diff --git a/__fixtures__/lifecycle-rooted-leaf/lerna.json b/__fixtures__/lifecycle-rooted-leaf/lerna.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..86d5f91496
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__fixtures__/lifecycle-rooted-leaf/lerna.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "packages": [
+    "packages/*",
+    "."
+  ],
+  "version": "1.0.0"
+}
diff --git a/__fixtures__/lifecycle-rooted-leaf/package.json b/__fixtures__/lifecycle-rooted-leaf/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cffbc63bd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__fixtures__/lifecycle-rooted-leaf/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+{
+  "name": "lifecycle-rooted-leaf",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "dependencies": {
+    "package-1": "file:packages/package-1"
+  },
+  "scripts": {
+    "preversion": "echo preversion-rooted-leaf",
+    "version": "echo version-rooted-leaf",
+    "postversion": "echo postversion-rooted-leaf",
+    "prepublish": "echo prepublish-rooted-leaf",
+    "prepare": "echo prepare-rooted-leaf",
+    "prepublishOnly": "echo prepublishOnly-rooted-leaf",
+    "prepack": "echo prepack-rooted-leaf",
+    "postpack": "echo postpack-rooted-leaf",
+    "postpublish": "echo postpublish-rooted-leaf"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle/packages/package-1/package.json b/__fixtures__/lifecycle-rooted-leaf/packages/package-1/package.json
similarity index 100%
rename from commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle/packages/package-1/package.json
rename to __fixtures__/lifecycle-rooted-leaf/packages/package-1/package.json
diff --git a/commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle-no-root-name/packages/package-2/package.json b/__fixtures__/lifecycle-rooted-leaf/packages/package-2/package.json
similarity index 100%
rename from commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle-no-root-name/packages/package-2/package.json
rename to __fixtures__/lifecycle-rooted-leaf/packages/package-2/package.json
diff --git a/commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle-no-root-name/lerna.json b/__fixtures__/lifecycle/lerna.json
similarity index 100%
rename from commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle-no-root-name/lerna.json
rename to __fixtures__/lifecycle/lerna.json
diff --git a/commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle/package.json b/__fixtures__/lifecycle/package.json
similarity index 100%
rename from commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle/package.json
rename to __fixtures__/lifecycle/package.json
diff --git a/__fixtures__/lifecycle/packages/package-1/package.json b/__fixtures__/lifecycle/packages/package-1/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..11bfd3b0b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__fixtures__/lifecycle/packages/package-1/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+{
+  "name": "package-1",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "scripts": {
+    "preversion": "echo preversion-package-1",
+    "version": "echo version-package-1",
+    "postversion": "echo postversion-package-1",
+    "prepare": "echo prepare-package-1",
+    "prepublishOnly": "echo prepublishOnly-package-1",
+    "prepack": "echo prepack-package-1",
+    "postpublish": "echo postpublish-package-1"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle/packages/package-2/package.json b/__fixtures__/lifecycle/packages/package-2/package.json
similarity index 100%
rename from commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle/packages/package-2/package.json
rename to __fixtures__/lifecycle/packages/package-2/package.json
diff --git a/commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle-no-root-name/package.json b/commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle-no-root-name/package.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 01ad18e38b..0000000000
--- a/commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle-no-root-name/package.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "version": "0.0.0-missing-name",
-  "scripts": {
-    "preversion": "echo preversion-root",
-    "version": "echo version-root",
-    "postversion": "echo postversion-root"
-  }
-}
diff --git a/commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle-no-root-name/packages/package-1/package.json b/commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle-no-root-name/packages/package-1/package.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 9b5e2ae573..0000000000
--- a/commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle-no-root-name/packages/package-1/package.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "name": "package-1",
-  "version": "1.0.0",
-  "scripts": {
-    "preversion": "echo preversion-package-1",
-    "version": "echo version-package-1",
-    "postversion": "echo postversion-package-1"
-  }
-}
diff --git a/commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle/lerna.json b/commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle/lerna.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 1587a66968..0000000000
--- a/commands/publish/__tests__/__fixtures__/lifecycle/lerna.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "version": "1.0.0"
-}
diff --git a/commands/publish/__tests__/publish-lifecycle-scripts.test.js b/commands/publish/__tests__/publish-lifecycle-scripts.test.js
index f17c04550b..3c3327247e 100644
--- a/commands/publish/__tests__/publish-lifecycle-scripts.test.js
+++ b/commands/publish/__tests__/publish-lifecycle-scripts.test.js
@@ -90,4 +90,22 @@ Map {
       ["lifecycle", "postpack"],
     ]);
   });
+
+  it("does not duplicate rooted leaf scripts", async () => {
+    const cwd = await initFixture("lifecycle-rooted-leaf");
+
+    await lernaPublish(cwd)();
+
+    expect(runLifecycle.getOrderedCalls()).toEqual([
+      // TODO: separate from VersionCommand details
+      ["package-1", "preversion"],
+      ["package-1", "version"],
+      ["lifecycle-rooted-leaf", "preversion"],
+      ["lifecycle-rooted-leaf", "version"],
+      ["lifecycle-rooted-leaf", "postversion"],
+      ["package-1", "postversion"],
+      // NO publish-specific root lifecycles should be duplicated
+      // (they are all run by pack-directory and npm-publish)
+    ]);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/commands/publish/index.js b/commands/publish/index.js
index f10b47f7fe..e8bbd5f8d8 100644
--- a/commands/publish/index.js
+++ b/commands/publish/index.js
@@ -114,6 +114,13 @@ class PublishCommand extends Command {
       this.conf.set("tag", distTag.trim(), "cli");
     }
 
