diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f9ab666..92964a9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1105,6 +1105,8 @@ Because of this behavior, you can safely deploy updates to both the app store(s)
 
 - __(NSURL \*)bundleURLForResource:(NSString \*)resourceName withExtension:(NSString \*)resourceExtension__: Equivalent to the `bundleURLForResource:` method, but also allows customizing the extension used by the JS bundle that is looked for within the app binary. This is useful if you aren't naming this file `*.jsbundle` (which is the default convention).
 
+- __(void)overrideAppVersion:(NSString \*)appVersionOverride__ - Sets the version of the application's binary interface, which would otherwise default to the App Store version specified as the `CFBundleShortVersionString` in the `Info.plist`. This should be called a single time, before the bundle URL is loaded.
+
 - __(void)setDeploymentKey:(NSString \*)deploymentKey__ - Sets the deployment key that the app should use when querying for updates. This is a dynamic alternative to setting the deployment key in your `Info.plist` and/or specifying a deployment key in JS when calling `checkForUpdate` or `sync`.
 
 ### Java API Reference (Android)
@@ -1131,6 +1133,8 @@ Constructs the CodePush client runtime and represents the `ReactPackage` instanc
 
 - __getBundleUrl(String bundleName)__ - Returns the path to the most recent version of your app's JS bundle file, using the specified resource name (e.g. `index.android.bundle`). This method has the same resolution behavior as the Objective-C equivalent described above.
 
+- __overrideAppVersion(String appVersionOverride)__ - Sets the version of the application's binary interface, which would otherwise default to the Play Store version specified as the `versionName` in the `build.gradle`. This should be called a single time, before the CodePush instance is constructed.
+
 ## Example Apps / Starters
 
 The React Native community has graciously created some awesome open source apps that can serve as examples for developers that are getting started. The following is a list of OSS React Native apps that are also using CodePush, and can therefore be used to see how others are using the service:
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/microsoft/codepush/react/CodePush.java b/android/app/src/main/java/com/microsoft/codepush/react/CodePush.java
index 2c18009..774a117 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/com/microsoft/codepush/react/CodePush.java
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/microsoft/codepush/react/CodePush.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ public class CodePush implements ReactPackage {
     private static boolean sIsRunningBinaryVersion = false;
     private static boolean sNeedToReportRollback = false;
     private static boolean sTestConfigurationFlag = false;
+    private static String sAppVersion = null;
 
     private boolean mDidUpdate = false;
 
@@ -40,7 +41,6 @@ public class CodePush implements ReactPackage {
     private SettingsManager mSettingsManager;
 
     // Config properties.
-    private String mAppVersion;
     private String mDeploymentKey;
     private String mServerUrl = "https://codepush.azurewebsites.net/";
 
@@ -63,11 +63,13 @@ public class CodePush implements ReactPackage {
         mIsDebugMode = isDebugMode;
         mSettingsManager = new SettingsManager(mContext);
 
-        try {
-            PackageInfo pInfo = mContext.getPackageManager().getPackageInfo(mContext.getPackageName(), 0);
-            mAppVersion = pInfo.versionName;
-        } catch (PackageManager.NameNotFoundException e) {
-            throw new CodePushUnknownException("Unable to get package info for " + mContext.getPackageName(), e);
+        if (sAppVersion == null) {
+            try {
+                PackageInfo pInfo = mContext.getPackageManager().getPackageInfo(mContext.getPackageName(), 0);
+                sAppVersion = pInfo.versionName;
+            } catch (PackageManager.NameNotFoundException e) {
+                throw new CodePushUnknownException("Unable to get package info for " + mContext.getPackageName(), e);
+            }
         }
 
         mCurrentInstance = this;
@@ -96,7 +98,7 @@ public class CodePush implements ReactPackage {
     }
 
     public String getAppVersion() {
-        return mAppVersion;
+        return sAppVersion;
     }
 
     public String getAssetsBundleFileName() {
@@ -177,14 +179,14 @@ public class CodePush implements ReactPackage {
             String packageAppVersion = CodePushUtils.tryGetString(packageMetadata, "appVersion");
             if (binaryModifiedDateDuringPackageInstall != null &&
                     binaryModifiedDateDuringPackageInstall == binaryResourcesModifiedTime &&
-                    (isUsingTestConfiguration() || this.mAppVersion.equals(packageAppVersion))) {
+                    (isUsingTestConfiguration() || sAppVersion.equals(packageAppVersion))) {
                 CodePushUtils.logBundleUrl(packageFilePath);
                 sIsRunningBinaryVersion = false;
                 return packageFilePath;
             } else {
                 // The binary version is newer.
                 this.mDidUpdate = false;
-                if (!this.mIsDebugMode || !this.mAppVersion.equals(packageAppVersion)) {
+                if (!this.mIsDebugMode || !sAppVersion.equals(packageAppVersion)) {
                     this.clearUpdates();
                 }
 
