diff --git a/scripts/upgrade-zulip b/scripts/upgrade-zulip
index 8669866a70..3a6992fd57 100755
--- a/scripts/upgrade-zulip
+++ b/scripts/upgrade-zulip
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ import os
 import sys
 import subprocess
 import logging
-import datetime
 import shutil
 import time
 
@@ -50,25 +49,7 @@ deploy_path = subprocess.check_output([os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '
 deploy_path = deploy_path.strip()
 os.chdir(deploy_path)
 
-logging.info("Upgrading system packages...")
-subprocess.check_call(["apt-get", "update"])
-subprocess.check_call(["apt-get", "upgrade"])
-
-logging.info("Stopping Zulip...")
-subprocess.check_call(["supervisorctl", "stop", "zulip-workers:*", "zulip-django",
-                       "zulip-tornado"], preexec_fn=su_to_zulip)
-
-logging.info("Applying puppet changes...")
-subprocess.check_call(["./scripts/zulip-puppet-apply", "--force"])
-subprocess.check_call(["apt-get", "upgrade"])
-
-logging.info("Applying database migrations...")
-subprocess.check_call(["./manage.py", "migrate"], preexec_fn=su_to_zulip)
-
-logging.info("Restarting server...")
-subprocess.check_call(["cp", "-rT", os.path.join(deploy_path, 'prod-static/serve'),
-                        '/home/zulip/prod-static'], preexec_fn=su_to_zulip)
-subprocess.check_output(["./scripts/restart-server"], preexec_fn=su_to_zulip)
+subprocess.check_call(["./scripts/upgrade-zulip-stage-2", deploy_path])
 
 logging.info("Deployment complete")
 shutil.rmtree(LOCK_DIR)
diff --git a/scripts/upgrade-zulip-stage-2 b/scripts/upgrade-zulip-stage-2
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..ed26cc0dd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/upgrade-zulip-stage-2
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python -u
+import subprocess
+import os
+import sys
+import logging
+
+sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..'))
+from zulip_tools import FAIL, WARNING, ENDC, su_to_zulip
+
+logging.basicConfig(format="%(asctime)s upgrade-zulip-stage-2: %(message)s",
+                    level=logging.INFO)
+
+if os.getuid() != 0:
+    logging.error("Must be run as root.")
+    sys.exit(1)
+
+if len(sys.argv) != 2:
+    print FAIL + "Usage: %s <deploy path>" % (sys.argv[0],) + ENDC
+    sys.exit(1)
+
+deploy_path = sys.argv[1]
+
+logging.info("Upgrading system packages...")
+subprocess.check_call(["apt-get", "update"])
+subprocess.check_call(["apt-get", "upgrade"])
+
+logging.info("Stopping Zulip...")
+subprocess.check_call(["supervisorctl", "stop", "zulip-workers:*", "zulip-django",
+                       "zulip-tornado"], preexec_fn=su_to_zulip)
+
+logging.info("Applying puppet changes...")
+subprocess.check_call(["./scripts/zulip-puppet-apply", "--force"])
+subprocess.check_call(["apt-get", "upgrade"])
+
+logging.info("Applying database migrations...")
+subprocess.check_call(["./manage.py", "migrate"], preexec_fn=su_to_zulip)
+
+logging.info("Restarting server...")
+subprocess.check_call(["cp", "-rT", os.path.join(deploy_path, 'prod-static/serve'),
+                        '/home/zulip/prod-static'], preexec_fn=su_to_zulip)
+subprocess.check_output(["./scripts/restart-server"], preexec_fn=su_to_zulip)