diff --git a/src/Composer/Command/UpdateCommand.php b/src/Composer/Command/UpdateCommand.php
index 99bd2d74b..0c3d3e6c7 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Command/UpdateCommand.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Command/UpdateCommand.php
@@ -121,6 +121,19 @@ EOT
             }
         }
 
+        // the arguments lock/nothing/mirrors are not package names but trigger a mirror update instead
+        // they are further mutually exclusive with listing actual package names
+        $filteredPackages = array_filter($packages, function ($package) {
+            return !in_array($package, array('lock', 'nothing', 'mirrors'), true);
+        });
+        $updateMirrors = $input->getOption('lock') || count($filteredPackages) != count($packages);
+        $packages = $filteredPackages;
+
+        if ($updateMirrors && !empty($packages)) {
+            $io->writeError('<error>You cannot simultaneously update only a selection of packages and regenerate the lock file metadata.</error>');
+            return -1;
+        }
+
         $commandEvent = new CommandEvent(PluginEvents::COMMAND, 'update', $input, $output);
         $composer->getEventDispatcher()->dispatch($commandEvent->getName(), $commandEvent);
 
@@ -146,7 +159,8 @@ EOT
             ->setClassMapAuthoritative($authoritative)
             ->setApcuAutoloader($apcu)
             ->setUpdate(true)
-            ->setUpdateWhitelist($input->getOption('lock') ? array('lock') : $packages)
+            ->setUpdateMirrors($updateMirrors)
+            ->setUpdateWhitelist($packages)
             ->setWhitelistTransitiveDependencies($input->getOption('with-dependencies'))
             ->setWhitelistAllDependencies($input->getOption('with-all-dependencies'))
             ->setIgnorePlatformRequirements($input->getOption('ignore-platform-reqs'))
diff --git a/src/Composer/DependencyResolver/LockTransaction.php b/src/Composer/DependencyResolver/LockTransaction.php
index 75b2efb5b..7255de3dd 100644
--- a/src/Composer/DependencyResolver/LockTransaction.php
+++ b/src/Composer/DependencyResolver/LockTransaction.php
@@ -152,11 +152,19 @@ class LockTransaction
     }
 
     // TODO additionalFixedRepository needs to be looked at here as well?
-    public function getNewLockPackages($devMode)
+    public function getNewLockPackages($devMode, $updateMirrors = false)
     {
         $packages = array();
         foreach ($this->resultPackages[$devMode ? 'dev' : 'non-dev'] as $package) {
             if (!($package instanceof AliasPackage) && !($package instanceof RootAliasPackage)) {
+                // if we're just updating mirrors we need to reset references to the same as currently "present" packages' references to keep the lock file as-is
+                if ($updateMirrors && !isset($this->presentMap[spl_object_hash($package)])) {
+                    foreach ($this->presentMap as $presentPackage) {
+                        if ($package->getName() == $presentPackage->getName() && $package->getVersion() == $presentPackage->getVersion() && $presentPackage->getSourceReference()) {
+                            $package->setSourceDistReferences($presentPackage->getSourceReference());
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
                 $packages[] = $package;
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/Composer/DependencyResolver/PoolBuilder.php b/src/Composer/DependencyResolver/PoolBuilder.php
index 39ac5098f..1c995bc4e 100644
--- a/src/Composer/DependencyResolver/PoolBuilder.php
+++ b/src/Composer/DependencyResolver/PoolBuilder.php
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ class PoolBuilder
         if (isset($this->rootReferences[$name])) {
             // do not modify the references on already locked packages
             if (!$request->isFixedPackage($package)) {
-                $this->setReferences($package, $this->rootReferences[$name]);
+                $package->setSourceDistReferences($this->rootReferences[$name]);
             }
         }
 
