diff --git a/composer b/composer
index 8972e0f..9508812 100755
--- a/composer
+++ b/composer
@@ -180,7 +180,12 @@ if (!class_exists('ComposerWrapper')) {
 
         public function __construct(ComposerWrapperParams $params = null)
         {
-            $this->params = null === $params ? new ComposerWrapperParams() : $params;
+            if (null === $params ) {
+                $this->params = new ComposerWrapperParams();
+                $this->params->loadReal();
+            } else {
+                $this->params = $params;
+            }
         }
 
         protected function file_get_contents()
@@ -519,7 +524,6 @@ if (!class_exists('ComposerWrapper')) {
          */
         public function run($cliArguments)
         {
-            $this->params->loadReal();
             $composerPathName = "{$this->params->getComposerDir()}/composer.phar";
 
             $this->ensureInstalled($composerPathName);
diff --git a/tests/ComposerWrapperParamsTest.php b/tests/ComposerWrapperParamsTest.php
index 1e599d2..49f42bf 100644
--- a/tests/ComposerWrapperParamsTest.php
+++ b/tests/ComposerWrapperParamsTest.php
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ function () use ($params) {
             },
             array(
                 "COMPOSER_UPDATE_FREQ" => "101 days",
-                "COMPOSER_FORCE_MAJOR_VERSION" => 2,
+                "COMPOSER_CHANNEL" => 2,
                 "COMPOSER_DIR" => 'dir_from_env',
             ),
             __DIR__ . '/composer.json_read_config_examples/envVariablesHasBiggerPriority'
diff --git a/tests/ComposerWrapperTest.php b/tests/ComposerWrapperTest.php
index 0e6b609..13637e7 100644
--- a/tests/ComposerWrapperTest.php
+++ b/tests/ComposerWrapperTest.php
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ class ComposerWrapperTest extends TestCase
 {
 
     const WRAPPER_CLASS = 'ComposerWrapper';
-    const WRAPPER_PARAMS_CLASS = 'ComposerWrapperParams';
     const INSTALLER = '<?php die("This is a stub and should never be executed");';
 
 
@@ -58,19 +57,17 @@ public function installsIfNotInstalled()
 
     /**
      * @test
-     * @dataProvider installsRequestedMajorVersionExamples
+     * @dataProvider installsRequestedChannelExamples
      */
-    public function installsRequestedMajorVersion($dir, $supportsMajorVersionFlag, $requestedVersion)
+    public function installsRequestedChannel($dir, $supportsChannelFlag, $requestedChannel)
     {
-        $params = $this->getMockBuilder(self::WRAPPER_PARAMS_CLASS)
-            ->setMethods(array('getForceMajorVersion'))
-            ->getMock();
-        $params->expects(self::any())->method('getForceMajorVersion')->willReturn($requestedVersion);
+        $params = new ComposerWrapperParams();
+        $params->setChannel($requestedChannel);
         $wrapper = $this->getMockBuilder(self::WRAPPER_CLASS)
-            ->setMethods(array('showError', 'copy', 'verifyChecksum', 'unlink', 'supportsForceVersionFlag'))
+            ->setMethods(array('showError', 'copy', 'verifyChecksum', 'unlink', 'supportsChannelFlag'))
             ->setConstructorArgs(array($params))
             ->getMock();
-        if ($supportsMajorVersionFlag) {
+        if ($supportsChannelFlag) {
             $showErrorExpectation = self::never();
         } else {
             $showErrorExpectation = self::once();
@@ -79,7 +76,7 @@ public function installsRequestedMajorVersion($dir, $supportsMajorVersionFlag, $
         $wrapper->expects(self::once())->method('copy')->willReturn(true);
         $wrapper->expects(self::once())->method('verifyChecksum')->willReturn(null);
         $wrapper->expects(self::once())->method('unlink')->willReturn(null);
-        $wrapper->expects(self::once())->method('supportsForceVersionFlag')->willReturn($supportsMajorVersionFlag);
+        $wrapper->expects(self::once())->method('supportsChannelFlag')->willReturn($supportsChannelFlag);
         self::callNonPublic(
             $wrapper,
             'installComposer',
@@ -87,17 +84,17 @@ public function installsRequestedMajorVersion($dir, $supportsMajorVersionFlag, $
         );
     }
 
