diff --git a/common/changes/@microsoft/rush/fix-variants-param_2024-09-26-22-21.json b/common/changes/@microsoft/rush/fix-variants-param_2024-09-26-22-21.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6e799e637bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/changes/@microsoft/rush/fix-variants-param_2024-09-26-22-21.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "changes": [
+    {
+      "packageName": "@microsoft/rush",
+      "comment": "Fix an issue where the `--variant` parameter was missing from a phased command when the command's `alwaysInstall` property was set to `true`.",
+      "type": "none"
+    }
+  ],
+  "packageName": "@microsoft/rush"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/common/config/rush/version-policies.json b/common/config/rush/version-policies.json
index 3547fa4a6ce..9828f6659f1 100644
--- a/common/config/rush/version-policies.json
+++ b/common/config/rush/version-policies.json
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@
     "policyName": "rush",
     "definitionName": "lockStepVersion",
     "version": "5.136.0",
-    "nextBump": "minor",
+    "nextBump": "patch",
     "mainProject": "@microsoft/rush"
   }
 ]
diff --git a/libraries/rush-lib/src/cli/scriptActions/PhasedScriptAction.ts b/libraries/rush-lib/src/cli/scriptActions/PhasedScriptAction.ts
index 90a01d3e463..e37701e73a0 100644
--- a/libraries/rush-lib/src/cli/scriptActions/PhasedScriptAction.ts
+++ b/libraries/rush-lib/src/cli/scriptActions/PhasedScriptAction.ts
@@ -260,7 +260,9 @@ export class PhasedScriptAction extends BaseScriptAction<IPhasedCommandConfig> {
           'Normally a phased command expects "rush install" to have been manually run first. If this flag is specified, ' +
           'Rush will automatically perform an install before processing the current command.'
       });
+    }
 
+    if (this._alwaysInstall !== undefined) {
       this._variantParameter = this.defineStringParameter(VARIANT_PARAMETER);
     }
 
diff --git a/libraries/rush-lib/src/logic/installManager/doBasicInstallAsync.ts b/libraries/rush-lib/src/logic/installManager/doBasicInstallAsync.ts
index 8c830471f5d..05d3aa49c89 100644
--- a/libraries/rush-lib/src/logic/installManager/doBasicInstallAsync.ts
+++ b/libraries/rush-lib/src/logic/installManager/doBasicInstallAsync.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ export async function doBasicInstallAsync(options: IRunInstallOptions): Promise<
 
   VersionMismatchFinder.ensureConsistentVersions(rushConfiguration, terminal, {
     variant,
-    subspace: undefined
+    subspace
   });
   SetupChecks.validate(rushConfiguration);