@@ -225,19 +225,5 @@ class PoolBuilder
 
         return $loadNames;
     }
-
-    private function setReferences(Package $package, $reference)
-    {
-        $package->setSourceReference($reference);
-
-        // only bitbucket, github and gitlab have auto generated dist URLs that easily allow replacing the reference in the dist URL
-        // TODO generalize this a bit for self-managed/on-prem versions? Some kind of replace token in dist urls which allow this?
-        if (preg_match('{^https?://(?:(?:www\.)?bitbucket\.org|(api\.)?github\.com|(?:www\.)?gitlab\.com)/}i', $package->getDistUrl())) {
-            $package->setDistReference($reference);
-            $package->setDistUrl(preg_replace('{(?<=/|sha=)[a-f0-9]{40}(?=/|$)}i', $reference, $package->getDistUrl()));
-        } elseif ($package->getDistReference()) { // update the dist reference if there was one, but if none was provided ignore it
-            $package->setDistReference($reference);
-        }
-    }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Composer/Installer.php b/src/Composer/Installer.php
index dea1e03e5..86d251756 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Installer.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Installer.php
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ use Composer\Package\AliasPackage;
 use Composer\Package\BasePackage;
 use Composer\Package\CompletePackage;
 use Composer\Package\Link;
+use Composer\Package\LinkConstraint\VersionConstraint;
 use Composer\Package\Loader\ArrayLoader;
 use Composer\Package\Dumper\ArrayDumper;
 use Composer\Package\Package;
@@ -137,6 +138,7 @@ class Installer
      *
      * @var array|null
      */
+    protected $updateMirrors = false;
     protected $updateWhitelist = null;
     protected $whitelistTransitiveDependencies = false;
     protected $whitelistAllDependencies = false;
@@ -192,6 +194,10 @@ class Installer
         gc_collect_cycles();
         gc_disable();
 
+        if ($this->updateWhitelist && $this->updateMirrors) {
+            throw new \RuntimeException("The installer options updateMirrors and updateWhitelist are mutually exclusive.");
+        }
+
         // Force update if there is no lock file present
         if (!$this->update && !$this->locker->isLocked()) {
             // TODO throw an error instead?
@@ -370,8 +376,15 @@ class Installer
 
         $links = array_merge($this->package->getRequires(), $this->package->getDevRequires());
 
-        foreach ($links as $link) {
-            $request->install($link->getTarget(), $link->getConstraint());
+        // if we're updating mirrors we want to keep exactly the same versions installed which are in the lock file, but we want current remote metadata
+        if ($this->updateMirrors) {
+            foreach ($lockedRepository->getPackages() as $lockedPackage) {
+                $request->install($lockedPackage->getName(), new Constraint('==', $lockedPackage->getVersion()));
+            }
+        } else {
+            foreach ($links as $link) {
+                $request->install($link->getTarget(), $link->getConstraint());
+            }
         }
 
         // if the updateWhitelist is enabled, packages not in it are also fixed
@@ -489,8 +502,8 @@ class Installer
         }
 
         $updatedLock = $this->locker->setLockData(
-            $lockTransaction->getNewLockPackages(false),
-            $lockTransaction->getNewLockPackages(true),
+            $lockTransaction->getNewLockPackages(false, $this->updateMirrors),
+            $lockTransaction->getNewLockPackages(true, $this->updateMirrors),
             $platformReqs,
             $platformDevReqs,
             $aliases,
@@ -912,23 +925,6 @@ class Installer
         return $normalizedAliases;
     }
 
-    // TODO do we still need this function?
-    private function updateInstallReferences(PackageInterface $package, $reference)
-    {
-        if (!$reference) {
-            return;
-        }
-
-        $package->setSourceReference($reference);
-
-        if (preg_match('{^https?://(?:(?:www\.)?bitbucket\.org|(api\.)?github\.com|(?:www\.)?gitlab\.com)/}i', $package->getDistUrl())) {
-            $package->setDistReference($reference);
-            $package->setDistUrl(preg_replace('{(?<=/|sha=)[a-f0-9]{40}(?=/|$)}i', $reference, $package->getDistUrl()));
-        } elseif ($package->getDistReference()) { // update the dist reference if there was one, but if none was provided ignore it
-            $package->setDistReference($reference);
-        }
-    }
-
     /**
      * @param PlatformRepository $platformRepo
      * @param array              $aliases
@@ -1044,7 +1040,7 @@ class Installer
                 $depPackages = array_merge($depPackages, call_user_func_array('array_merge', $matchesByPattern));
             }
 
-            if (count($depPackages) == 0 && !$nameMatchesRequiredPackage && !in_array($packageName, array('nothing', 'lock', 'mirrors'))) {
+            if (count($depPackages) == 0 && !$nameMatchesRequiredPackage) {
                 $this->io->writeError('<warning>Package "' . $packageName . '" listed for update is not installed. Ignoring.</warning>');
             }
 
