diff --git a/lib/lifecycles/bump.js b/lib/lifecycles/bump.js
index da72199f6..270e66896 100644
--- a/lib/lifecycles/bump.js
+++ b/lib/lifecycles/bump.js
@@ -20,16 +20,46 @@ async function Bump (args, version) {
   configsToUpdate = {}
 
   if (args.skip.bump) return version
+
+  if (args.releaseAs && !(['major', 'minor', 'patch'].includes(args.releaseAs.toLowerCase()) || semver.valid(args.releaseAs))) {
+    throw new Error("releaseAs must be one of 'major', 'minor' or 'patch', or a valid semvar version.")
+  }
+
   let newVersion = version
   await runLifecycleScript(args, 'prerelease')
   const stdout = await runLifecycleScript(args, 'prebump')
-  if (stdout && stdout.trim().length) args.releaseAs = stdout.trim()
-  const release = await bumpVersion(args.releaseAs, version, args)
+  if (stdout?.trim().length) {
+    const prebumpString = stdout.trim()
+    if (semver.valid(prebumpString)) args.releaseAs = prebumpString
+  }
   if (!args.firstRelease) {
-    const releaseType = getReleaseType(args.prerelease, release.releaseType, version)
-    const releaseTypeAsVersion = releaseType === 'pre' + release.releaseType ? semver.valid(release.releaseType + '-' + args.prerelease + '.0') : semver.valid(releaseType)
+    if (semver.valid(args.releaseAs)) {
+      const releaseAs = new semver.SemVer(args.releaseAs)
+      if (isString(args.prerelease) && releaseAs.prerelease.length && releaseAs.prerelease.slice(0, -1).join('.') !== args.prerelease) {
+        // If both releaseAs and the prerelease identifier are supplied, they must match. The behavior
+        // for a mismatch is undefined, so error out instead.
+        throw new Error('releaseAs and prerelease have conflicting prerelease identifiers')
+      } else if (isString(args.prerelease) && releaseAs.prerelease.length) {
+        newVersion = releaseAs.version
+      } else if (isString(args.prerelease)) {
+        newVersion = `${releaseAs.major}.${releaseAs.minor}.${releaseAs.patch}-${args.prerelease}.0`
+      } else {
+        newVersion = releaseAs.version
+      }
+
+      // Check if the previous version is the same version and prerelease, and increment if so
+      if (isString(args.prerelease) && ['prerelease', null].includes(semver.diff(version, newVersion)) && semver.lte(newVersion, version)) {
+        newVersion = semver.inc(version, 'prerelease', args.prerelease)
+      }
 
-    newVersion = releaseTypeAsVersion || semver.inc(version, releaseType, args.prerelease)
+      // Append any build info from releaseAs
+      newVersion = semvarToVersionStr(newVersion, releaseAs.build)
+    } else {
+      const release = await bumpVersion(args.releaseAs, version, args)
+      const releaseType = getReleaseType(args.prerelease, release.releaseType, version)
+
+      newVersion = semver.inc(version, releaseType, args.prerelease)
+    }
     updateConfigs(args, newVersion)
   } else {
     checkpoint(args, 'skip version bump on first release', [], chalk.red(figures.cross))
@@ -42,6 +72,16 @@ Bump.getUpdatedConfigs = function () {
   return configsToUpdate
 }
 
