diff --git a/qa/pull-tester/build-tests.sh.in b/qa/pull-tester/build-tests.sh.in
index ebf377a48..1ef47d77f 100755
--- a/qa/pull-tester/build-tests.sh.in
+++ b/qa/pull-tester/build-tests.sh.in
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ make check
 # Run RPC integration test on Linux:
 @abs_top_srcdir@/qa/rpc-tests/wallet.sh @abs_top_srcdir@/linux-build/src
 @abs_top_srcdir@/qa/rpc-tests/listtransactions.py --srcdir @abs_top_srcdir@/linux-build/src
+@abs_top_srcdir@/qa/rpc-tests/forknotify.py --srcdir @abs_top_srcdir@/linux-build/src
 # Clean up cache/ directory that the python regression tests create
 rm -rf cache
 
diff --git a/qa/rpc-tests/forknotify.py b/qa/rpc-tests/forknotify.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..a482f7cc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qa/rpc-tests/forknotify.py
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# Copyright (c) 2014 The Bitcoin Core developers
+# Distributed under the MIT/X11 software license, see the accompanying
+# file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
+
+#
+# Test -alertnotify 
+#
+
+from test_framework import BitcoinTestFramework
+from bitcoinrpc.authproxy import AuthServiceProxy, JSONRPCException
+from util import *
+import os
+import shutil
+
+class ForkNotifyTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
+
+    alert_filename = None  # Set by setup_network
+
+    def setup_network(self, test_dir):
+        nodes = []
+        self.alert_filename = os.path.join(test_dir, "alert.txt")
+        with open(self.alert_filename, 'w') as f:
+            pass  # Just open then close to create zero-length file
+        nodes.append(start_node(0, test_dir,
+                            ["-blockversion=2", "-alertnotify=echo %s >> '" + self.alert_filename + "'"]))
+        # Node1 mines block.version=211 blocks
+        nodes.append(start_node(1, test_dir,
+                                ["-blockversion=211"]))
+        connect_nodes(nodes[1], 0)
+
+        sync_blocks(nodes)
+        return nodes
+        
+
+    def run_test(self, nodes):
+        # Mine 51 up-version blocks
+        nodes[1].setgenerate(True, 51)
+        sync_blocks(nodes)
+        # -alertnotify should trigger on the 51'st,
+        # but mine and sync another to give
+        # -alertnotify time to write
+        nodes[1].setgenerate(True, 1)
+        sync_blocks(nodes)
+
+        with open(self.alert_filename, 'r') as f:
+            alert_text = f.read()
+
+        if len(alert_text) == 0:
+            raise AssertionError("-alertnotify did not warn of up-version blocks")
+
+        # Mine more up-version blocks, should not get more alerts:
+        nodes[1].setgenerate(True, 1)
+        sync_blocks(nodes)
+        nodes[1].setgenerate(True, 1)
+        sync_blocks(nodes)
+
+        with open(self.alert_filename, 'r') as f:
+            alert_text2 = f.read()
+
+        if alert_text != alert_text2:
+            raise AssertionError("-alertnotify excessive warning of up-version blocks")
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    ForkNotifyTest().main()
diff --git a/src/alert.cpp b/src/alert.cpp
index 3271ecfbf..d49584920 100644
--- a/src/alert.cpp
+++ b/src/alert.cpp
@@ -233,25 +233,30 @@ bool CAlert::ProcessAlert(bool fThread)
         if(AppliesToMe())
         {
             uiInterface.NotifyAlertChanged(GetHash(), CT_NEW);
-            std::string strCmd = GetArg("-alertnotify", "");
-            if (!strCmd.empty())
-            {
-                // Alert text should be plain ascii coming from a trusted source, but to
-                // be safe we first strip anything not in safeChars, then add single quotes around
-                // the whole string before passing it to the shell:
-                std::string singleQuote("'");
-                std::string safeStatus = SanitizeString(strStatusBar);
-                safeStatus = singleQuote+safeStatus+singleQuote;
-                boost::replace_all(strCmd, "%s", safeStatus);
-
-                if (fThread)
-                    boost::thread t(runCommand, strCmd); // thread runs free
-                else
-                    runCommand(strCmd);
-            }
+            Notify(strStatusBar, fThread);
         }
     }
 
