diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 26debe7..273ea51 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -256,8 +256,9 @@ r_plugins_from_sources: []
 
 # The 'repo' scope is required
 # r_plugins_from_github_api_token: 'Put it into a vault file'
+# The 'version' parameter is optional. The default is 'master'
 r_plugins_from_github: []
-#   - { plugin_name: 'RFigisGeo', github_user: 'openfigis' }
+#   - { plugin_name: 'RFigisGeo', github_user: 'openfigis', version: 'v0.2-beta1' }
 #   - { plugin_name: 'rsdmx', github_user: 'opensdmx' }
 
 # 
diff --git a/tasks/r-packages-install.yml b/tasks/r-packages-install.yml
index c17e37b..848652e 100644
--- a/tasks/r-packages-install.yml
+++ b/tasks/r-packages-install.yml
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@
 
   - name: Install R packages from github
     command: >
-      Rscript --slave --no-site-file --no-init-file --no-save --no-restore-history -e "if (! ('{{ item.plugin_name }}' %in% installed.packages()[,'Package'])) { require(devtools); require(methods) ; options(repos='{{ r_cran_mirror_site }}/') ; install_github('{{ item.github_user }}/{{ item.plugin_name }}'); print('Added'); } else { print('Already Installed'); }"
+      Rscript --slave --no-site-file --no-init-file --no-save --no-restore-history -e "if (! ('{{ item.plugin_name }}' %in% installed.packages()[,'Package'])) { require(devtools); require(methods) ; options(repos='{{ r_cran_mirror_site }}/') ; install_github('{{ item.github_user }}/{{ item.plugin_name }}', ref = {{ item.version | default('master') }}, upgrade='never'); print('Added'); } else { print('Already Installed'); }"
     register: install_github_plugins_result
     failed_when: "install_github_plugins_result.rc != 0 or 'had non-zero exit status' in install_github_plugins_result.stderr"
     changed_when: "'Added' in install_github_plugins_result.stdout"
diff --git a/templates/update_r_packages.sh.j2 b/templates/update_r_packages.sh.j2
index 2d4a013..3cfa553 100644
--- a/templates/update_r_packages.sh.j2
+++ b/templates/update_r_packages.sh.j2
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ R_VERSIONED_PKGS_LIST=
 GITHUB_PKGS_SKIP=0
 R_PKGS_FROM_GITHUB_LIST_URL="{{ r_github_packages_list_url | default('') }}"
 R_PKGS_GITHUB=
+R_PKGS_ALWAYS_UPGRADE_GITHUB={{ r_github_always_upgrade | default(True) }}
 
 trap "logger 'update_r_packages: trap intercepted, exiting.' ; cleanup" SIGHUP SIGINT SIGTERM
 
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ function cleanup() {
 function usage() {
     if [ $PARAMS -ne 1 ] ; then
         echo "Need at least an argument: 'upgrade' or 'install'."
-        echo "- 'upgrade' installs new packages and upgrades the existin ones when needed."        
+        echo "- 'upgrade' installs new packages and upgrades the already installed ones."        
         echo "- 'install' installs new packages."        
         cleanup
         exit 1
@@ -281,11 +282,18 @@ function r_github_pkgs() {
         logger "update_r_packages: Installing R packages from Github"
         for l in $( cat $R_PKGS_GITHUB ) ; do
             pkg=$( echo $l | cut -d "/" -f 2 )
-            if [ "$ACTION" == "upgrade" ] ; then
-                Rscript $RSCRIPT_OPTIONS -e "require(devtools); require(methods); require(jsonlite) ; package_to_install <- '$l' ; refs <- jsonlite::read_json(sprintf('https://api.github.com/repos/%s/releases', package_to_install)) ; ref_to_install <- 'master'; if(length(refs)>0) { ref_to_install <- refs[[1]][['tag_name']] } ; devtools::install_github(package_to_install, ref = ref_to_install, upgrade='never')"
+            github_pkg=$( echo $l | awk -F ":" '{ print $1 }' - )
+            github_pkg_version=$( echo $l | awk -F ":" '{ print $2 }' - )
+            if [ ! -z "$github_pkg_version" ] ; then
+                github_version_to_install="master"
+            else
+                github_version_to_install="$github_pkg_version"
+            fi
+            if [ "$ACTION" == "upgrade" -o "$R_PKGS_ALWAYS_UPGRADE_GITHUB" ] ; then
+                Rscript $RSCRIPT_OPTIONS -e "require(devtools); require(methods); require(jsonlite) ; package_to_install <- '$github_pkg' ; refs <- jsonlite::read_json(sprintf('https://api.github.com/repos/%s/releases', package_to_install)) ; ref_to_install <- '$github_pkg_version'; if(length(refs)>0) { ref_to_install <- refs[[1]][['tag_name']] } ; devtools::install_github(package_to_install, ref = ref_to_install, upgrade='never')"
 
             else
-                Rscript $RSCRIPT_OPTIONS -e "if (! ('$pkg' %in% installed.packages()[,'Package'])) { require(devtools); require(methods); require(jsonlite) ; package_to_install <- '$l' ; refs <- jsonlite::read_json(sprintf('https://api.github.com/repos/%s/releases', package_to_install)) ; ref_to_install <- 'master'; if(length(refs)>0) { ref_to_install <- refs[[1]][['tag_name']] } ; devtools::install_github(package_to_install, ref = ref_to_install, upgrade='never') }"
+                Rscript $RSCRIPT_OPTIONS -e "if (! ('$pkg' %in% installed.packages()[,'Package'])) { require(devtools); require(methods); require(jsonlite) ; package_to_install <- '$github_pkg' ; refs <- jsonlite::read_json(sprintf('https://api.github.com/repos/%s/releases', package_to_install)) ; ref_to_install <- '$github_pkg_version'; if(length(refs)>0) { ref_to_install <- refs[[1]][['tag_name']] } ; devtools::install_github(package_to_install, ref = ref_to_install, upgrade='never') }"
             fi
         done
     else