+/**
+ * Convert a semver object to a full version string including build metadata
+ * @param {string} semverVersion The semvar version string
+ * @param {string[]} semverBuild An array of the build metadata elements, to be joined with '.'
+ * @returns {string}
+ */
+function semvarToVersionStr(semverVersion, semverBuild) {
+  return [semverVersion, semverBuild.join('.')].filter(Boolean).join('+')
+}
+
 function getReleaseType (prerelease, expectedReleaseType, currentVersion) {
   if (isString(prerelease)) {
     if (isInPrerelease(currentVersion)) {
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index b58814d42..8b7ead2ae 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
       },
       "devDependencies": {
         "chai": "^4.2.0",
+        "chai-as-promised": "^7.1.1",
         "eslint": "^8.16.0",
         "eslint-config-standard": "^17.0.0",
         "eslint-plugin-import": "^2.26.0",
@@ -983,6 +984,18 @@
         "node": ">=4"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/chai-as-promised": {
+      "version": "7.1.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/chai-as-promised/-/chai-as-promised-7.1.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-azL6xMoi+uxu6z4rhWQ1jbdUhOMhis2PvscD/xjLqNMkv3BPPp2JyyuTHOrf9BOosGpNQ11v6BKv/g57RXbiaA==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "dependencies": {
+        "check-error": "^1.0.2"
+      },
+      "peerDependencies": {
+        "chai": ">= 2.1.2 < 5"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/chalk": {
       "version": "2.4.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/chalk/-/chalk-2.4.2.tgz",
@@ -6565,6 +6578,15 @@
         "type-detect": "^4.0.5"
       }
     },
+    "chai-as-promised": {
+      "version": "7.1.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/chai-as-promised/-/chai-as-promised-7.1.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-azL6xMoi+uxu6z4rhWQ1jbdUhOMhis2PvscD/xjLqNMkv3BPPp2JyyuTHOrf9BOosGpNQ11v6BKv/g57RXbiaA==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "requires": {
+        "check-error": "^1.0.2"
+      }
+    },
     "chalk": {
       "version": "2.4.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/chalk/-/chalk-2.4.2.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index bd5038504..629a33113 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "chai": "^4.2.0",
+    "chai-as-promised": "^7.1.1",
     "eslint": "^8.16.0",
     "eslint-config-standard": "^17.0.0",
     "eslint-plugin-import": "^2.26.0",
diff --git a/test/config-files.spec.js b/test/config-files.spec.js
index 8f39693f6..50bda4c62 100644
--- a/test/config-files.spec.js
+++ b/test/config-files.spec.js
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ const { Readable } = require('stream')
 const mockery = require('mockery')
 const stdMocks = require('std-mocks')
 
-require('chai').should()
+const chai = require('chai')
+const expect = chai.expect
+chai.use(require('chai-as-promised'))
 
 function exec () {
   const cli = require('../command')
@@ -168,12 +170,7 @@ describe('config files', () => {
   it('throws an error when a non-object is returned from .versionrc.js', async function () {
     mock({ bump: 'minor' })
     fs.writeFileSync('.versionrc.js', 'module.exports = 3', 'utf-8')
-    try {
-      await exec()
-      /* istanbul ignore next */
-      throw new Error('Unexpected success')
-    } catch (error) {
-      error.message.should.match(/Invalid configuration/)
-    }
+
+    expect(exec).to.throw(/Invalid configuration/)
   })
 })
diff --git a/test/core.spec.js b/test/core.spec.js
index a6dfbf0fe..5ea3276bf 100644
--- a/test/core.spec.js
+++ b/test/core.spec.js
@@ -14,7 +14,10 @@ const stripAnsi = require('strip-ansi')
 const cli = require('../command')
 const formatCommitMessage = require('../lib/format-commit-message')
 
-const should = require('chai').should()
+const chai = require('chai')
+const should = chai.should()
+const expect = chai.expect
+chai.use(require('chai-as-promised'))
 
 // set by mock()
 let standardVersion
@@ -157,12 +160,7 @@ describe('cli', function () {
       mock({ bump: 'minor', changelog: 'foo\n' })
       await exec('--skip.changelog true')
       getPackageVersion().should.equal('1.1.0')
-      try {
-        fs.readFileSync('CHANGELOG.md', 'utf-8')
-        throw new Error('File should not exist')
-      } catch (err) {
-        err.code.should.equal('ENOENT')
-      }
+      expect(() => fs.readFileSync('CHANGELOG.md', 'utf-8')).to.throw(/ENOENT/)
     })
   })
 
@@ -217,12 +215,7 @@ describe('cli', function () {
 
     it('[DEPRECATED] (--changelogHeader) exits with error if changelog header matches last version search regex', async function () {
       mock({ bump: 'minor', fs: { 'CHANGELOG.md': '' } })
-      try {
-        await exec('--changelogHeader="## 3.0.2"')
-        throw new Error('That should not have worked')
-      } catch (error) {
-        error.message.should.match(/custom changelog header must not match/)
-      }
+      expect(exec('--changelogHeader="## 3.0.2"')).to.be.rejectedWith(/custom changelog header must not match/)
     })
   })
 
