diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish-new.yml b/.github/workflows/publish-new.yml
index 3da8defa2..7b2fbc6e3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish-new.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish-new.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,23 @@
-name: Publish new version of public packages
+name: Publish new version of public packages from main HEAD
 # This bumps the version, updates the changelogs, publishes a GitHub release, and publishes the packages to npm.
 
 # Package publishing is manually triggered on github actions dashboard
-on: workflow_dispatch
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      bump_type:
+        type: choice
+        description: Version Bump Type
+        required: true
+        default: 'minor'
+        options:
+          - minor
+          - major
+          - override
+      version_override:
+        type: string
+        description: Version Override
+        required: false
 
 jobs:
   deploy:
@@ -12,6 +27,13 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest-16-cores-open
 
     steps:
+      - name: Check inputs
+        run: |
+          if [ ${{ inputs.bump_type }} != 'override' ] && [ ${{ inputs.version_override }} != '' ]; then
+            yarn tsx ./scripts/publish-new.ts --bump ${{ inputs.version_override }}
+          else
+            yarn tsx ./scripts/publish-new.ts --bump ${{ inputs.bump_type }}
+          fi
       - name: Generate GH token
         id: generate_token
         uses: tibdex/github-app-token@b62528385c34dbc9f38e5f4225ac829252d1ea92
@@ -35,7 +57,11 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           git config --global user.name 'huppy-bot[bot]'
           git config --global user.email '128400622+huppy-bot[bot]@users.noreply.github.com'
-          yarn tsx ./scripts/publish-new.ts
+          if [ ${{ inputs.bump_type }} == 'override' ]; then
+            yarn tsx ./scripts/publish-new.ts --bump ${{ inputs.version_override }}
+          else
+            yarn tsx ./scripts/publish-new.ts --bump ${{ inputs.bump_type }}
+          fi
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ steps.generate_token.outputs.token }}
           NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/scripts/package.json b/scripts/package.json
index 99607058f..ccaecde84 100644
--- a/scripts/package.json
+++ b/scripts/package.json
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@
 		"lint": "yarn run -T tsx lint.ts"
 	},
 	"dependencies": {
+		"@types/minimist": "^1.2.5",
 		"ignore": "^5.2.4",
+		"minimist": "^1.2.8",
 		"tar": "^6.2.0"
 	}
 }
diff --git a/scripts/publish-new.ts b/scripts/publish-new.ts
index e648f70a0..30b1f5dcd 100644
--- a/scripts/publish-new.ts
+++ b/scripts/publish-new.ts
@@ -1,37 +1,41 @@
 import { Auto } from '@auto-it/core'
 import fetch from 'cross-fetch'
+import minimist from 'minimist'
 import { assert } from 'node:console'
-import { parse } from 'semver'
+import { SemVer, parse } from 'semver'
 import { exec } from './lib/exec'
 import { REPO_ROOT } from './lib/file'
 import { nicelog } from './lib/nicelog'
 import { getLatestVersion, publish, setAllVersions } from './lib/publishing'
 import { getAllWorkspacePackages } from './lib/workspace'
 
-async function main() {
-	const huppyToken = process.env.HUPPY_TOKEN
-	assert(huppyToken && typeof huppyToken === 'string', 'HUPPY_ACCESS_KEY env var must be set')
+type ReleaseType =
+	| {
+			bump: 'major' | 'minor'
+	  }
+	| {
+			bump: 'override'
+			version: SemVer
+	  }
 
-	const auto = new Auto({
-		plugins: ['npm'],
-		baseBranch: 'main',
-		owner: 'tldraw',
-		repo: 'tldraw',
-		verbose: true,
-		disableTsNode: true,
-	})
-
-	// module was called directly
-	const currentBranch = (await exec('git', ['rev-parse', '--abbrev-ref', 'HEAD'])).toString().trim()
-	if (currentBranch !== 'main') {
-		throw new Error('Must be on main branch to publish')
+function getReleaseType(): ReleaseType {
+	const arg = minimist(process.argv.slice(2))['bump']
+	if (!arg) {
+		throw new Error('Must provide a --bump argument')
 	}
+	if (arg === 'major' || arg === 'minor') {
+		return { bump: arg }
+	}
+	const parsed = parse(arg)
+	if (parsed) {
+		return { bump: 'override', version: parsed }
+	}
+	throw new Error('Invalid bump argument ' + JSON.stringify(arg))
+}
 
