diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 21e4f7c..1c26827 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ VERBOSE_FLAGS=	-x
 VERBOSE_HIDDEN=	@
 .endif
 
-.for _VERSION in ABI LUA PERL PHP PYTHON RUBY
+.for _VERSION in ABI LUA PERL PHP PYTHON RUBY VERSION
 VERSIONS+=	PRODUCT_${_VERSION}=${${_VERSION}}
 .endfor
 
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ VERSIONS+=	PRODUCT_CRYPTO=${FLAVOUR:[1]:tl}
 ${STEP}: lint-steps
 	${VERBOSE_HIDDEN} cd ${.CURDIR}/build && \
 	    sh ${VERBOSE_FLAGS} ./${.TARGET}.sh -a ${ARCH} -F ${KERNEL} \
-	    -f "${FLAVOUR}" -n ${NAME} -v ${VERSION} -s ${_CONFIGDIR} \
+	    -f "${FLAVOUR}" -n ${NAME} -v "${VERSIONS}" -s ${_CONFIGDIR} \
 	    -S ${SRCDIR} -P ${PORTSDIR} -p ${PLUGINSDIR} -T ${TOOLSDIR} \
 	    -C ${COREDIR} -R ${PORTSREFDIR} -t ${TYPE} -k "${PRIVKEY}" \
 	    -K "${PUBKEY}" -l "${SIGNCHK}" -L "${SIGNCMD}" -d ${DEVICE} \
@@ -177,9 +177,8 @@ ${STEP}: lint-steps
 	    -g ${TOOLSBRANCH} -E ${COREBRANCH} -G ${PORTSREFBRANCH} \
 	    -H "${COREENV}" -u "${UEFI:tl}" -U "${SUFFIX}" -i ${COMPORT} \
 	    -V "${ADDITIONS}" -O "${GITBASE}"  -r "${SERVER}" \
-	    -q "${VERSIONS}" -h "${PLUGINSENV}" -I "${UPLOADDIR}" \
-	    -D "${EXTRABRANCH}" -A "${PORTSREFURL}" -J "${PORTSENV}" \
-	    ${${STEP}_ARGS}
+	    -h "${PLUGINSENV}" -I "${UPLOADDIR}" -D "${EXTRABRANCH}" \
+	    -A "${PORTSREFURL}" -J "${PORTSENV}" ${${STEP}_ARGS}
 .endfor
 
 .for SCRIPT in ${SCRIPTS}
diff --git a/build/base.sh b/build/base.sh
index 6a1a11c..ec84484 100644
--- a/build/base.sh
+++ b/build/base.sh
@@ -39,10 +39,7 @@ if [ -f "${BASESET}" -a -z "${1}" ]; then
 fi
 
 git_branch ${SRCDIR} ${SRCBRANCH} SRCBRANCH
-if [ -z "${VERSION}" ]; then # XXX
-	git_describe ${SRCDIR}
-	PRODUCT_VERSION=${REPO_VERSION}
-fi
+git_version ${SRCDIR}
 
 BASESET=${SETSDIR}/base-${PRODUCT_VERSION}-${PRODUCT_ARCH}${PRODUCT_DEVICE+"-${PRODUCT_DEVICE}"}.txz
 
diff --git a/build/common.sh b/build/common.sh
index bf31ee1..f14f42d 100644
--- a/build/common.sh
+++ b/build/common.sh
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 
 set -e
 
-OPTS="A:a:B:b:C:c:D:d:E:e:F:f:G:g:H:h:I:i:J:K:k:L:l:m:n:O:o:P:p:q:R:r:S:s:T:t:U:u:v:V:"
+OPTS="A:a:B:b:C:c:D:d:E:e:F:f:G:g:H:h:I:i:J:K:k:L:l:m:n:O:o:P:p:R:r:S:s:T:t:U:u:v:V:"
 
 while getopts ${OPTS} OPT; do
 	case ${OPT} in
@@ -131,11 +131,6 @@ while getopts ${OPTS} OPT; do
 	p)
 		export PLUGINSDIR=${OPTARG}
 		;;
-	q)
-		for _VERSION in ${OPTARG}; do
-			eval "export ${_VERSION}"
-		done
-		;;
 	R)
 		export PORTSREFDIR=${OPTARG}
 		;;
@@ -169,7 +164,9 @@ while getopts ${OPTS} OPT; do
 		export PRODUCT_UEFI=${OPTARG}
 		;;
 	v)
-		export PRODUCT_VERSION=${OPTARG}
+		for _VERSION in ${OPTARG}; do
+			eval "export ${_VERSION}"
+		done
 		;;
 	V)
 		export PRODUCT_ADDITIONS=${OPTARG}
@@ -366,28 +363,34 @@ git_pull()
 	fi
 }
 
-git_describe()
+git_version()
 {
-	HEAD=${2:-"HEAD"}
+	if [ -z "$(echo ${PRODUCT_VERSION} | tr -d 0-9)" ]; then
+		git_describe ${1}
+		export PRODUCT_VERSION=${REPO_VERSION}
+	fi
 