@@ -249,17 +242,11 @@ describe('cli', function () {
           fs: { 'CHANGELOG.md': 'legacy header format<a name="1.0.0">\n' }
         })
 
-        try {
-          await exec({
-            scripts: {
-              prerelease: "node -e \"throw new Error('prerelease' + ' fail')\""
-            }
-          })
-          /* istanbul ignore next */
-          throw new Error('Unexpected success')
-        } catch (error) {
-          error.message.should.match(/prerelease fail/)
-        }
+        expect(exec({
+          scripts: {
+            prerelease: "node -e \"throw new Error('prerelease' + ' fail')\""
+          }
+        })).to.be.rejectedWith(/prerelease fail/)
       })
     })
 
@@ -277,6 +264,49 @@ describe('cli', function () {
         })
         const { stdout } = flush()
         stdout.join('').should.match(/9\.9\.9/)
+        getPackageVersion().should.equal('9.9.9')
+      })
+
+      it('should not allow prebump hook to return a releaseAs command', async function () {
+        mock({
+          bump: 'minor',
+          fs: { 'CHANGELOG.md': 'legacy header format<a name="1.0.0">\n' }
+        })
+
+        await exec({
+          scripts: {
+            prebump: "node -e \"console.log('major')\""
+          }
+        })
+        getPackageVersion().should.equal('1.1.0')
+      })
+
+      it('should allow prebump hook to return an arbitrary string', async function () {
+        mock({
+          bump: 'minor',
+          fs: { 'CHANGELOG.md': 'legacy header format<a name="1.0.0">\n' }
+        })
+
+        await exec({
+          scripts: {
+            prebump: "node -e \"console.log('Hello World')\""
+          }
+        })
+        getPackageVersion().should.equal('1.1.0')
+      })
+
+      it('should allow prebump hook to return a version with build info', async function () {
+        mock({
+          bump: 'minor',
+          fs: { 'CHANGELOG.md': 'legacy header format<a name="1.0.0">\n' }
+        })
+
+        await exec({
+          scripts: {
+            prebump: "node -e \"console.log('9.9.9-test+build')\""
+          }
+        })
+        getPackageVersion().should.equal('9.9.9-test+build')
       })
     })
 
@@ -302,18 +332,12 @@ describe('cli', function () {
           fs: { 'CHANGELOG.md': 'legacy header format<a name="1.0.0">\n' }
         })
 
-        try {
-          await exec({
-            scripts: {
-              postbump: "node -e \"throw new Error('postbump' + ' fail')\""
-            }
-          })
-          await exec('--patch')
-          /* istanbul ignore next */
-          throw new Error('Unexpected success')
-        } catch (error) {
-          error.message.should.match(/postbump fail/)
-        }
+        expect(exec({
+          scripts: {
+            postbump: "node -e \"throw new Error('postbump' + ' fail')\""
+          }
+        })).to.be.rejectedWith(/postbump fail/)
+        expect(exec('--patch')).to.be.rejectedWith(/postbump fail/)
       })
     })
   })
@@ -345,6 +369,12 @@ describe('cli', function () {
           getPackageVersion().should.equal(`${nextVersion[type]}-${type}.0`)
         })
       })
+
+      it('exits with error if an invalid release type is provided', async function () {
+        mock({ bump: 'minor', fs: { 'CHANGELOG.md': '' } })
+
+        expect(exec('--release-as invalid')).to.be.rejectedWith(/releaseAs must be one of/)
+      })
     })
 