-    public static function installsRequestedMajorVersionExamples()
+    public static function installsRequestedChannelExamples()
     {
         return array(
             'version 1 is requested; installed supports flag' => array(
                 'dir' => __DIR__ . '/installer_stub_with_major_version_flags',
-                'supportsMajorVersionFlags' => true,
+                'supportsChannelFlags' => true,
                 'requestedVersion' => 1,
             ),
             'version 1 is requested; installed doesn\'t support flag' => array(
                 'dir' => __DIR__ . '/installer_stub_without_major_version_flags',
-                'supportsMajorVersionFlags' => false,
+                'supportsChannelFlags' => false,
                 'requestedVersion' => 1,
             ),
         );
@@ -452,10 +449,10 @@ public function doesNotTryToSelfUpdateWhenUpToDate()
     public function addsForceVersionFlag($version, $supportsFlags, $flag, $expectError = false)
     {
         $wrapper = $this->getMockBuilder(self::WRAPPER_CLASS)
-            ->setMethods(array('supportsForceVersionFlag', 'touch', 'passthru', 'showError'))
+            ->setMethods(array('supportsChannelFlag', 'touch', 'passthru', 'showError'))
             ->getMock();
 
-        $wrapper->expects($this->once())->method('supportsForceVersionFlag')->willReturn($supportsFlags);
+        $wrapper->expects($this->once())->method('supportsChannelFlag')->willReturn($supportsFlags);
         $wrapper->expects($this->once())->method('touch')->willReturn(null);
         $wrapper->expects($expectError ? $this->once() : $this->never())->method('showError');
         $self = $this;
@@ -631,7 +628,7 @@ public function detectsSupportForForceVersionFlags($helpOutput, $versions, $expe
 
             $this->assertSame(
                 $expectedResult,
-                self::callNonPublic($mock, 'supportsForceVersionFlag', array(array('composer'), $version))
+                self::callNonPublic($mock, 'supportsChannelFlag', array(array('composer'), $version))
             );
         }
     }
diff --git a/tests/composer.json_read_config_examples/composer.json_is_ignored_when_overridden/composer-from-env.json b/tests/composer.json_read_config_examples/composer.json_is_ignored_when_overridden/composer-from-env.json
index 4ab21a9..e720d81 100644
--- a/tests/composer.json_read_config_examples/composer.json_is_ignored_when_overridden/composer-from-env.json
+++ b/tests/composer.json_read_config_examples/composer.json_is_ignored_when_overridden/composer-from-env.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   "extra": {
     "wrapper": {
       "update-freq": "101 days",
-      "major-version": 2,
+      "channel": 2,
       "composer-dir": "dir_from_composer-from-env.json"
     }
   }
diff --git a/tests/composer.json_read_config_examples/composer.json_is_ignored_when_overridden/composer.json b/tests/composer.json_read_config_examples/composer.json_is_ignored_when_overridden/composer.json
index 045da55..83a03f2 100644
--- a/tests/composer.json_read_config_examples/composer.json_is_ignored_when_overridden/composer.json
+++ b/tests/composer.json_read_config_examples/composer.json_is_ignored_when_overridden/composer.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   "extra": {
     "wrapper": {
       "update-freq": "100 days",
-      "major-version": 1,
+      "channel": 1,
       "composer-dir": "dir_from_composer.json"
     }
   }
diff --git a/tests/composer.json_read_config_examples/envVariablesHasBiggerPriority/composer.json b/tests/composer.json_read_config_examples/envVariablesHasBiggerPriority/composer.json
index 045da55..83a03f2 100644
--- a/tests/composer.json_read_config_examples/envVariablesHasBiggerPriority/composer.json
+++ b/tests/composer.json_read_config_examples/envVariablesHasBiggerPriority/composer.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   "extra": {
     "wrapper": {
       "update-freq": "100 days",
-      "major-version": 1,
+      "channel": 1,
       "composer-dir": "dir_from_composer.json"
     }
   }