-	VERSION=$(git -C ${1} describe --abbrev=0 --always ${HEAD})
-	REVISION=$(git -C ${1} rev-list --count ${VERSION}..${HEAD})
-	COMMENT=$(git -C ${1} rev-list --max-count=1 ${HEAD} | cut -c1-9)
-	BRANCH=$(git -C ${1} rev-parse --abbrev-ref ${HEAD})
-
-	if [ -z "${VERSION%%*/*}" ]; then
-		echo ">>> Tag '${VERSION}' of ${1} must not contain slashes" >&2
+	if [ -z "${PRODUCT_VERSION%%*/*}" ]; then
+		echo ">>> Invalid product version: ${PRODUCT_VERSION}" >&2
 		exit 1
 	fi
+}
+
+git_describe()
+{
+	local VERSION=$(git -C ${1} describe --abbrev=0 --always HEAD)
+	local REVISION=$(git -C ${1} rev-list --count ${VERSION}..HEAD)
+	local COMMENT=$(git -C ${1} rev-list --max-count=1 HEAD | cut -c1-9)
+	local BRANCH=$(git -C ${1} rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)
 
 	if [ "${REVISION}" != "0" ]; then
 		# must construct full version string manually
 		VERSION=${VERSION}_${REVISION}
 	fi
 
-	export REPO_VERSION=${VERSION}
-	export REPO_COMMENT=${COMMENT}
 	export REPO_BRANCH=${BRANCH}
+	export REPO_COMMENT=${COMMENT}
+	export REPO_VERSION=${VERSION}
 }
 
 git_branch()
@@ -962,10 +965,7 @@ bundle_packages()
 
 	REDOS=${@}
 
-	if [ -z "${VERSION}" ]; then # XXX
-		git_describe ${PORTSDIR}
-		PRODUCT_VERSION=${REPO_VERSION}
-	fi
+	git_version ${PORTSDIR}
 
 	# clean up in case of partial run
 	rm -rf ${BASEDIR}${PACKAGESDIR}-new
diff --git a/build/distfiles.sh b/build/distfiles.sh
index ad59f0e..735d6b4 100644
--- a/build/distfiles.sh
+++ b/build/distfiles.sh
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ fi
 
 git_branch ${SRCDIR} ${SRCBRANCH} SRCBRANCH
 git_branch ${PORTSDIR} ${PORTSBRANCH} PORTSBRANCH
+git_version ${PORTSDIR}
 
 setup_stage ${STAGEDIR}
 setup_base ${STAGEDIR}
@@ -70,11 +71,6 @@ setup_distfiles ${STAGEDIR}
 
 extract_packages ${STAGEDIR} || true
 
-if [ -z "${VERSION}" ]; then # XXX
-	git_describe ${PORTSDIR}
-	PRODUCT_VERSION=${REPO_VERSION}
-fi
-
 sh ./make.conf.sh > ${STAGEDIR}/etc/make.conf
 echo "CLEAN_FETCH_ENV=yes" >> ${STAGEDIR}/etc/make.conf
 
diff --git a/build/kernel.sh b/build/kernel.sh
index 2abc8c6..f6c4146 100644
--- a/build/kernel.sh
+++ b/build/kernel.sh
@@ -39,10 +39,7 @@ if [ -f "${KERNELSET}" -a -z "${1}" ]; then
 fi
 
 git_branch ${SRCDIR} ${SRCBRANCH} SRCBRANCH
-if [ -z "${VERSION}" ]; then # XXX
-	git_describe ${SRCDIR}
-	PRODUCT_VERSION=${REPO_VERSION}
-fi
+git_version ${SRCDIR}
 
 KERNEL_DEBUG_SET=${SETSDIR}/kernel-dbg-${PRODUCT_VERSION}-${PRODUCT_ARCH}${PRODUCT_DEVICE+"-${PRODUCT_DEVICE}"}.txz
 KERNEL_RELEASE_SET=${SETSDIR}/kernel-${PRODUCT_VERSION}-${PRODUCT_ARCH}${PRODUCT_DEVICE+"-${PRODUCT_DEVICE}"}.txz
diff --git a/build/xtools.sh b/build/xtools.sh
index 03ed881..5424d5f 100644
--- a/build/xtools.sh
+++ b/build/xtools.sh
@@ -44,10 +44,7 @@ if [ -f "${XTOOLSET}" -a -z "${1}" ]; then
 fi
 
 git_branch ${SRCDIR} ${SRCBRANCH} SRCBRANCH
-if [ -z "${VERSION}" ]; then # XXX
-	git_describe ${SRCDIR}
-	PRODUCT_VERSION=${REPO_VERSION}
-fi
+git_version ${SRCDIR}
 
 XTOOLSET=${SETSDIR}/xtools-${PRODUCT_VERSION}-${PRODUCT_ARCH}.txz