@@ -1347,6 +1343,19 @@ class Installer
         return $this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Update the lock file to the exact same versions and references but use current remote metadata like URLs and mirror info
+     *
+     * @param  bool $updateMirrors
+     * @return Installer
+     */
+    public function setUpdateMirrors($updateMirrors)
+    {
+        $this->updateMirrors = $updateMirrors;
+
+        return $this;
+    }
+
     /**
      * restrict the update operation to a few packages, all other packages
      * that are already installed will be kept at their current version
diff --git a/src/Composer/Package/AliasPackage.php b/src/Composer/Package/AliasPackage.php
index 89f197856..b103139dd 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Package/AliasPackage.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Package/AliasPackage.php
@@ -411,4 +411,9 @@ class AliasPackage extends BasePackage implements CompletePackageInterface
     {
         return $this->aliasOf->setDistType($type);
     }
+
+    public function setSourceDistReferences($reference)
+    {
+        return $this->aliasOf->setSourceDistReferences($reference);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Composer/Package/Package.php b/src/Composer/Package/Package.php
index 6c7b426e7..c633e1856 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Package/Package.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Package/Package.php
@@ -569,6 +569,23 @@ class Package extends BasePackage
         return $this->archiveExcludes;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     */
+    public function setSourceDistReferences($reference)
+    {
+        $this->setSourceReference($reference);
+
+        // only bitbucket, github and gitlab have auto generated dist URLs that easily allow replacing the reference in the dist URL
+        // TODO generalize this a bit for self-managed/on-prem versions? Some kind of replace token in dist urls which allow this?
+        if (preg_match('{^https?://(?:(?:www\.)?bitbucket\.org|(api\.)?github\.com|(?:www\.)?gitlab\.com)/}i', $this->getDistUrl())) {
+            $this->setDistReference($reference);
+            $this->setDistUrl(preg_replace('{(?<=/|sha=)[a-f0-9]{40}(?=/|$)}i', $reference, $this->getDistUrl()));
+        } elseif ($this->getDistReference()) { // update the dist reference if there was one, but if none was provided ignore it
+            $this->setDistReference($reference);
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Replaces current version and pretty version with passed values.
      * It also sets stability.
diff --git a/src/Composer/Package/PackageInterface.php b/src/Composer/Package/PackageInterface.php
index 25a2e9bfe..7e83839ff 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Package/PackageInterface.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Package/PackageInterface.php
@@ -386,4 +386,13 @@ interface PackageInterface
      * @return void
      */
     public function setDistReference($reference);
+
+    /**
+     * Set dist and source references and update dist URL for ones that contain a reference
+     *
+     * @param string $reference
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function setSourceDistReferences($reference);
 }
diff --git a/tests/Composer/Test/Fixtures/installer/update-mirrors-changes-url.test b/tests/Composer/Test/Fixtures/installer/update-mirrors-changes-url.test
index 9d88870b0..9bfca4c85 100644
--- a/tests/Composer/Test/Fixtures/installer/update-mirrors-changes-url.test
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/Fixtures/installer/update-mirrors-changes-url.test
@@ -149,14 +149,14 @@ g/g is dev and installed in a different ref than the #ref, so it gets updated an
     "packages": [
         {
             "name": "a/a", "version": "dev-master",
-            "source": { "reference": "2222222222222222222222222222222222222222", "url": "https://github.com/a/newa", "type": "git" },
-            "dist": { "reference": "2222222222222222222222222222222222222222", "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/a/newa/zipball/2222222222222222222222222222222222222222", "type": "zip" },
+            "source": { "reference": "1111111111111111111111111111111111111111", "url": "https://github.com/a/newa", "type": "git" },
+            "dist": { "reference": "1111111111111111111111111111111111111111", "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/a/newa/zipball/1111111111111111111111111111111111111111", "type": "zip" },
             "type": "library"
         },
         {
             "name": "b/b", "version": "2.0.3",
-            "source": { "reference": "2222222222222222222222222222222222222222", "url": "https://github.com/b/newb", "type": "git" },
