diff --git a/pre_commit_mirror_maker/languages.py b/pre_commit_mirror_maker/languages.py
index ae86d2b..c4d5d0e 100644
--- a/pre_commit_mirror_maker/languages.py
+++ b/pre_commit_mirror_maker/languages.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ def ruby_get_package_versions(package_name: str) -> list[str]:
 
 def node_get_package_versions(package_name: str) -> list[str]:
     cmd = ('npm', 'view', package_name, '--json')
-    output = json.loads(subprocess.check_output(cmd))
+    output = json.loads(subprocess.check_output(cmd, shell=True))
     return output['versions']
 
 
diff --git a/pre_commit_mirror_maker/main.py b/pre_commit_mirror_maker/main.py
index 568da60..5935b3b 100644
--- a/pre_commit_mirror_maker/main.py
+++ b/pre_commit_mirror_maker/main.py
@@ -73,6 +73,13 @@ def main(argv: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> int:
         '--require-serial', action='store_true',
         help='Set `require_serial: true` for the hook',
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--target-version',
+        help=(
+            'Create a mirror for a specific version of the target package. '
+            'This action won''t update the .version file. '
+        ),
+    )
     args = parser.parse_args(argv)
 
     minimum_pre_commit_version = '0'
@@ -107,6 +114,7 @@ def main(argv: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> int:
         args=json.dumps(split_by_commas(args.args)),
         require_serial=json.dumps(args.require_serial),
         minimum_pre_commit_version=minimum_pre_commit_version,
+        target_version=args.target_version,
     )
     return 0
 
diff --git a/pre_commit_mirror_maker/make_repo.py b/pre_commit_mirror_maker/make_repo.py
index 32b4fa4..2d4bbc7 100644
--- a/pre_commit_mirror_maker/make_repo.py
+++ b/pre_commit_mirror_maker/make_repo.py
@@ -9,7 +9,12 @@
 from pre_commit_mirror_maker.languages import LIST_VERSIONS
 
 
-def format_files(src: os.PathLike[str], dest: str, **fmt_vars: str) -> None:
+def format_files(
+    src: os.PathLike[str],
+    dest: str,
+    ignored_files: list[str],
+    **fmt_vars: str,
+) -> None:
     """Copies all files inside src into dest while formatting the contents
     of the files into the output.
 
@@ -24,12 +29,16 @@ def format_files(src: os.PathLike[str], dest: str, **fmt_vars: str) -> None:
     herp bar derp
     :param text src: Source directory.
     :param text dest: Destination directory.
+    :param list[str] ignored_files: List of files to ignore in the source
+           directory.
     :param dict fmt_vars: Vars to format into the files.
     """
     assert os.path.exists(src)
     assert os.path.exists(dest)
     # Only at the root.  Could be made more complicated and recursive later
     for filename in os.listdir(src):
+        if filename in ignored_files:
+            continue
         # Flat directory structure
         if not os.path.isfile(os.path.join(src, filename)):
             continue
@@ -40,10 +49,12 @@ def format_files(src: os.PathLike[str], dest: str, **fmt_vars: str) -> None:
 
 
 def _commit_version(
-        repo: str, *,
-        language: str,
-        version: str,
-        **fmt_vars: str,
+    repo: str,
+    *,
+    language: str,
+    version: str,
+    skip_version_file: bool,
+    **fmt_vars: str,
 ) -> None:
     # 'all' writes the .version and .pre-commit-hooks.yaml files
     files = importlib.resources.files('pre_commit_mirror_maker')
@@ -55,6 +66,9 @@ def _commit_version(
                 repo,
                 language=language,
                 version=version,
+                ignored_files=(
+                    ['.version'] if lang == 'all' and skip_version_file else []
+                ),
                 **fmt_vars,
             )
 
@@ -71,17 +85,31 @@ def git(*cmd: str) -> None:
     git('tag', f'v{version}')
 
 
-def make_repo(repo: str, *, language: str, name: str, **fmt_vars: str) -> None:
+def make_repo(
+    repo: str,
+    *,
+    language: str,
+    name: str,
+    target_version: str,
+    **fmt_vars: str,
+) -> None:
     assert os.path.exists(os.path.join(repo, '.git')), repo
 
     package_versions = LIST_VERSIONS[language](name)
-    version_file = os.path.join(repo, '.version')
-    if os.path.exists(version_file):
-        previous_version = open(version_file).read().strip()
-        previous_version_index = package_versions.index(previous_version)
-        versions_to_apply = package_versions[previous_version_index + 1:]
+    if target_version:
+        if target_version not in package_versions:
+            raise SystemExit(
+                f'target version {target_version} not found for the package',
+            )
+        versions_to_apply = [target_version]
     else:
-        versions_to_apply = package_versions
+        version_file = os.path.join(repo, '.version')
+        if os.path.exists(version_file):
+            previous_version = open(version_file).read().strip()
+            previous_version_index = package_versions.index(previous_version)
+            versions_to_apply = package_versions[previous_version_index + 1:]
+        else:
+            versions_to_apply = package_versions
 
     for version in versions_to_apply:
         if language in ADDITIONAL_DEPENDENCIES:
@@ -98,5 +126,6 @@ def make_repo(repo: str, *, language: str, name: str, **fmt_vars: str) -> None:
             language=language,
             version=version,
             additional_dependencies=json.dumps(additional_dependencies),
+            skip_version_file=bool(target_version),
             **fmt_vars,
         )