diff --git a/features/command.feature b/features/command.feature
index 27d4bda631..23b1a255f1 100644
--- a/features/command.feature
+++ b/features/command.feature
@@ -1518,3 +1518,37 @@ Feature: WP-CLI Commands
     """
     wp custom
     """
+
+  Scenario: subcommand alias should respect @when definition
+    Given an empty directory
+    And a custom-cmd.php file:
+      """
+      <?php
+      class Test_Command {
+        /**
+         * test
+         *
+         * @alias bar
+         *
+         * @when before_wp_load
+         *
+         */
+        public function foo( $args, $assoc_args ) {
+          echo 'Hello' . PHP_EOL;
+        }
+      }
+
+      WP_CLI::add_command( 'test', Test_Command::class );
+      """
+
+    When I run `wp --require=custom-cmd.php test foo`
+    Then STDOUT should contain:
+      """
+      Hello
+      """
+
+    When I run `wp --require=custom-cmd.php test bar`
+    Then STDOUT should contain:
+      """
+      Hello
+      """
diff --git a/php/WP_CLI/Dispatcher/Subcommand.php b/php/WP_CLI/Dispatcher/Subcommand.php
index 837a0071cf..de2af929ee 100644
--- a/php/WP_CLI/Dispatcher/Subcommand.php
+++ b/php/WP_CLI/Dispatcher/Subcommand.php
@@ -20,12 +20,12 @@ class Subcommand extends CompositeCommand {
 	private $when_invoked;
 
 	public function __construct( $parent, $name, $docparser, $when_invoked ) {
+		$this->alias = $docparser->get_tag( 'alias' );
+
 		parent::__construct( $parent, $name, $docparser );
 
 		$this->when_invoked = $when_invoked;
 
-		$this->alias = $docparser->get_tag( 'alias' );
-
 		$this->synopsis = $docparser->get_synopsis();
 		if ( ! $this->synopsis && $this->longdesc ) {
 			$this->synopsis = self::extract_synopsis( $this->longdesc );
diff --git a/php/WP_CLI/Runner.php b/php/WP_CLI/Runner.php
index afa9bc51fa..a6b89f1859 100644
--- a/php/WP_CLI/Runner.php
+++ b/php/WP_CLI/Runner.php
@@ -91,7 +91,13 @@ public function register_context_manager( ContextManager $context_manager ) {
 	 * @param Subcommand $command
 	 */
 	public function register_early_invoke( $when, $command ) {
-		$this->early_invoke[ $when ][] = array_slice( Dispatcher\get_path( $command ), 1 );
+		$cmd_path                      = array_slice( Dispatcher\get_path( $command ), 1 );
+		$this->early_invoke[ $when ][] = $cmd_path;
+		if ( $command->get_alias() ) {
+			array_pop( $cmd_path );
+			$cmd_path[]                    = $command->get_alias();
+			$this->early_invoke[ $when ][] = $cmd_path;
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**