diff --git a/components/packaging/Makefile b/components/packaging/Makefile
index c5e1f95e53..b771da48d7 100644
--- a/components/packaging/Makefile
+++ b/components/packaging/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 SHELL:=/bin/bash
 ENGINE_DIR:=$(CURDIR)/../engine
 CLI_DIR:=$(CURDIR)/../cli
-VERSION=unknown
+VERSION?=0.0.0-dev
 DOCKER_GITCOMMIT:=abcdefg
 
 .PHONY: help clean rpm deb static
diff --git a/components/packaging/deb/Makefile b/components/packaging/deb/Makefile
index ed5423a46e..5a2c60712e 100644
--- a/components/packaging/deb/Makefile
+++ b/components/packaging/deb/Makefile
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ ARCH:=$(shell uname -m)
 ENGINE_DIR:=$(CURDIR)/../../engine
 CLI_DIR:=$(CURDIR)/../../cli
 GITCOMMIT?=$(shell cd $(ENGINE_DIR) && git rev-parse --short HEAD)
-VERSION?=$(shell cat $(ENGINE_DIR)/VERSION)
+VERSION?=0.0.0-dev
 DOCKER_EXPERIMENTAL:=0
 CHOWN:=docker run --rm -v $(CURDIR):/v -w /v alpine chown
 
diff --git a/components/packaging/rpm/Makefile b/components/packaging/rpm/Makefile
index 7350ed3420..91588c2e6b 100644
--- a/components/packaging/rpm/Makefile
+++ b/components/packaging/rpm/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ ARCH=$(shell uname -m)
 ENGINE_DIR:=$(CURDIR)/../../engine
 CLI_DIR:=$(CURDIR)/../../cli
 GITCOMMIT=$(shell cd $(ENGINE_DIR) && git rev-parse --short HEAD)
-VERSION=$(shell cat $(ENGINE_DIR)/VERSION)
+VERSION?=0.0.0-dev
 DOCKER_EXPERIMENTAL=0
 GEN_RPM_VER=$(shell ./gen-rpm-ver $(ENGINE_DIR) $(VERSION))
 CHOWN=docker run --rm -i -v $(CURDIR):/v -w /v alpine chown
diff --git a/components/packaging/static/Makefile b/components/packaging/static/Makefile
index 6ac4dc1a34..5d07b5862b 100644
--- a/components/packaging/static/Makefile
+++ b/components/packaging/static/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 SHELL:=/bin/bash
 ENGINE_DIR:=$(CURDIR)/../../engine
 CLI_DIR:=$(CURDIR)/../../cli
-VERSION=$(shell cat $(ENGINE_DIR)/VERSION)
+VERSION?=0.0.0-dev
 CHOWN=docker run --rm -v $(CURDIR):/v -w /v alpine chown
 HASH_CMD=docker run -v $(CURDIR):/sum -w /sum debian:jessie bash hash_files
 DIR_TO_HASH:=build/linux