diff --git a/doc/scripts.md b/doc/scripts.md
index 7cf34405e18..9815fdcb303 100644
--- a/doc/scripts.md
+++ b/doc/scripts.md
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ following scripts:
   Run BEFORE the package dependencies are pointed to the new version.
 * updatedependencies, postupdatedependencies:
   Run AFTER the package dependencies are pointed to the new version.
+* (pre,post,)updatedependency-foo:
+  Run (before,after) the "foo" dependency is modified.
 * pretest, test, posttest:
   Run by the `npm test` command.
 * prestop, stop, poststop:
diff --git a/lib/update-dependents.js b/lib/update-dependents.js
index 1dd0c564228..ed722837c92 100644
--- a/lib/update-dependents.js
+++ b/lib/update-dependents.js
@@ -148,8 +148,14 @@ function updateDepToNew (depName, depVer, pkg, other, cb) {
       , cb
       )
     chain
-      ( [ removeDependencyLinks, data, pkg, other ]
+      ( [ lifecycle, data, "preupdatedependency" ]
+      , [ lifecycle, data, "preupdatedependency-"+depName ]
+      , [ removeDependencyLinks, data, pkg, other ]
       , [ createDependencyLinks, data, pkg ]
+      , [ lifecycle, data, "updatedependency-"+depName ]
+      , [ lifecycle, data, "postupdatedependency-"+depName ]
+      , [ lifecycle, data, "updatedependency" ]
+      , [ lifecycle, data, "postupdatedependency" ]
       , function (er) { cb(er, pkg.name+"@"+other) }
       )
   })
diff --git a/man1/scripts.1 b/man1/scripts.1
index 33b12a9ab79..683f7575fc5 100644
--- a/man1/scripts.1
+++ b/man1/scripts.1
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 .\" Generated with Ronnjs/v0.1
 .\" http://github.com/kapouer/ronnjs/
 .
-.TH "NPM\-SCRIPTS" "1" "January 2011" "" ""
+.TH "NPM\-SCRIPTS" "1" "February 2011" "" ""
 .
 .SH "NAME"
 \fBnpm-scripts\fR \-\- How npm handles the "scripts" field
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ updatedependencies, postupdatedependencies:
 Run AFTER the package dependencies are pointed to the new version\.
 .
 .IP "\(bu" 4
+(pre,post,)updatedependency\-foo:
+Run (before,after) the "foo" dependency is modified\.
+.
+.IP "\(bu" 4
 pretest, test, posttest:
 Run by the \fBnpm test\fR command\.
 .