diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index eb01cf5cb..ca2b3894f 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
   - show review states on "review list"
   - new source service commands "localrun" and "disabledrun" to generate files without _service: prefix
   - add "request supersede" and "review supersede" to supersede with existing request
+  - make it possible to run single source services, even when not specified in _service file.
+    (For example for doing a version update without creating a _service file: osc service lr update_source)
 #
 # Features which requires OBS 2.2
 #
diff --git a/osc/commandline.py b/osc/commandline.py
index 4e7378abe..fa8da2b8c 100644
--- a/osc/commandline.py
+++ b/osc/commandline.py
@@ -4696,10 +4696,15 @@ def do_service(self, subcmd, opts, *args):
 
         usage:
             osc service COMMAND (inside working copy)
-            osc service COMMAND PROJECT PACKAGE
+            osc service run [SOURCE_SERVICE]
+            osc service localrun [SOURCE_SERVICE]
+            osc service disabledrun
+            osc service remoterun [PROJECT PACKAGE]
 
             COMMAND can be:
-            run         r  run defined services locally
+            run         r  run defined services locally, it takes an optional parameter to run only a 
+                           specified source service. In case paramteres exists for this one in _service file
+                           they are used.
             localrun    lr run defined services locally and store files as local created (skip _service: prefix).
             disabledrun dr run only disabled services locally and store files as local created
             remoterun   rr trigger a re-run on the server side
@@ -4709,17 +4714,19 @@ def do_service(self, subcmd, opts, *args):
 
         args = slash_split(args)
 
-        package = repo = arch = code = None
+        package = singleservice = mode = repo = arch = code = None
         apiurl = self.get_api_url()
 
-        if len(args) < 2:
+        if len(args) < 3:
             if is_package_dir(os.curdir):
                 project = store_read_project(os.curdir)
                 package = store_read_package(os.curdir)
                 apiurl = store_read_apiurl(os.curdir)
             else:
                 raise oscerr.WrongArgs('Too few arguments.')
-        elif len(args) == 3:
+            if len(args) == 2:
+                singleservice = args[1]
+        elif len(args) == 3 and command == "remoterun":
             project = args[1]
             package = args[2]
         else:
@@ -4729,17 +4736,18 @@ def do_service(self, subcmd, opts, *args):
 
         if command == "remoterun" or command == "rr":
             print runservice(apiurl, project, package)
+            return
 
         if command == "run" or command == "localrun" or command == "disabledrun" or command == "lr" or command == "dr" or command == "r":
             if not is_package_dir(os.curdir):
                 raise oscerr.WrongArgs('Local directory is no package')
             p = Package(".")
             if command == "localrun" or command == "lr":
-                p.run_source_services( "local" )
+                mode = "local"
             elif command == "disabledrun" or command == "dr":
-                p.run_source_services( "disabled" )
-            else:
-                p.run_source_services()
+                mode = "disabled"
+
+        p.run_source_services( mode, singleservice )
 
     @cmdln.option('-a', '--arch', metavar='ARCH',
                         help='trigger rebuilds for a specific architecture')
diff --git a/osc/core.py b/osc/core.py
index 24eee5f8e..a83cafe00 100644
--- a/osc/core.py
+++ b/osc/core.py
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ def addRecompressTar(self, serviceinfo_node):
         r.append( s )
         return r
 
-    def execute(self, dir, callmode = ""):
+    def execute(self, dir, callmode = None, singleservice = None):
         import tempfile
 
         # cleanup existing generated files
@@ -308,8 +308,16 @@ def execute(self, dir, callmode = ""):
             if filename.startswith('_service:') or filename.startswith('_service_'):
                 os.unlink(os.path.join(dir, filename))
 
+        allservices = self.services or []
+        if singleservice and not singleservice in allservices:
+            # set array to the manual specified singleservice, if it is not part of _service file
+            data = { 'name' : singleservice, 'command' : singleservice, 'mode' : '' }
+            allservices = [data]
+
         # recreate files
-        for service in self.services:
+        for service in allservices:
+            if singleservice and service['name'] != singleservice:
+                continue
             if service['mode'] == "disabled" and callmode != "disabled":
                 continue
             if service['mode'] != "disabled" and callmode == "disabled":
@@ -2015,15 +2023,15 @@ def __update(self, kept, added, deleted, services, fm, rev):
 
         print 'At revision %s.' % self.rev
 
-    def run_source_services(self, mode=""):
+    def run_source_services(self, mode=None, singleservice=None):
         curdir = os.getcwd()
         os.chdir(self.absdir) # e.g. /usr/lib/obs/service/verify_file fails if not inside the project dir.
+        si = Serviceinfo()
         if self.filenamelist.count('_service') or self.filenamelist_unvers.count('_service'):
             service = ET.parse(os.path.join(self.absdir, '_service')).getroot()
-            si = Serviceinfo()
             si.read(service)
-            si.readProjectFile(self.apiurl, self.prjname)
-            si.execute(self.absdir, mode)
+        si.readProjectFile(self.apiurl, self.prjname)
+        si.execute(self.absdir, mode, singleservice)
         os.chdir(curdir)
 
     def prepare_filelist(self):