diff --git a/include/znc/version.h b/include/znc/version.h
index 0603b401..14d7bf16 100644
--- a/include/znc/version.h
+++ b/include/znc/version.h
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
 #define VERSION        (VERSION_MAJOR + VERSION_MINOR / 10.0)
 
 // You can add -DVERSION_EXTRA="stuff" to your CXXFLAGS!
+#ifndef VERSION_EXTRA
+# define VERSION_EXTRA ""
+#endif
 extern const char* ZNC_VERSION_EXTRA;
 
 #endif
diff --git a/make-tarball.sh b/make-tarball.sh
index 29d03823..2cc8c520 100755
--- a/make-tarball.sh
+++ b/make-tarball.sh
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ sed -e 's:#include "defines.h":#include <znc/defines.h>:' third_party/Csocket/Cs
 	rm make-tarball.sh
 	sed -e "s/THIS_IS_NOT_TARBALL//" -i Makefile.in
 	echo '#include <znc/version.h>' > src/version.cpp
-	echo "const char* ZNC_VERSION_EXTRA = \"$DESC\";" >> src/version.cpp
+	echo "const char* ZNC_VERSION_EXTRA = VERSION_EXTRA \"$DESC\";" >> src/version.cpp
 )
 (
 	cd $TMPDIR
diff --git a/version.sh b/version.sh
index aab81116..9b8daeba 100755
--- a/version.sh
+++ b/version.sh
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ fi
 if [ "x$WRITE_OUTPUT" = "xyes" ]
 then
 	echo '#include <znc/version.h>' > src/version.cpp
-	echo "const char* ZNC_VERSION_EXTRA = \"$EXTRA\";" >> src/version.cpp
+	echo "const char* ZNC_VERSION_EXTRA = VERSION_EXTRA \"$EXTRA\";" >> src/version.cpp
 fi
 
 echo "$EXTRA"