diff --git a/src/dockerflow/version.py b/src/dockerflow/version.py
index 724e92b..3cf5fb3 100644
--- a/src/dockerflow/version.py
+++ b/src/dockerflow/version.py
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
 
 def get_version(root):
     """
-    Load and return the contents of version.json.
+    Load and return the contents of version.json. If a DOCKERFLOW_VERSION
+    env var is set, sets the "version" attribute to the env var value.
 
     :param root: The root path that the ``version.json`` file will be opened
     :type root: str
@@ -17,7 +18,13 @@ def get_version(root):
     :rtype: dict or None
     """
     version_json = os.path.join(root, "version.json")
+    version_env_var = os.getenv("DOCKERFLOW_VERSION")
     if os.path.exists(version_json):
         with open(version_json, "r") as version_json_file:
-            return json.load(version_json_file)
+            version_info = json.load(version_json_file)
+            if version_env_var != None:
+                version_info["version"] = version_env_var
+            return version_info
+    if version_env_var != None:
+        return { "version": version_env_var }
     return None
diff --git a/tests/core/test_version.py b/tests/core/test_version.py
index e6af147..7b3a3a0 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_version.py
+++ b/tests/core/test_version.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
 # file, you can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
 import json
+import os
 
 from dockerflow.version import get_version
 
@@ -18,3 +19,22 @@ def test_get_version(tmpdir):
 def test_no_version_json(tmpdir):
     version = get_version(str(tmpdir))
     assert version is None
+
+def test_env_var_override(tmpdir, mocker):
+    content = {"spam": "eggs"}
+    mocker.patch.dict(os.environ, { "DOCKERFLOW_VERSION": "foo"})
+    version_json = tmpdir.join("version.json")
+    version_json.write(json.dumps(content))
+
+    version = get_version(str(tmpdir))
+    assert version == {
+        "spam": "eggs",
+        "version": "foo"
+    }
+
+def test_env_var_override_with_no_json(tmpdir, mocker):
+    mocker.patch.dict(os.environ, { "DOCKERFLOW_VERSION": "foo"})
+    version = get_version(str(tmpdir))
+    assert version == {
+        "version": "foo"
+    }