions(root),
-    fetch,
+    fetch: createFetcher(logger),
     from: opts.from,
     to: opts.to
   });
@@ -409,12 +445,15 @@ class MigrationEngineHost extends NodeModulesEngineHost {
         packageJsonPath = path.join(packageJsonPath, 'package.json');
       }
       let pkgJsonSchematics = require(packageJsonPath)['nx-migrations'];
-      if (!pkgJsonSchematics || typeof pkgJsonSchematics != 'string') {
+      if (!pkgJsonSchematics) {
         pkgJsonSchematics = require(packageJsonPath)['ng-update'];
         if (!pkgJsonSchematics) {
           throw new Error(`Could find migrations in package: "${name}"`);
         }
       }
+      if (typeof pkgJsonSchematics != 'string') {
+        pkgJsonSchematics = pkgJsonSchematics.migrations;
+      }
       collectionPath = this._resolvePath(
         pkgJsonSchematics,
         path.dirname(packageJsonPath)
@@ -459,8 +498,8 @@ async function runMigrations(
   const workflow = new MigrationsWorkflow(host);
   let p = Promise.resolve(null);
   migrationsFile.migrations.forEach(m => {
-    logger.info(`Running migration ${m.package}:${m.name}`);
     p = p.then(() => {
+      logger.info(`Running migration ${m.package}:${m.name}`);
       return workflow
         .execute({
           collection: m.package,
diff --git a/packages/workspace/migrations.json b/packages/workspace/migrations.json
index 4de37ccdb02fb..0199130284600 100644
--- a/packages/workspace/migrations.json
+++ b/packages/workspace/migrations.json
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@
       }
     },
     "870": {
-      "version": "8.7.0-beta.1",
+      "version": "8.7.0",
       "packages": {
         "@nrwl/angular": {
           "version": "8.7.0",
@@ -192,4 +192,4 @@
       }
     }
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/workspace/src/utils/update-packages-in-package-json.ts b/packages/workspace/src/utils/update-packages-in-package-json.ts
index d63dda8441227..5f3f651488cc9 100644
--- a/packages/workspace/src/utils/update-packages-in-package-json.ts
+++ b/packages/workspace/src/utils/update-packages-in-package-json.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 import { updateJsonInTree } from './ast-utils';
 import { readFileSync } from 'fs';
 
-export function updatePackagesInPackageJson(versionName: string) {
-  const migrations = JSON.parse(readFileSync('../migrations.json').toString());
+export function updatePackagesInPackageJson(
+  migrationFilePath: string,
+  versionName: string
+) {
+  const migrations = JSON.parse(readFileSync(migrationFilePath).toString());
   const packageJsonUpdates = migrations.packageJsonUpdates[versionName];
 
   // should never happen
@@ -22,5 +25,6 @@ export function updatePackagesInPackageJson(versionName: string) {
         json.dependencies[p] = updatedPackages[p].version;
       }
     });
+    return json;
   });
 }