diff --git a/src/Cli/ProjectCommands.php b/src/Cli/ProjectCommands.php
index ac5220fa..cdf1b5e9 100644
--- a/src/Cli/ProjectCommands.php
+++ b/src/Cli/ProjectCommands.php
@@ -335,6 +335,7 @@ public function projectUpstreamPushTags($remote, $options = ['as' => 'default',
         $remote_repo = $this->createRemote($remote, $api);
         $update_parameters = $this->getConfig()->get("projects.$remote.upstream.update-parameters", []);
         $update_parameters['meta']['name'] = $remote_repo->projectWithOrg();
+        $update_parameters['force-db-drop'] = true;
         $major = $this->getConfig()->get("projects.$remote.upstream.major", '[0-9]+');
 
         $upstream_repo_url = $this->getConfig()->get("projects.$remote.upstream.repo");
diff --git a/src/Update/Methods/WpCliUpdate.php b/src/Update/Methods/WpCliUpdate.php
index fde244a3..1d1405bf 100644
--- a/src/Update/Methods/WpCliUpdate.php
+++ b/src/Update/Methods/WpCliUpdate.php
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ public function findLatestVersion($major, $tag_prefix, $update_parameters)
      */
     public function update(WorkingCopy $originalProject, array $parameters)
     {
+        $forceDbDrop = !empty($parameters['force-db-drop']) ?? false;
         $path = $originalProject->dir();
 
         $wpConfigPath = "$path/wp-config.php";
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ public function update(WorkingCopy $originalProject, array $parameters)
         try {
             // Set up a local WordPress site
             $this->wpCoreConfig($path, $this->dbhost, $this->dbname, $this->dbuser, $this->dbpw);
-            $this->wpDbDropIfNotCI($path);
+            $this->wpDbDropIfNotCI($path, $forceDbDrop);
             $this->wpDbCreate($path);
             $this->wpCoreInstall($path, $this->url, $this->title, $this->admin, $this->adminPw, $this->adminEmail);
 
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ public function update(WorkingCopy $originalProject, array $parameters)
         } catch (\Exception $e) {
             throw $e;
         } finally {
-            $this->wpDbDropIfNotCI($path);
+            $this->wpDbDropIfNotCI($path, $forceDbDrop);
             file_put_contents($wpConfigPath, $wpConfigData);
         }
         return $originalProject;
@@ -151,9 +152,9 @@ protected function wpDbCreate($path)
     /**
      * Call 'db drop', but only if not running on a CI server
      */
-    protected function wpDbDropIfNotCI($path)
+    protected function wpDbDropIfNotCI($path, $force = false)
     {
-        if (!getenv('CI')) {
+        if (!getenv('CI') || $force) {
             $this->wpDbDrop($path);
         }
     }