diff --git a/command.js b/command.js
index afe65fe8d..40d7d7e93 100755
--- a/command.js
+++ b/command.js
@@ -126,6 +126,11 @@ const yargs = require('yargs')
     default: defaults.npmPublishHint,
     describe: 'Customized publishing hint'
   })
+  .option('noBumpWhenEmptyChanges', {
+    type: 'boolean',
+    default: false,
+    describe: 'Avoid bumping files and generating changelog if there are no changes.'
+  })
   .check((argv) => {
     if (typeof argv.scripts !== 'object' || Array.isArray(argv.scripts)) {
       throw Error('scripts must be an object')
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 8941e654a..cb88fc915 100755
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ module.exports = async function standardVersion (argv) {
     }
 
     const newVersion = await bump(args, version)
+    if (!newVersion) return
     await changelog(args, newVersion)
     await commit(args, newVersion)
     await tag(newVersion, pkg ? pkg.private : false, args)
diff --git a/lib/lifecycles/bump.js b/lib/lifecycles/bump.js
index da72199f6..10f912550 100644
--- a/lib/lifecycles/bump.js
+++ b/lib/lifecycles/bump.js
@@ -12,8 +12,45 @@ const runLifecycleScript = require('../run-lifecycle-script')
 const semver = require('semver')
 const writeFile = require('../write-file')
 const { resolveUpdaterObjectFromArgument } = require('../updaters')
+const addBangNotes = require('conventional-changelog-conventionalcommits/add-bang-notes')
 let configsToUpdate = {}
 
+function _whatBump (config, commits) {
+  let level = 2
+  let breakings = 0
+  let features = 0
+  let fix = 0
+
+  commits.forEach(commit => {
+    addBangNotes(commit)
+    if (commit.notes.length > 0) {
+      breakings += commit.notes.length
+      level = 0
+    } else if (commit.type === 'feat' || commit.type === 'feature') {
+      features += 1
+      if (level === 2) {
+        level = 1
+      }
+    }
+    if (commit.type === 'fix') {
+      fix += 1
+    }
+  })
+
+  if (config.preMajor && level < 2) {
+    level++
+  }
+
+  if (!breakings && !features && !fix) return {}
+
+  return {
+    level,
+    reason: breakings === 1
+      ? `There is ${breakings} BREAKING CHANGE and ${features} features`
+      : `There are ${breakings} BREAKING CHANGES and ${features} features`
+  }
+}
+
 async function Bump (args, version) {
   // reset the cache of updated config files each
   // time we perform the version bump step.
@@ -25,6 +62,14 @@ async function Bump (args, version) {
   const stdout = await runLifecycleScript(args, 'prebump')
   if (stdout && stdout.trim().length) args.releaseAs = stdout.trim()
   const release = await bumpVersion(args.releaseAs, version, args)
+  if (!Object.keys(release).length) {
+    checkpoint(
+      args,
+      'no commits found, so not bumping version',
+      []
+    )
+    return null
+  }
   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)
@@ -108,7 +153,8 @@ function getTypePriority (type) {
 }
 
 function bumpVersion (releaseAs, currentVersion, args) {
-  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+  // eslint-disable-next-line no-async-promise-executor
+  return new Promise(async (resolve, reject) => {
     if (releaseAs) {
       return resolve({
         releaseType: releaseAs
@@ -123,7 +169,12 @@ function bumpVersion (releaseAs, currentVersion, args) {
         preset: presetOptions,
         path: args.path,
         tagPrefix: args.tagPrefix,
-        lernaPackage: args.lernaPackage
+        lernaPackage: args.lernaPackage,
+        ...args.noBumpWhenEmptyChanges && {
+          whatBump (commits) {
+            return _whatBump(presetOptions, commits)
+          }
+        }
       }, args.parserOpts, function (err, release) {
         if (err) return reject(err)
         else return resolve(release)