diff --git a/scripts/irods_control.py b/scripts/irods_control.py
index 9b59a9cab1..9ed5ace447 100755
--- a/scripts/irods_control.py
+++ b/scripts/irods_control.py
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ def main():
     operations_dict['restart'] = lambda: irods_controller.restart(write_to_stdout=options.write_to_stdout, test_mode=options.test_mode)
     operations_dict['status'] = lambda: irods_controller.status()
     operations_dict['get_environment'] = lambda: irods_config.print_execution_environment()
-    operations_dict['upgrade'] = lambda: irods_controller.upgrade()
 
     (options, arguments) = parse_options()
     if len(arguments) != 1:
diff --git a/scripts/upgrade_irods.py b/scripts/upgrade_irods.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..f11ffbc98f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/upgrade_irods.py
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+#! /usr/bin/python3
+
+import argparse
+import json
+import logging
+import os
+import sys
+
+import irods.paths
+
+# Wrapper to set up LD_LIBRARY_PATH.
+def wrap_if_necessary():
+    with open(irods.paths.server_config_path()) as server_config_path:
+        server_config = json.load(server_config_path)
+    ld_library_path_list = [p for p in server_config.get('environment_variables', {}).get('LD_LIBRARY_PATH', '').split(':') if p]
+
+    # For Oracle databases, ORACLE_HOME must be in LD_LIBRARY_PATH.
+    oracle_home = server_config.get('environment_variables', {}).get('ORACLE_HOME', None)
+    if oracle_home is None:
+        oracle_home = os.environ.get('ORACLE_HOME', None)
+    if oracle_home is not None:
+        oracle_lib_dir = os.path.join(oracle_home, 'lib')
+        if oracle_lib_dir not in ld_library_path_list:
+            ld_library_path_list.append(oracle_lib_dir)
+
+    current_ld_library_path_list = [p for p in os.environ.get('LD_LIBRARY_PATH', '').split(':') if p]
+    if ld_library_path_list != current_ld_library_path_list[0:len(ld_library_path_list)]:
+        os.environ['LD_LIBRARY_PATH'] = ':'.join(ld_library_path_list + current_ld_library_path_list)
+        argv = [sys.executable] + sys.argv
+        os.execve(argv[0], argv, os.environ)
+
+wrap_if_necessary()
+
+from irods.configuration import IrodsConfig
+from irods.controller import IrodsController
+from irods.exceptions import IrodsError
+import irods.lib
+import irods.log
+
+def main():
+    logging.getLogger().setLevel(logging.NOTSET)
+    l = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+    irods.log.register_tty_handler(sys.stderr, logging.WARNING, None)
+
+    if (os.geteuid() == 0):
+        l.error('upgrade_irods.py should NOT be run by the root user.\nExiting...')
+        return 1
+
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument('-v', '--verbose', action='count', default=0, help='Verbose mode. Passing more -v increases the verbosity.')
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    log_levels = [
+        logging.WARNING,
+        logging.INFO,
+        logging.DEBUG,
+    ]
+    lvl = [max(0, min(args.verbose, len(log_levels) - 1))]
+    irods.log.register_tty_handler(sys.stdout, log_levels[lvl], logging.WARNING)
+
+    irods_config = IrodsConfig()
+    irods.log.register_file_handler(irods_config.control_log_path)
+
+    try:
+        IrodsController(irods_config).upgrade()
+    except IrodsError as e:
+        l.error('Error encountered running irods_control %s:\n', operation), exc_info=True)
+        l.info('Exiting...')
+        return 1
+
+    return 0
+
+logging.getLogger(__name__).addHandler(irods.log.NullHandler())
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    sys.exit(main())