+    // a "rooted leaf" is the regrettable pattern of adding "." to the "packages" config in lerna.json
+    this.hasRootedLeaf = this.packageGraph.has(this.project.manifest.name);
+
+    if (this.hasRootedLeaf) {
+      this.logger.info("publish", "rooted leaf detected, skipping synthetic root lifecycles");
+    }
+
     this.runPackageLifecycle = createRunner(this.options);
 
     // don't execute recursively if run from a poorly-named script
@@ -572,13 +579,15 @@ class PublishCommand extends Command {
 
     chain = chain.then(() => createTempLicenses(this.project.licensePath, this.packagesToBeLicensed));
 
-    // despite being deprecated for years...
-    chain = chain.then(() => this.runRootLifecycle("prepublish"));
+    if (!this.hasRootedLeaf) {
+      // despite being deprecated for years...
+      chain = chain.then(() => this.runRootLifecycle("prepublish"));
 
-    // these lifecycles _should_ never be employed to run `lerna publish`...
-    chain = chain.then(() => this.runPackageLifecycle(this.project.manifest, "prepare"));
-    chain = chain.then(() => this.runPackageLifecycle(this.project.manifest, "prepublishOnly"));
-    chain = chain.then(() => this.runPackageLifecycle(this.project.manifest, "prepack"));
+      // these lifecycles _should_ never be employed to run `lerna publish`...
+      chain = chain.then(() => this.runPackageLifecycle(this.project.manifest, "prepare"));
+      chain = chain.then(() => this.runPackageLifecycle(this.project.manifest, "prepublishOnly"));
+      chain = chain.then(() => this.runPackageLifecycle(this.project.manifest, "prepack"));
+    }
 
     const { contents } = this.options;
     const getLocation = contents ? pkg => path.resolve(pkg.location, contents) : pkg => pkg.location;
@@ -611,7 +620,9 @@ class PublishCommand extends Command {
     // remove temporary license files if _any_ error occurs _anywhere_ in the promise chain
     chain = chain.catch(error => this.removeTempLicensesOnError(error));
 
-    chain = chain.then(() => this.runPackageLifecycle(this.project.manifest, "postpack"));
+    if (!this.hasRootedLeaf) {
+      chain = chain.then(() => this.runPackageLifecycle(this.project.manifest, "postpack"));
+    }
 
     return pFinally(chain, () => tracker.finish());
   }
@@ -647,9 +658,11 @@ class PublishCommand extends Command {
 
     chain = chain.then(() => runParallelBatches(this.batchedPackages, this.concurrency, mapper));
 
