diff --git a/source3/autogen.sh b/source3/autogen.sh
index deed774b39e..61316a8f70c 100755
--- a/source3/autogen.sh
+++ b/source3/autogen.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,18 @@
 
 # Run this script to build samba from GIT.
 
+while true; do
+    case $1 in
+	(--version-file)
+	    VERSION_FILE=$2
+	    shift 2
+	    ;;
+	(*)
+	    break
+	    ;;
+    esac
+done
+
 ## insert all possible names (only works with 
 ## autoconf 2.x)
 TESTAUTOHEADER="autoheader autoheader-2.53 autoheader2.50 autoheader259 autoheader253"
@@ -48,7 +60,7 @@ if test "$AUTOCONFFOUND" = "0" -o "$AUTOHEADERFOUND" = "0"; then
 fi
 
 echo "$0: running script/mkversion.sh"
-./script/mkversion.sh || exit 1
+./script/mkversion.sh $VERSION_FILE || exit 1
 
 rm -rf autom4te*.cache
 rm -f configure include/config.h*
diff --git a/source4/autogen.sh b/source4/autogen.sh
index a56c5a22387..9984712caf8 100755
--- a/source4/autogen.sh
+++ b/source4/autogen.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,18 @@
 
 # Run this script to build samba from git.
 
+while true; do
+    case $1 in
+	(--version-file)
+	    VERSION_FILE=$2
+	    shift 2
+	    ;;
+	(*)
+	    break
+	    ;;
+    esac
+done
+
 ## insert all possible names (only works with
 ## autoconf 2.x)
 TESTAUTOHEADER="autoheader autoheader-2.53 autoheader2.50 autoheader259 autoheader253"
@@ -48,7 +60,7 @@ if test "$AUTOCONFFOUND" = "0" -o "$AUTOHEADERFOUND" = "0"; then
 fi
 
 echo "$0: running script/mkversion.sh"
-./script/mkversion.sh || exit 1
+./script/mkversion.sh $VERSION_FILE || exit 1
 
 rm -rf autom4te*.cache
 rm -f configure include/config_tmp.h*