diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7a72a22..b0cfbb4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -104,6 +104,10 @@ provide the release.useLastTag project property, e.g.
 
     git tag v1.0.0
     ./gradlew -Prelease.useLastTag=true final
+    
+The build will fail if the current commit does not have a tag name following the versioning scheme. If you want to use the tag name if available and otherwise fallback to the default versioning strategy, you may provide the release.tryUsingLastTag project property, e.g.
+
+    ./gradlew -Prelease.tryUsingLastTag=true build
 
 # Overriding version from the command line
 
diff --git a/src/integTest/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/ReleasePluginIntegrationSpec.groovy b/src/integTest/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/ReleasePluginIntegrationSpec.groovy
index f034200..9ff8c38 100644
--- a/src/integTest/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/ReleasePluginIntegrationSpec.groovy
+++ b/src/integTest/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/ReleasePluginIntegrationSpec.groovy
@@ -849,6 +849,28 @@ class ReleasePluginIntegrationSpec extends GitVersioningIntegrationSpec {
         then:
         new File(projectDir, "build/libs/${moduleName}-19.71.1.jar").exists()
     }
+    def 'try using last tag on tagged version succeeds'() {
+        git.tag.add(name: 'v42.5.3')
+
+        when:
+        runTasksSuccessfully('final', '-Prelease.tryUsingLastTag=true')
+
+        then:
+        new File(projectDir, "build/libs/${moduleName}-42.5.3.jar").exists()
+    }
+
+    def 'tryUsingLastTag not on tagged version succeeds with fallback to default strategy'() {
+        git.tag.add(name: 'v42.5.3')
+        new File(projectDir, "foo").text = "Hi"
+        git.add(patterns: ['foo'] as Set)
+        git.commit(message: 'Something got committed')
+
+        when:
+        def version = inferredVersionForTask('-Prelease.tryUsingLastTag=true', 'build')
+
+        then:
+        version.toString().contains('42.6.0-dev.1+')
+    }
 
     def 'able to release with the override of version calculation'() {
         when:
diff --git a/src/main/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/OverrideStrategies.groovy b/src/main/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/OverrideStrategies.groovy
index 8a5cbae..7cc4ac8 100644
--- a/src/main/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/OverrideStrategies.groovy
+++ b/src/main/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/OverrideStrategies.groovy
@@ -33,6 +33,32 @@ import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory
  */
 class OverrideStrategies {
 
+    static class TryReleaseLastTagStrategy implements VersionStrategy {
+        static final String PROPERTY_NAME = 'release.tryUsingLastTag'
+
+        @Override
+        String getName() {
+            return 'try-using-last-tag'
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        boolean selector(Project project, Grgit grgit) {
+            if (!(project.hasProperty(PROPERTY_NAME) && project.property(PROPERTY_NAME).toString().toBoolean())) {
+                return false
+            }
+            try {
+                new ReleaseLastTagStrategy(project).infer(project, grgit)
+            } catch (GradleException e) {
+                return false
+            }
+            return true
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        ReleaseVersion infer(Project project, Grgit grgit) {
+            return new ReleaseLastTagStrategy(project).infer(project, grgit)
+        }
+    }
 
     static class ReleaseLastTagStrategy implements VersionStrategy {
         static final String PROPERTY_NAME = 'release.useLastTag'
diff --git a/src/main/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/ReleasePlugin.groovy b/src/main/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/ReleasePlugin.groovy
index c6401c8..0e4847d 100644
--- a/src/main/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/ReleasePlugin.groovy
+++ b/src/main/groovy/nebula/plugin/release/ReleasePlugin.groovy
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ class ReleasePlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
             releaseExtension.with {
                 versionStrategy new OverrideStrategies.NoCommitStrategy()
                 versionStrategy new OverrideStrategies.ReleaseLastTagStrategy(project)
+                versionStrategy new OverrideStrategies.TryReleaseLastTagStrategy()
                 versionStrategy new OverrideStrategies.GradlePropertyStrategy(project)
                 versionStrategy NetflixOssStrategies.SNAPSHOT(project)
                 versionStrategy NetflixOssStrategies.IMMUTABLE_SNAPSHOT(project)