diff --git a/__snapshots__/generic.js b/__snapshots__/generic.js
index 5f2687d3a..7d22ce9a0 100644
--- a/__snapshots__/generic.js
+++ b/__snapshots__/generic.js
@@ -51,6 +51,12 @@ public final class Version {
   public static String INLINE_MINOR = "3"; // {x-release-please-minor}
   public static String INLINE_PATCH = "4"; // {x-release-please-patch}
 
+  public static String INLINE_COMPONENT_VERSION = "2.3.4"; // {x-release-please-an-app-called-major-version}
+  public static String INLINE_COMPONENT_MAJOR = "2"; // {x-release-please-an-app-called-major-major}
+  public static String INLINE_COMPONENT_MAJOR_V = "v2"; // {x-release-please-an-app-called-major-major}
+  public static String INLINE_COMPONENT_MINOR = "3"; // {x-release-please-an-app-called-major-minor}
+  public static String INLINE_COMPONENT_PATCH = "4"; // {x-release-please-an-app-called-major-patch}
+
   public static String RELEASE_DATE = "01-12-2023"; // {x-release-please-date}
   public static String RELEASE_INFO = "v2.3.4 01-12-2023"; // {x-release-please-version-date}
 }
diff --git a/src/strategies/base.ts b/src/strategies/base.ts
index 952c666cc..4a820ed41 100644
--- a/src/strategies/base.ts
+++ b/src/strategies/base.ts
@@ -424,6 +424,7 @@ export abstract class BaseStrategy implements Strategy {
                   version,
                   versionsMap,
                   dateFormat: dateFormat,
+                  component: this.component,
                 }),
               });
               break;
diff --git a/src/updaters/generic.ts b/src/updaters/generic.ts
index 83838e1a0..27ffab18e 100644
--- a/src/updaters/generic.ts
+++ b/src/updaters/generic.ts
@@ -20,10 +20,14 @@ const VERSION_REGEX =
   /(?<major>\d+)\.(?<minor>\d+)\.(?<patch>\d+)(-(?<preRelease>[\w.]+))?(\+(?<build>[-\w.]+))?/;
 const MAJOR_VERSION_REGEX = /\d+\b/;
 const SINGLE_VERSION_REGEX = /\b\d+\b/;
-const INLINE_UPDATE_REGEX =
-  /x-release-please-(?<scope>major|minor|patch|version-date|version|date)/;
-const BLOCK_START_REGEX =
-  /x-release-please-start-(?<scope>major|minor|patch|version-date|version|date)/;
+const INLINE_UPDATE_REGEX = (component?: string) =>
+  new RegExp(
+    `x-release-please(-${component})?-(?<scope>major|minor|patch|version-date|version|date)`
+  );
+const BLOCK_START_REGEX = (component?: string) =>
+  new RegExp(
+    `x-release-please-start(-${component})?-(?<scope>major|minor|patch|version-date|version|date)`
+  );
 const BLOCK_END_REGEX = /x-release-please-end/;
 const DATE_FORMAT_REGEX = /%[Ymd]/g;
 export const DEFAULT_DATE_FORMAT = '%Y-%m-%d';
@@ -45,6 +49,7 @@ export interface GenericUpdateOptions extends UpdateOptions {
   blockEndRegex?: RegExp;
   date?: Date;
   dateFormat?: string;
+  component?: string;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -73,6 +78,9 @@ export interface GenericUpdateOptions extends UpdateOptions {
  * be considered for version replacement. You can also open these blocks
  * with `x-release-please-start-<major|minor|patch|version-date>` to replace
  * single numbers
+ *
+ * In every case (except x-release-please-end), the component can be added
+ * to the directive, for example `x-release-please-myapp-version`.
  */
 export class Generic extends DefaultUpdater {
   private readonly inlineUpdateRegex: RegExp;
@@ -84,8 +92,10 @@ export class Generic extends DefaultUpdater {
   constructor(options: GenericUpdateOptions) {
     super(options);
 
-    this.inlineUpdateRegex = options.inlineUpdateRegex ?? INLINE_UPDATE_REGEX;
-    this.blockStartRegex = options.blockStartRegex ?? BLOCK_START_REGEX;
+    this.inlineUpdateRegex =
+      options.inlineUpdateRegex ?? INLINE_UPDATE_REGEX(options.component);
+    this.blockStartRegex =
+      options.blockStartRegex ?? BLOCK_START_REGEX(options.component);
     this.blockEndRegex = options.blockEndRegex ?? BLOCK_END_REGEX;
     this.date = options.date ?? new Date();
     this.dateFormat = options.dateFormat ?? DEFAULT_DATE_FORMAT;
diff --git a/test/updaters/fixtures/Version.java b/test/updaters/fixtures/Version.java
index 04a4647cd..f92a2eb6e 100644
--- a/test/updaters/fixtures/Version.java
+++ b/test/updaters/fixtures/Version.java
@@ -50,6 +50,12 @@ public final class Version {
   public static String INLINE_MINOR = "2"; // {x-release-please-minor}
   public static String INLINE_PATCH = "3"; // {x-release-please-patch}
 
+  public static String INLINE_COMPONENT_VERSION = "1.2.3-SNAPSHOT"; // {x-release-please-an-app-called-major-version}
+  public static String INLINE_COMPONENT_MAJOR = "1"; // {x-release-please-an-app-called-major-major}
+  public static String INLINE_COMPONENT_MAJOR_V = "v1"; // {x-release-please-an-app-called-major-major}
+  public static String INLINE_COMPONENT_MINOR = "2"; // {x-release-please-an-app-called-major-minor}
+  public static String INLINE_COMPONENT_PATCH = "3"; // {x-release-please-an-app-called-major-patch}
+
   public static String RELEASE_DATE = "11-12-2014"; // {x-release-please-date}
   public static String RELEASE_INFO = "v1.2.3 11-12-2014"; // {x-release-please-version-date}
 }
diff --git a/test/updaters/generic.ts b/test/updaters/generic.ts
index 489b7ee38..0e12385f9 100644
--- a/test/updaters/generic.ts
+++ b/test/updaters/generic.ts
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ describe('Generic', () => {
         version: Version.parse('v2.3.4'),
         date: currentDate,
         dateFormat: '%d-%m-%Y',
+        component: 'an-app-called-major',
       });
       const newContent = pom.updateContent(oldContent);
       snapshot(newContent);