-            "dist": { "reference": "2222222222222222222222222222222222222222", "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/b/newb/zipball/2222222222222222222222222222222222222222", "type": "zip" },
+            "source": { "reference": "1111111111111111111111111111111111111111", "url": "https://github.com/b/newb", "type": "git" },
+            "dist": { "reference": "1111111111111111111111111111111111111111", "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/b/newb/zipball/1111111111111111111111111111111111111111", "type": "zip" },
             "type": "library"
         },
         {
@@ -171,12 +171,6 @@ g/g is dev and installed in a different ref than the #ref, so it gets updated an
             "dist": { "reference": "1111111111111111111111111111111111111111", "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/d/newd/zipball/1111111111111111111111111111111111111111", "type": "zip" },
             "type": "library"
         },
-        {
-            "name": "e/e", "version": "dev-master",
-            "source": { "reference": "1111111111111111111111111111111111111111", "url": "https://github.com/e/newe", "type": "git" },
-            "dist": { "reference": "1111111111111111111111111111111111111111", "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/e/newe/zipball/1111111111111111111111111111111111111111", "type": "zip" },
-            "type": "library"
-        },
         {
             "name": "f/f", "version": "dev-master",
             "source": { "reference": "1111111111111111111111111111111111111111", "url": "https://github.com/f/newf", "type": "git" },
@@ -185,8 +179,8 @@ g/g is dev and installed in a different ref than the #ref, so it gets updated an
         },
         {
             "name": "g/g", "version": "dev-master",
-            "source": { "reference": "1111111111111111111111111111111111111111", "url": "https://github.com/g/newg", "type": "git" },
-            "dist": { "reference": "1111111111111111111111111111111111111111", "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/g/newg/zipball/1111111111111111111111111111111111111111", "type": "zip" },
+            "source": { "reference": "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000", "url": "https://github.com/g/newg", "type": "git" },
+            "dist": { "reference": "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000", "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/g/newg/zipball/0000000000000000000000000000000000000000", "type": "zip" },
             "type": "library"
         }
     ],
@@ -206,8 +200,5 @@ g/g is dev and installed in a different ref than the #ref, so it gets updated an
     "platform-dev": []
 }
 --RUN--
-update a/a b/b d/d g/g
+update mirrors
 --EXPECT--
-Installing e/e (dev-master 1111111)
-Updating a/a (dev-master 1111111) to a/a (dev-master 2222222)
-Updating g/g (dev-master 0000000) to g/g (dev-master 1111111)
diff --git a/tests/Composer/Test/Fixtures/installer/update-picks-up-change-of-vcs-type.test b/tests/Composer/Test/Fixtures/installer/update-picks-up-change-of-vcs-type.test
index dfb3f650d..a82487a31 100644
--- a/tests/Composer/Test/Fixtures/installer/update-picks-up-change-of-vcs-type.test
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/Fixtures/installer/update-picks-up-change-of-vcs-type.test
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ Converting from one VCS type to another (including an URL change) should update
     "platform-dev": []
 }
 --RUN--
-update
+update mirrors
 --EXPECT-LOCK--
 {
     "packages": [
diff --git a/tests/Composer/Test/InstallerTest.php b/tests/Composer/Test/InstallerTest.php
index ce87d111f..f1e55a794 100644
--- a/tests/Composer/Test/InstallerTest.php
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/InstallerTest.php
@@ -269,11 +269,19 @@ class InstallerTest extends TestCase
         });
 
         $application->get('update')->setCode(function ($input, $output) use ($installer) {
+            $packages = $input->getArgument('packages');
+            $filteredPackages = array_filter($packages, function ($package) {
+                return !in_array($package, array('lock', 'nothing', 'mirrors'), true);
+            });
+            $updateMirrors = $input->getOption('lock') || count($filteredPackages) != count($packages);
+            $packages = $filteredPackages;
+
             $installer
                 ->setDevMode(!$input->getOption('no-dev'))
                 ->setUpdate(true)
                 ->setDryRun($input->getOption('dry-run'))
-                ->setUpdateWhitelist($input->getArgument('packages'))
+                ->setUpdateMirrors($updateMirrors)
+                ->setUpdateWhitelist($packages)
                 ->setWhitelistTransitiveDependencies($input->getOption('with-dependencies'))
                 ->setWhitelistAllDependencies($input->getOption('with-all-dependencies'))
                 ->setPreferStable($input->getOption('prefer-stable'))