diff --git a/GNUmakefile b/GNUmakefile
index e848ba100..f0f915c7d 100644
--- a/GNUmakefile
+++ b/GNUmakefile
@@ -63,6 +63,12 @@ else
 DIST_DATE_ARG=
 endif
 
+ifdef DIST_PRERELEASE
+DIST_REL_ARG=-r "$(DIST_PRERELEASE)"
+else
+DIST_REL_ARG=
+endif
+
 PUB_GIT?=1
 PUB_WEBSITE?=1
 
@@ -117,7 +123,7 @@ linux:
 
 # dist builds binaries for all platforms and packages them for distribution
 dist:
-	@$(SHELL) $(CURDIR)/build-support/scripts/release.sh -t '$(DIST_TAG)' -b '$(DIST_BUILD)' -S '$(DIST_SIGN)' $(DIST_VERSION_ARG) $(DIST_DATE_ARG)
+	@$(SHELL) $(CURDIR)/build-support/scripts/release.sh -t '$(DIST_TAG)' -b '$(DIST_BUILD)' -S '$(DIST_SIGN)' $(DIST_VERSION_ARG) $(DIST_DATE_ARG) $(DIST_REL_ARG)
 	
 publish:
 	@$(SHELL) $(CURDIR)/build-support/scripts/publish.sh $(PUB_GIT_ARG) $(PUB_WEBSITE_ARG)
diff --git a/build-support/functions/10-util.sh b/build-support/functions/10-util.sh
index d884c79c1..6289dcb03 100644
--- a/build-support/functions/10-util.sh
+++ b/build-support/functions/10-util.sh
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ function parse_version {
    #   $1 - Path to the top level Consul source
    #   $2 - boolean value for whether the release version should be parsed from the source
    #   $3 - boolean whether to use GIT_DESCRIBE and GIT_COMMIT environment variables
+   #   $4 - boolean whether to omit the version part of the version string. (optional)
    #
    # Return:
    #   0 - success (will write the version to stdout)
@@ -114,6 +115,7 @@ function parse_version {
    
    local include_release="$2"
    local use_git_env="$3"
+   local omit_version="$4"
    
    local git_version=""
    local git_commit=""
@@ -152,18 +154,17 @@ function parse_version {
       done
    done
 
-   
+   local version="${version_main}"
    # override the version from source with the value of the GIT_DESCRIBE env var if present
    if test -n "${git_version}"
    then
       version="${git_version}"
-   else
-      version="${version_main}"
    fi
-      
+     
+   local rel_ver="" 
    if is_set "${include_release}"
    then
-      # Get the release version out of the source file
+      # Default to pre-release from the source
       rel_ver="${release_main}"
       
       # When no GIT_DESCRIBE env var is present and no release is in the source then we 
@@ -174,21 +175,28 @@ function parse_version {
       fi
       
       # Add the release to the version
-      if test -n "${rel_ver}"
+      if test -n "${rel_ver}" -a -n "${git_commit}"
       then
-         version="${version}-${rel_ver}"
-         
-         # add the git commit to the version
-         if test -n "${git_commit}"
-         then
-            version="${version} (${git_commit})"
-         fi
+         rel_ver="${rel_ver} (${git_commit})"
       fi
    fi
    
-   # Output the version
-   echo "$version" | tr -d "'"
-   return 0
+   if test -n "${rel_ver}"
+   then
+      if is_set "${omit_version}"
+      then
+         echo "${rel_ver}" | tr -d "'"
+      else
+         echo "${version}-${rel_ver}" | tr -d "'" 
+      fi
+      return 0
+   elif ! is_set "${omit_version}"
+   then
+      echo "${version}" | tr -d "'"
+      return 0
+   else
+      return 1
+   fi
 }
 
 function get_version {
@@ -624,6 +632,7 @@ function set_release_mode {
    #   $1 - Path to top level Consul source
    #   $2 - The version of the release
    #   $3 - The release date
+   #   $4 - The pre-release version
    #   
    #
    # Returns:
@@ -651,11 +660,17 @@ function set_release_mode {
       rel_date="$3"
    fi
    