@@ -249,6 +251,10 @@ public class CodePush implements ReactPackage {
         return sNeedToReportRollback;
     }
 
+    public static void overrideAppVersion(String appVersionOverride) {
+        sAppVersion = appVersionOverride;
+    }
+
     private void rollbackPackage() {
         WritableMap failedPackage = mUpdateManager.getCurrentPackage();
         mSettingsManager.saveFailedUpdate(failedPackage);
@@ -280,7 +286,7 @@ public class CodePush implements ReactPackage {
         CodePushNativeModule codePushModule = new CodePushNativeModule(reactApplicationContext, this, mUpdateManager, mTelemetryManager, mSettingsManager);
         CodePushDialog dialogModule = new CodePushDialog(reactApplicationContext);
 
-        List<NativeModule> nativeModules = new ArrayList<>();        
+        List<NativeModule> nativeModules = new ArrayList<>();
         nativeModules.add(codePushModule);
         nativeModules.add(dialogModule);
         return nativeModules;
diff --git a/ios/CodePush/CodePush.h b/ios/CodePush/CodePush.h
index 04a617c..3e42060 100644
--- a/ios/CodePush/CodePush.h
+++ b/ios/CodePush/CodePush.h
@@ -30,7 +30,14 @@
 + (NSString *)bundleAssetsPath;
 
 /*
- * This methods allows dynamically setting the app's
+ * This method allows the version of the app's binary interface
+ * to be specified, which would otherwise default to the
+ * App Store version of the app.
+ */
++ (void)overrideAppVersion:(NSString *)deploymentKey;
+
+/*
+ * This method allows dynamically setting the app's
  * deployment key, in addition to setting it via
  * the Info.plist file's CodePushDeploymentKey setting.
  */
@@ -45,7 +52,7 @@
 
 @interface CodePushConfig : NSObject
 
-@property (readonly) NSString *appVersion;
+@property (copy) NSString *appVersion;
 @property (readonly) NSString *buildVersion;
 @property (readonly) NSDictionary *configuration;
 @property (copy) NSString *deploymentKey;
diff --git a/ios/CodePush/CodePush.m b/ios/CodePush/CodePush.m
index c8be248..e6616ab 100644
--- a/ios/CodePush/CodePush.m
+++ b/ios/CodePush/CodePush.m
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ static NSString *bundleResourceSubdirectory = nil;
     if (bundleResourceSubdirectory) {
         resourcePath = [resourcePath stringByAppendingPathComponent:bundleResourceSubdirectory];
     }
-    
+
     return [resourcePath stringByAppendingPathComponent:[CodePushUpdateUtils assetsFolderName]];
 }
 
@@ -159,6 +159,11 @@ static NSString *bundleResourceSubdirectory = nil;
     return applicationSupportDirectory;
 }
 
++ (void)overrideAppVersion:(NSString *)appVersion
+{
+    [CodePushConfig current].appVersion = appVersion;
+}
+
 + (void)setDeploymentKey:(NSString *)deploymentKey
 {
     [CodePushConfig current].deploymentKey = deploymentKey;
diff --git a/ios/CodePush/CodePushConfig.m b/ios/CodePush/CodePushConfig.m
index b84b757..7d12964 100644
--- a/ios/CodePush/CodePushConfig.m
+++ b/ios/CodePush/CodePushConfig.m
@@ -86,6 +86,11 @@ static NSString * const ServerURLConfigKey = @"serverUrl";
     return [_configDictionary objectForKey:ClientUniqueIDConfigKey];
 }
 
+- (void)setAppVersion:(NSString *)appVersion
+{
+    [_configDictionary setValue:appVersion forKey:AppVersionConfigKey];
+}
+
 - (void)setDeploymentKey:(NSString *)deploymentKey
 {
     [_configDictionary setValue:deploymentKey forKey:DeploymentKeyConfigKey];