     LogPrint("alert", "accepted alert %d, AppliesToMe()=%d\n", nID, AppliesToMe());
     return true;
 }
+
+void
+CAlert::Notify(const std::string& strMessage, bool fThread)
+{
+    std::string strCmd = GetArg("-alertnotify", "");
+    if (strCmd.empty()) return;
+
+    // Alert text should be plain ascii coming from a trusted source, but to
+    // be safe we first strip anything not in safeChars, then add single quotes around
+    // the whole string before passing it to the shell:
+    std::string singleQuote("'");
+    std::string safeStatus = SanitizeString(strMessage);
+    safeStatus = singleQuote+safeStatus+singleQuote;
+    boost::replace_all(strCmd, "%s", safeStatus);
+
+    if (fThread)
+        boost::thread t(runCommand, strCmd); // thread runs free
+    else
+        runCommand(strCmd);
+}
diff --git a/src/alert.h b/src/alert.h
index 5ecf94cea..ba3235858 100644
--- a/src/alert.h
+++ b/src/alert.h
@@ -101,7 +101,8 @@ public:
     bool AppliesToMe() const;
     bool RelayTo(CNode* pnode) const;
     bool CheckSignature() const;
-    bool ProcessAlert(bool fThread = true);
+    bool ProcessAlert(bool fThread = true); // fThread means run -alertnotify in a free-running thread
+    static void Notify(const std::string& strMessage, bool fThread);
 
     /*
      * Get copy of (active) alert object by hash. Returns a null alert if it is not found.
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index de3876944..fc8167e40 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -1178,14 +1178,9 @@ void CheckForkWarningConditions()
     {
         if (!fLargeWorkForkFound)
         {
-            std::string strCmd = GetArg("-alertnotify", "");
-            if (!strCmd.empty())
-            {
-                std::string warning = std::string("'Warning: Large-work fork detected, forking after block ") +
-                                      pindexBestForkBase->phashBlock->ToString() + std::string("'");
-                boost::replace_all(strCmd, "%s", warning);
-                boost::thread t(runCommand, strCmd); // thread runs free
-            }
+            std::string warning = std::string("'Warning: Large-work fork detected, forking after block ") +
+                pindexBestForkBase->phashBlock->ToString() + std::string("'");
+            CAlert::Notify(warning, true);
         }
         if (pindexBestForkTip)
         {
@@ -1753,7 +1748,8 @@ void static UpdateTip(CBlockIndex *pindexNew) {
     cvBlockChange.notify_all();
 
     // Check the version of the last 100 blocks to see if we need to upgrade:
-    if (!IsInitialBlockDownload())
+    static bool fWarned = false;
+    if (!IsInitialBlockDownload() && !fWarned)
     {
         int nUpgraded = 0;
         const CBlockIndex* pindex = chainActive.Tip();
@@ -1766,8 +1762,12 @@ void static UpdateTip(CBlockIndex *pindexNew) {
         if (nUpgraded > 0)
             LogPrintf("SetBestChain: %d of last 100 blocks above version %d\n", nUpgraded, (int)CBlock::CURRENT_VERSION);
         if (nUpgraded > 100/2)
+        {
             // strMiscWarning is read by GetWarnings(), called by Qt and the JSON-RPC code to warn the user:
             strMiscWarning = _("Warning: This version is obsolete, upgrade required!");
+            CAlert::Notify(strMiscWarning, true);
+            fWarned = true;
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/miner.cpp b/src/miner.cpp
index fd6c52ca6..c2762bf44 100644
--- a/src/miner.cpp
+++ b/src/miner.cpp
@@ -83,6 +83,11 @@ CBlockTemplate* CreateNewBlock(const CScript& scriptPubKeyIn)
         return NULL;
     CBlock *pblock = &pblocktemplate->block; // pointer for convenience
 
+    // -regtest only: allow overriding block.nVersion with
+    // -blockversion=N to test forking scenarios
+    if (Params().MineBlocksOnDemand())
+        pblock->nVersion = GetArg("-blockversion", pblock->nVersion);
+
     // Create coinbase tx
     CMutableTransaction txNew;
     txNew.vin.resize(1);