     describe('release-as-exact', function () {
@@ -395,11 +425,59 @@ describe('cli', function () {
           bump: 'patch',
           fs: { 'CHANGELOG.md': 'legacy header format<a name="100.0.0-amazing.0">\n' },
           pkg: {
-            version: '100.0.0-amazing.0'
+            version: '100.0.0-amazing.1'
           }
         })
         await exec('--release-as 100.0.0-amazing.0 --prerelease amazing')
-        should.equal(getPackageVersion(), '100.0.0-amazing.1')
+        should.equal(getPackageVersion(), '100.0.0-amazing.2')
+      })
+
+      it('release 100.0.0 with prerelease amazing correctly sets version', async function () {
+        mock({
+          bump: 'patch',
+          fs: { 'CHANGELOG.md': 'legacy header format<a name="100.0.0-amazing.0">\n' },
+          pkg: {
+            version: '99.0.0-amazing.0'
+          }
+        })
+        await exec('--release-as 100.0.0 --prerelease amazing')
+        should.equal(getPackageVersion(), '100.0.0-amazing.0')
+      })
+
+      it('release 100.0.0-amazing.0 with prerelease amazing correctly sets version', async function () {
+        mock({
+          bump: 'patch',
+          fs: { 'CHANGELOG.md': 'legacy header format<a name="100.0.0-amazing.0">\n' },
+          pkg: {
+            version: '99.0.0-amazing.0'
+          }
+        })
+        await exec('--release-as 100.0.0-amazing.0 --prerelease amazing')
+        should.equal(getPackageVersion(), '100.0.0-amazing.0')
+      })
+
+      it('release 100.0.0-amazing.0 with prerelease amazing retains build metadata', async function () {
+        mock({
+          bump: 'patch',
+          fs: { 'CHANGELOG.md': 'legacy header format<a name="100.0.0-amazing.0">\n' },
+          pkg: {
+            version: '100.0.0-amazing.0'
+          }
+        })
+        await exec('--release-as 100.0.0-amazing.0+build.1234 --prerelease amazing')
+        should.equal(getPackageVersion(), '100.0.0-amazing.1+build.1234')
+      })
+
+      it('release 100.0.0-amazing.3 with prerelease amazing correctly sets prerelease version', async function () {
+        mock({
+          bump: 'patch',
+          fs: { 'CHANGELOG.md': 'legacy header format<a name="100.0.0-amazing.0">\n' },
+          pkg: {
+            version: '100.0.0-amazing.0'
+          }
+        })
+        await exec('--release-as 100.0.0-amazing.3 --prerelease amazing')
+        should.equal(getPackageVersion(), '100.0.0-amazing.3')
       })
     })
 
@@ -427,6 +505,19 @@ describe('cli', function () {
       await exec('--prerelease dev')
       getPackageVersion().should.equal('1.1.0-dev.2')
     })
+
+    it('exits with error if an invalid release version is provided', async function () {
+      mock({ bump: 'minor', fs: { 'CHANGELOG.md': '' } })
+
+      expect(exec('--release-as 10.2')).to.be.rejectedWith(/releaseAs must be one of/)
+    })
+
+    it('exits with error if release version conflicts with prerelease', async function () {
+      mock({ bump: 'minor', fs: { 'CHANGELOG.md': '' } })
+
+      expect(exec('--release-as 1.2.3-amazing.2 --prerelease awesome')).to.be
+        .rejectedWith(/releaseAs and prerelease have conflicting prerelease identifiers/)
+    })
   })
 
   it('appends line feed at end of package.json', async function () {
@@ -478,35 +569,20 @@ describe('commit-and-tag-version', function () {
 
   it('should exit on bump error', async function () {
     mock({ bump: new Error('bump err') })
-    try {
-      await exec()
-      /* istanbul ignore next */
-      throw new Error('Unexpected success')
-    } catch (err) {
-      err.message.should.match(/bump err/)
-    }
+
+    expect(exec()).to.be.rejectedWith(/bump err/)
   })
 
   it('should exit on changelog error', async function () {
     mock({ bump: 'minor', changelog: new Error('changelog err') })
-    try {
-      await exec()
-      /* istanbul ignore next */
-      throw new Error('Unexpected success')
-    } catch (err) {
-      err.message.should.match(/changelog err/)
-    }
+
+    expect(exec()).to.be.rejectedWith(/changelog err/)
   })
 
   it('should exit with error without a package file to bump', async function () {
     mock({ bump: 'patch', pkg: false })
-    try {
-      await exec({ gitTagFallback: false })
-      /* istanbul ignore next */
-      throw new Error('Unexpected success')
-    } catch (err) {
-      err.message.should.equal('no package file found')
-    }
+    
+    expect(exec({ gitTagFallback: false })).to.be.rejectedWith('no package file found')
   })
 