-    // cyclical "publish" lifecycles are automatically skipped
-    chain = chain.then(() => this.runRootLifecycle("publish"));
-    chain = chain.then(() => this.runRootLifecycle("postpublish"));
+    if (!this.hasRootedLeaf) {
+      // cyclical "publish" lifecycles are automatically skipped
+      chain = chain.then(() => this.runRootLifecycle("publish"));
+      chain = chain.then(() => this.runRootLifecycle("postpublish"));
+    }
 
     return pFinally(chain, () => tracker.finish());
   }
diff --git a/commands/version/__tests__/version-lifecycle-scripts.test.js b/commands/version/__tests__/version-lifecycle-scripts.test.js
index 1fce67567d..4f0b5a21d5 100644
--- a/commands/version/__tests__/version-lifecycle-scripts.test.js
+++ b/commands/version/__tests__/version-lifecycle-scripts.test.js
@@ -6,14 +6,12 @@ jest.mock("../lib/is-anything-committed");
 jest.mock("../lib/is-behind-upstream");
 jest.mock("../lib/remote-branch-exists");
 
-const path = require("path");
-
 // mocked modules
 const runLifecycle = require("@lerna/run-lifecycle");
 const loadJsonFile = require("load-json-file");
 
 // helpers
-const initFixture = require("@lerna-test/init-fixture")(path.resolve(__dirname, "../../publish/__tests__"));
+const initFixture = require("@lerna-test/init-fixture")(__dirname);
 
 // test command
 const lernaVersion = require("@lerna-test/command-runner")(require("../command"));
@@ -74,4 +72,19 @@ Map {
       ["package-1", "postversion"],
     ]);
   });
+
+  it("does not duplicate rooted leaf scripts", async () => {
+    const cwd = await initFixture("lifecycle-rooted-leaf");
+
+    await lernaVersion(cwd)();
+
+    expect(runLifecycle.getOrderedCalls()).toEqual([
+      ["package-1", "preversion"],
+      ["package-1", "version"],
+      ["lifecycle-rooted-leaf", "preversion"],
+      ["lifecycle-rooted-leaf", "version"],
+      ["lifecycle-rooted-leaf", "postversion"],
+      ["package-1", "postversion"],
+    ]);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/commands/version/index.js b/commands/version/index.js
index 6b6ab98d61..55dee284f2 100644
--- a/commands/version/index.js
+++ b/commands/version/index.js
@@ -207,6 +207,13 @@ class VersionCommand extends Command {
       return false;
     }
 
+    // a "rooted leaf" is the regrettable pattern of adding "." to the "packages" config in lerna.json
+    this.hasRootedLeaf = this.packageGraph.has(this.project.manifest.name);
+
+    if (this.hasRootedLeaf && !this.composed) {
+      this.logger.info("version", "rooted leaf detected, skipping synthetic root lifecycles");
+    }
+
     this.runPackageLifecycle = createRunner(this.options);
 
     // don't execute recursively if run from a poorly-named script
@@ -450,8 +457,10 @@ class VersionCommand extends Command {
     // postversion: Run AFTER bumping the package version, and AFTER commit.
     // @see https://docs.npmjs.com/misc/scripts
 
-    // exec preversion lifecycle in root (before all updates)
-    chain = chain.then(() => this.runRootLifecycle("preversion"));
+    if (!this.hasRootedLeaf) {
+      // exec preversion lifecycle in root (before all updates)
+      chain = chain.then(() => this.runRootLifecycle("preversion"));
+    }
 
     const actions = [
       pkg => this.runPackageLifecycle(pkg, "preversion").then(() => pkg),
@@ -548,8 +557,10 @@ class VersionCommand extends Command {
       );
     }
 
-    // exec version lifecycle in root (after all updates)
-    chain = chain.then(() => this.runRootLifecycle("version"));
+    if (!this.hasRootedLeaf) {
+      // exec version lifecycle in root (after all updates)
+      chain = chain.then(() => this.runRootLifecycle("version"));
+    }
 
     if (this.commitAndTag) {
       chain = chain.then(() => gitAdd(Array.from(changedFiles), this.execOpts));
@@ -576,8 +587,10 @@ class VersionCommand extends Command {
       pMap(this.packagesToVersion, pkg => this.runPackageLifecycle(pkg, "postversion"))
     );
 
-    // run postversion, if set, in the root directory
-    chain = chain.then(() => this.runRootLifecycle("postversion"));
+    if (!this.hasRootedLeaf) {
+      // run postversion, if set, in the root directory
+      chain = chain.then(() => this.runRootLifecycle("postversion"));
+    }
 
     return chain;
   }