diff --git a/src/Composer/Console/Application.php b/src/Composer/Console/Application.php
index 4ecb8b1a3..e0037f655 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Console/Application.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Console/Application.php
@@ -94,9 +94,17 @@ class Application extends BaseApplication
             $output->writeln('<warning>Composer only officially supports PHP 5.3.2 and above, you will most likely encounter problems with your PHP '.PHP_VERSION.', upgrading is strongly recommended.</warning>');
         }
 
-        if (defined('COMPOSER_DEV_WARNING_TIME') && $this->getCommandName($input) !== 'self-update' && $this->getCommandName($input) !== 'selfupdate') {
-            if (time() > COMPOSER_DEV_WARNING_TIME) {
-                $output->writeln(sprintf('<warning>Warning: This development build of composer is over 30 days old. It is recommended to update it by running "%s self-update" to get the latest version.</warning>', $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']));
+        if (defined('COMPOSER_DEV_WARNING_TIME')) {
+            $commandName = '';
+            if ($name = $this->getCommandName($input)) {
+                try {
+                    $commandName = $this->find($name)->getName();
+                } catch (\InvalidArgumentException $e) {}
+            }
+            if ($commandName !== 'self-update' && $commandName !== 'selfupdate') {
+                if (time() > COMPOSER_DEV_WARNING_TIME) {
+                    $output->writeln(sprintf('<warning>Warning: This development build of composer is over 30 days old. It is recommended to update it by running "%s self-update" to get the latest version.</warning>', $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']));
+                }
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/Composer/Test/ApplicationTest.php b/tests/Composer/Test/ApplicationTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c99022671
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/ApplicationTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of Composer.
+ *
+ * (c) Nils Adermann <naderman@naderman.de>
+ *     Jordi Boggiano <j.boggiano@seld.be>
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+ * file that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+namespace Composer\Test;
+
+use Composer\Console\Application;
+use Composer\TestCase;
+
+class ApplicationTest extends TestCase
+{
+    public function testDevWarning()
+    {
+        $application = new Application;
+
+        $inputMock = $this->getMock('Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputInterface');
+        $outputMock = $this->getMock('Symfony\Component\Console\Output\OutputInterface');
+
+        $inputMock->expects($this->once())
+            ->method('getFirstArgument')
+            ->will($this->returnValue('list'));
+
+        $outputMock->expects($this->once())
+            ->method("writeln")
+            ->with($this->equalTo(sprintf('<warning>Warning: This development build of composer is over 30 days old. It is recommended to update it by running "%s self-update" to get the latest version.</warning>', $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'])));
+
+        if (!defined('COMPOSER_DEV_WARNING_TIME')) {
+            define('COMPOSER_DEV_WARNING_TIME', time() - 1);
+        }
+
+        $this->setExpectedException('RuntimeException');
+        $application->doRun($inputMock, $outputMock);
+    }
+
+    public function ensureNoDevWarning($command)
+    {
+        $application = new Application;
+
+        $application->add(new \Composer\Command\SelfUpdateCommand);
+
+        $inputMock = $this->getMock('Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputInterface');
+        $outputMock = $this->getMock('Symfony\Component\Console\Output\OutputInterface');
+
+        $inputMock->expects($this->once())
+            ->method('getFirstArgument')
+            ->will($this->returnValue($command));
+
+        $outputMock->expects($this->never())
+            ->method("writeln");
+
+        if (!defined('COMPOSER_DEV_WARNING_TIME')) {
+            define('COMPOSER_DEV_WARNING_TIME', time() - 1);
+        }
+
+        $this->setExpectedException('RuntimeException');
+        $application->doRun($inputMock, $outputMock);
+    }
+
+    public function testDevWarningPrevented()
+    {
+        $this->ensureNoDevWarning('self-update');
+    }
+
+    public function testDevWarningPreventedAlias()
+    {
+        $this->ensureNoDevWarning('self-up');
+    }
+}