diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4eeeda230..64c86a5f3 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-DOKKU_VERSION = master
+DOKKU_VERSION ?= master
 
 SSHCOMMAND_URL ?= https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dokku/sshcommand/v0.6.0/sshcommand
 PLUGN_URL ?= https://github.com/dokku/plugn/releases/download/v0.2.2/plugn_0.2.2_linux_x86_64.tgz
@@ -76,7 +76,11 @@ addman: help2man man-db
 	mandb
 
 version:
+ifeq ($(DOKKU_VERSION),master)
 	git describe --tags > ~dokku/VERSION  2> /dev/null || echo '~${DOKKU_VERSION} ($(shell date -uIminutes))' > ~dokku/VERSION
+else
+	echo $(DOKKU_VERSION) > ~dokku/VERSION
+endif
 
 plugin-dependencies: plugn
 	sudo -E dokku plugin:install-dependencies --core
diff --git a/arch.mk b/arch.mk
index c9b9159a5..c10f17186 100644
--- a/arch.mk
+++ b/arch.mk
@@ -22,7 +22,11 @@ arch-setup:
 
 arch-dokku: arch-setup
 	echo "-> Update package sums, create metadata file and test the build of the package"
+ifeq ($(DOKKU_VERSION),master)
 	git describe --tags > /tmp/VERSION
+else
+	echo $(DOKKU_VERSION) > /tmp/VERSION
+endif
 	cat /tmp/VERSION | cut -d '-' -f 1 | cut -d 'v' -f 2 > /tmp/STABLE_VERSION
 	sed -i -e "s/pkgver=.*/pkgver=`cat /tmp/STABLE_VERSION`/" /dokku-arch/PKGBUILD
 	cd /dokku-arch; updpkgsums; mksrcinfo; makepkg -fd
diff --git a/deb.mk b/deb.mk
index ec970000b..eac9a9ced 100644
--- a/deb.mk
+++ b/deb.mk
@@ -128,14 +128,22 @@ deb-dokku:
 	cp /usr/local/share/man/man1/dokku.1 /tmp/build/usr/share/man/man1/dokku.1
 	gzip -9 /tmp/build/usr/share/man/man1/dokku.1
 	cp contrib/dokku-installer.py /tmp/build/usr/share/dokku/contrib
+ifeq ($(DOKKU_VERSION),master)
 	git describe --tags > /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/VERSION
+else
+	echo $(DOKKU_VERSION) > /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/VERSION
+endif
 	cat /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/VERSION | cut -d '-' -f 1 | cut -d 'v' -f 2 > /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/STABLE_VERSION
 ifneq (,$(findstring false,$(IS_RELEASE)))
 	sed -i.bak -e "s/^/`date +%s`:/" /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/STABLE_VERSION && rm /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/STABLE_VERSION.bak
 endif
 	rm /tmp/build/DEBIAN/lintian-overrides
 	mv debian/lintian-overrides /tmp/build/usr/share/lintian/overrides/dokku
+ifdef DOKKU_GIT_REV
+	echo "$(DOKKU_GIT_REV)" > /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/GIT_REV
+else
 	git rev-parse HEAD > /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/GIT_REV
+endif
 	sed -i "s/^Version: .*/Version: `cat /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/STABLE_VERSION`/g" /tmp/build/DEBIAN/control
 	dpkg-deb --build /tmp/build "/tmp/dokku_`cat /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/STABLE_VERSION`_$(DOKKU_ARCHITECTURE).deb"
 	lintian "/tmp/dokku_`cat /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/STABLE_VERSION`_$(DOKKU_ARCHITECTURE).deb"
diff --git a/rpm.mk b/rpm.mk
index 1d430a9a3..67d7662d9 100644
--- a/rpm.mk
+++ b/rpm.mk
@@ -65,12 +65,20 @@ rpm-dokku:
 	cp /usr/local/share/man/man1/dokku.1 /tmp/build/usr/share/man/man1/dokku.1
 	gzip -9 /tmp/build/usr/share/man/man1/dokku.1
 	cp contrib/dokku-installer.py /tmp/build/usr/share/dokku/contrib
+ifeq ($(DOKKU_VERSION),master)
 	git describe --tags > /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/VERSION
+else
+	echo $(DOKKU_VERSION) > /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/VERSION
+endif
 	cat /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/VERSION | cut -d '-' -f 1 | cut -d 'v' -f 2 > /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/STABLE_VERSION
 ifneq (,$(findstring false,$(IS_RELEASE)))
-	sed -i.bak -e "s/^/`date +%s`:/" /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/STABLE_VERSION && rm /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/STABLE_VERSION.bak
+	sed -i.bak -e "s/^/`date +%s`-/" /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/STABLE_VERSION && rm /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/STABLE_VERSION.bak
 endif
+ifdef DOKKU_GIT_REV
+	echo "$(DOKKU_GIT_REV)" > /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/GIT_REV
+else
 	git rev-parse HEAD > /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/GIT_REV
+endif
 
 	@echo "-> Creating rpm package"
 	VERSION=$$(cat /tmp/build/var/lib/dokku/STABLE_VERSION); \