-	await auto.loadConfig()
-	const bump = await auto.getVersion()
-	if (!bump) {
-		nicelog('nothing to do')
-		return
+function getNextVersion(releaseType: ReleaseType): string {
+	if (releaseType.bump === 'override') {
+		return releaseType.version.format()
 	}
 
 	const latestVersion = parse(getLatestVersion())!
@@ -48,7 +52,25 @@ async function main() {
 		? `${latestVersion.major}.${latestVersion.minor}.${latestVersion.patch}-${prereleaseTag}.${
 				Number(prereleaseNumber) + 1
 			}`
-		: latestVersion.inc(bump).format()
+		: latestVersion.inc(releaseType.bump).format()
+
+	return nextVersion
+}
+
+async function main() {
+	const huppyToken = process.env.HUPPY_TOKEN
+	assert(huppyToken && typeof huppyToken === 'string', 'HUPPY_ACCESS_KEY env var must be set')
+
+	// check we're on the main branch on HEAD
+	const currentBranch = (await exec('git', ['rev-parse', '--abbrev-ref', 'HEAD'])).toString().trim()
+	if (currentBranch !== 'main') {
+		throw new Error('Must be on main branch to publish')
+	}
+
+	const releaseType = getReleaseType()
+	const nextVersion = getNextVersion(releaseType)
+
+	console.log('Releasing version', nextVersion)
 
 	setAllVersions(nextVersion)
 
@@ -66,12 +88,26 @@ async function main() {
 		REPO_ROOT + '/packages/*/src/**/version.ts',
 	])
 
+	const auto = new Auto({
+		plugins: ['npm'],
+		baseBranch: 'main',
+		owner: 'tldraw',
+		repo: 'tldraw',
+		verbose: true,
+		disableTsNode: true,
+	})
+
+	await auto.loadConfig()
+
 	// this creates a new commit
 	await auto.changelog({
 		useVersion: nextVersion,
 		title: `v${nextVersion}`,
 	})
 
+	// Gonna test this in a quick and dirty 'dry-run' mode
+	return
+
 	// create and push a new tag
 	await exec('git', ['tag', '-f', `v${nextVersion}`])
 	await exec('git', ['push', '--follow-tags'])
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index c519eab51..2cecdf0c8 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -7327,6 +7327,7 @@ __metadata:
     "@aws-sdk/client-s3": "npm:^3.440.0"
     "@aws-sdk/lib-storage": "npm:^3.440.0"
     "@types/is-ci": "npm:^3.0.0"
+    "@types/minimist": "npm:^1.2.5"
     "@types/node": "npm:~20.11"
     "@types/tar": "npm:^6.1.7"
     "@typescript-eslint/utils": "npm:^5.59.0"
@@ -7340,6 +7341,7 @@ __metadata:
     is-ci: "npm:^3.0.1"
     kleur: "npm:^4.1.5"
     lazyrepo: "npm:0.0.0-alpha.27"
+    minimist: "npm:^1.2.8"
     prettier: "npm:^3.0.3"
     recast: "npm:^0.22.0"
     rimraf: "npm:^4.4.0"
@@ -8018,6 +8020,13 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"@types/minimist@npm:^1.2.5":
+  version: 1.2.5
+  resolution: "@types/minimist@npm:1.2.5"
+  checksum: 477047b606005058ab0263c4f58097136268007f320003c348794f74adedc3166ffc47c80ec3e94687787f2ab7f4e72c468223946e79892cf0fd9e25e9970a90
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "@types/ms@npm:*":
   version: 0.7.34
   resolution: "@types/ms@npm:0.7.34"
@@ -18852,7 +18861,7 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
-"minimist@npm:^1.1.0, minimist@npm:^1.2.0, minimist@npm:^1.2.3, minimist@npm:^1.2.5, minimist@npm:^1.2.6":
+"minimist@npm:^1.1.0, minimist@npm:^1.2.0, minimist@npm:^1.2.3, minimist@npm:^1.2.5, minimist@npm:^1.2.6, minimist@npm:^1.2.8":
   version: 1.2.8
   resolution: "minimist@npm:1.2.8"
   checksum: 908491b6cc15a6c440ba5b22780a0ba89b9810e1aea684e253e43c4e3b8d56ec1dcdd7ea96dde119c29df59c936cde16062159eae4225c691e19c70b432b6e6f