diff --git a/scripts/update_version_stamp.lua b/scripts/update_version_stamp.lua
index 11b521fab6..0342e08f31 100755
--- a/scripts/update_version_stamp.lua
+++ b/scripts/update_version_stamp.lua
@@ -35,11 +35,10 @@ if not described then
 end
 
 -- `git describe` annotates the most recent tagged release; for pre-release
--- builds we must replace that with the unreleased version.
-local with_prefix = described:gsub("^v%d+%.%d+%.%d+", prefix)
-if described == with_prefix then
-  -- Prepend the prefix always, e.g. with "nightly-12208-g4041b62b9".
-  with_prefix = prefix .. "-" .. described
+-- builds we append that to the dev version
+local with_prefix = prefix
+if prefix:match('-dev$') ~= nil then
+  with_prefix = prefix .. '+' .. described:gsub('^v%d+%.%d+%.%d+-', '')
 end
 
 -- Read existing include file.
diff --git a/src/nvim/CMakeLists.txt b/src/nvim/CMakeLists.txt
index 8ec087c626..db77931c16 100644
--- a/src/nvim/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/nvim/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ if(use_git_version)
   add_custom_target(update_version_stamp ALL
     COMMAND ${LUA_PRG} scripts/update_version_stamp.lua
       ${relbuild}/config/auto/versiondef_git.h
-      "v${NVIM_VERSION_MAJOR}.${NVIM_VERSION_MINOR}.${NVIM_VERSION_PATCH}"
+      "v${NVIM_VERSION_MAJOR}.${NVIM_VERSION_MINOR}.${NVIM_VERSION_PATCH}${NVIM_VERSION_PRERELEASE}"
     WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}
     BYPRODUCTS ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/config/auto/versiondef_git.h)
 else()