   it('bumps version # in bower.json', async function () {
@@ -880,24 +956,20 @@ describe('with mocked git', function () {
 
   it('fails if git add fails', async function () {
     const gitArgs = [['add', 'CHANGELOG.md', 'package.json']]
+    const gitError = new Error('Command failed: git\nfailed add')
     const execFile = (_args, cmd, cmdArgs) => {
       cmd.should.equal('git')
       const expected = gitArgs.shift()
       cmdArgs.should.deep.equal(expected)
+
       if (expected[0] === 'add') {
-        return Promise.reject(new Error('Command failed: git\nfailed add'))
+        return Promise.reject(gitError)
       }
       return Promise.resolve('')
     }
     mock({ bump: 'patch', changelog: 'foo\n', execFile })
 
-    try {
-      await exec({}, true)
-      /* istanbul ignore next */
-      throw new Error('Unexpected success')
-    } catch (error) {
-      error.message.should.match(/failed add/)
-    }
+    expect(exec({}, true)).to.be.rejectedWith(gitError)
   })
 
   it('fails if git commit fails', async function () {
@@ -905,24 +977,19 @@ describe('with mocked git', function () {
       ['add', 'CHANGELOG.md', 'package.json'],
       ['commit', 'CHANGELOG.md', 'package.json', '-m', 'chore(release): 1.0.1']
     ]
+    const gitError = new Error('Command failed: git\nfailed commit')
     const execFile = (_args, cmd, cmdArgs) => {
       cmd.should.equal('git')
       const expected = gitArgs.shift()
       cmdArgs.should.deep.equal(expected)
       if (expected[0] === 'commit') {
-        return Promise.reject(new Error('Command failed: git\nfailed commit'))
+        return Promise.reject(gitError)
       }
       return Promise.resolve('')
     }
     mock({ bump: 'patch', changelog: 'foo\n', execFile })
 
-    try {
-      await exec({}, true)
-      /* istanbul ignore next */
-      throw new Error('Unexpected success')
-    } catch (error) {
-      error.message.should.match(/failed commit/)
-    }
+    expect(exec({}, true)).to.be.rejectedWith(gitError)
   })
 
   it('fails if git tag fails', async function () {
@@ -931,23 +998,18 @@ describe('with mocked git', function () {
       ['commit', 'CHANGELOG.md', 'package.json', '-m', 'chore(release): 1.0.1'],
       ['tag', '-a', 'v1.0.1', '-m', 'chore(release): 1.0.1']
     ]
+    const gitError = new Error('Command failed: git\nfailed tag')
     const execFile = (_args, cmd, cmdArgs) => {
       cmd.should.equal('git')
       const expected = gitArgs.shift()
       cmdArgs.should.deep.equal(expected)
       if (expected[0] === 'tag') {
-        return Promise.reject(new Error('Command failed: git\nfailed tag'))
+        return Promise.reject(gitError)
       }
       return Promise.resolve('')
     }
     mock({ bump: 'patch', changelog: 'foo\n', execFile })
 
-    try {
-      await exec({}, true)
-      /* istanbul ignore next */
-      throw new Error('Unexpected success')
-    } catch (error) {
-      error.message.should.match(/failed tag/)
-    }
+    expect(exec({}, true)).to.be.rejectedWith(gitError)
   })
 })
diff --git a/test/git.spec.js b/test/git.spec.js
index 22b345a04..4f3652346 100644
--- a/test/git.spec.js
+++ b/test/git.spec.js
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ const { Readable } = require('stream')
 const mockery = require('mockery')
 const stdMocks = require('std-mocks')
 
-require('chai').should()
+const chai = require('chai')
+const expect = chai.expect
+chai.use(require('chai-as-promised'))
 
 function exec (opt = '') {
   if (typeof opt === 'string') {
@@ -356,13 +358,7 @@ describe('git', function () {
       )
 
       mock({ bump: 'minor' })
-      try {
-        await exec('--patch')
-        /* istanbul ignore next */
-        throw new Error('Unexpected success')
-      } catch (error) {
-        error.message.should.match(/precommit-failure/)
-      }
+      expect(exec('--patch')).to.be.rejectedWith(/precommit-failure/)
     })
 
     it('should allow an alternate commit message to be provided by precommit script', async function () {