diff --git a/ship/common_ship.py b/ship/common_ship.py
index 71dffd6..65b9689 100644
--- a/ship/common_ship.py
+++ b/ship/common_ship.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ with open(topDir + "/VERSION.txt", "rt") as f:
 
 def writeBuildInfo():
     with open(topDir + "/BUILD_INFO.txt", "w") as f:
-        f.write("VERSION_SUFFIX=\n")
+        f.write("VERSION_SUFFIX=__none__\n")
         f.write("COMMIT_HASH=" + commitHash + "\n")
 
 def rmrf(patterns):
diff --git a/ship/make_msvc_package.py b/ship/make_msvc_package.py
index 9451e57..07a3425 100755
--- a/ship/make_msvc_package.py
+++ b/ship/make_msvc_package.py
@@ -102,7 +102,8 @@ def build(arch, packageDir, xp=False):
         "../build-gyp/gyp_main.py",
         "winpty.gyp",
         "-I", "configurations.gypi",
-        "-G", "msvs_version=" + versionInfo["gyp_version"]] +
+        "-G", "msvs_version=" + versionInfo["gyp_version"],
+        "-D", "VERSION_SUFFIX=__none__"] +
         (["-D", "WINPTY_MSBUILD_TOOLSET=" + versionInfo["xp_toolset"]] if xp else []),
         cwd="src")
     devCmdPath = os.path.join(os.environ[versionInfo["common_tools_env"]], "VsDevCmd.bat")
diff --git a/src/shared/WinptyVersion.cc b/src/shared/WinptyVersion.cc
index 38bef7e..ccc9ac0 100644
--- a/src/shared/WinptyVersion.cc
+++ b/src/shared/WinptyVersion.cc
@@ -21,20 +21,29 @@
 #include "WinptyVersion.h"
 
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
 
 #include "DebugClient.h"
 
 #define XSTRINGIFY(x) #x
 #define STRINGIFY(x) XSTRINGIFY(x)
 
+static const char *versionSuffix() {
+    const char *ret = STRINGIFY(WINPTY_VERSION_SUFFIX);
+    if (!strcmp(ret, "__none__")) {
+        return "";
+    }
+    return ret;
+}
+
 void dumpVersionToStdout() {
-    printf("winpty version %s%s\n", STRINGIFY(WINPTY_VERSION), STRINGIFY(WINPTY_VERSION_SUFFIX));
+    printf("winpty version %s%s\n", STRINGIFY(WINPTY_VERSION), versionSuffix());
     printf("commit %s\n", STRINGIFY(WINPTY_COMMIT_HASH));
 }
 
 void dumpVersionToTrace() {
     trace("winpty version %s%s (commit %s)",
         STRINGIFY(WINPTY_VERSION),
-        STRINGIFY(WINPTY_VERSION_SUFFIX),
+        versionSuffix(),
         STRINGIFY(WINPTY_COMMIT_HASH));
 }