-   status_stage "==> Updating CHANGELOG.md with release info: ${vers} (${rel_date})"
-   set_changelog_version "${sdir}" "${vers}" "${rel_date}" || return 1
+   local changelog_vers="${vers}"
+   if test -n "$4"
+   then
+      changelog_vers="${vers}-$4"
+   fi
+   
+   status_stage "==> Updating CHANGELOG.md with release info: ${changelog_vers} (${rel_date})"
+   set_changelog_version "${sdir}" "${changelog_vers}" "${rel_date}" || return 1
    
    status_stage "==> Updating version/version.go"
-   if ! update_version "${sdir}/version/version.go" "${vers}"
+   if ! update_version "${sdir}/version/version.go" "${vers}" "$4"
    then
       unset_changelog_version "${sdir}"
       return 1
diff --git a/build-support/functions/30-release.sh b/build-support/functions/30-release.sh
index df1c51212..a006a0791 100644
--- a/build-support/functions/30-release.sh
+++ b/build-support/functions/30-release.sh
@@ -349,7 +349,8 @@ function build_release {
    #   $4 - boolean whether to generate the sha256 sums
    #   $5 - version to set within version.go and the changelog
    #   $6 - release date to set within the changelog
-   #   $7 - alternative gpg key to use for signing operations (optional)
+   #   $7 - release version to set
+   #   $8 - alternative gpg key to use for signing operations (optional)
    #
    # Returns:
    #   0 - success
@@ -361,7 +362,8 @@ function build_release {
    debug "Sign Release:  $4"
    debug "Version:       $5"
    debug "Release Date:  $6"
-   debug "GPG Key:       $7"
+   debug "Release Vers:  $7"
+   debug "GPG Key:       $8"
    
    if ! test -d "$1"
    then
@@ -379,7 +381,7 @@ function build_release {
    local do_tag="$2"
    local do_build="$3"
    local do_sha256="$4"
-   local gpg_key="$7"
+   local gpg_key="$8"
    
    if test -z "${gpg_key}"
    then
@@ -403,13 +405,15 @@ function build_release {
    
    local set_vers="$5"
    local set_date="$6"
+   local set_release="$7"
    
    if test -z "${set_vers}"
    then
       set_vers=$(get_version "${sdir}" false false)
+      set_release=$(parse_version "${sdir}" true false true)
    fi
    
-   if is_set "${do_tag}" && ! set_release_mode "${sdir}" "${set_vers}" "${set_date}"
+   if is_set "${do_tag}" && ! set_release_mode "${sdir}" "${set_vers}" "${set_date}" "${set_release}"
    then
       err "ERROR: Failed to put source into release mode"
       return 1 
diff --git a/build-support/scripts/release.sh b/build-support/scripts/release.sh
index 581d019b3..879fe4320 100755
--- a/build-support/scripts/release.sh
+++ b/build-support/scripts/release.sh
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ Options:
                                  the version will be parsed from the source.
    
    -d | --date       DATE        The release date. Defaults to today.
+   
+   -r | --release    STRING      The prerelease version. Defaults to an empty pre-release.
                                  
    -h | --help                   Print this help text.
 EOF
@@ -81,6 +83,7 @@ function main {
    declare -i do_sign=1
    declare    gpg_key="${HASHICORP_GPG_KEY}"
    declare    version=""
+   declare    release_ver=""
    declare    release_date=$(date +"%B %d, %Y")
    
    while test $# -gt 0
@@ -128,11 +131,15 @@ function main {
             shift 2
             ;;
          -d | --date)
-            echo "$2"
             ensure_arg "-d/--date" "$2" || return 1
             release_date="$2"
             shift 2
             ;;
+         -r | --release)
+            ensure_arg "-r/--release" "$2" || return 1
+            release_ver="$2"
+            shift 2
+            ;;
          *)
             err_usage "ERROR: Unknown argument: '$1'"
             return 1
@@ -140,7 +147,7 @@ function main {
       esac
    done
    
-   build_release "${sdir}" "${do_tag}" "${do_build}" "${do_sign}" "${version}" "${release_date}" "${gpg_key}"
+   build_release "${sdir}" "${do_tag}" "${do_build}" "${do_sign}" "${version}" "${release_date}" "${release_ver}" "${gpg_key}"
    return $?
 }