diff --git a/build.py b/build.py
index 7b54dd203a9..255c8d1da10 100755
--- a/build.py
+++ b/build.py
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ def choose_omero_version():
         #
         # See gh-67 for the discussion.
         if not omero_build:
-            omero_version = re.sub("([-]DEV)?-\d+-g[^-]+[+]?",\
+            omero_version = re.sub("([-]DEV)?-\d+-[a-f0-9]+(-dirty)?",\
                     "-DEV", omero_version)
         return [ "-Domero.version=%s%s" % (omero_version, omero_build) ]
     except:
diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index ea3a4b701de..1085a32c461 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -760,7 +760,10 @@ omero.version=${omero.version}
                         <arg line="--dirty"/>
                     </args>
                 </git>
-                <echo>${version.describe}-ice${versions.ice_lib}</echo>
+                <!--"((.*?)-)(v.)+(.*?)-([0-9]+)-g([^-]+)(-dirty)?" select="1\1-2\2-3\3-4\4-5\5"-->
+                <propertyregex property="version.describe.clean" input="${version.describe}"
+                    regexp="^(v.)?(.*?)(-[0-9]+)?((-)g(.*?))?$" select="\2\3\5\6"/>
+                <echo>${version.describe.clean}-ice${versions.ice_lib}</echo>
             </try>
             <catch>
                 <echo>UNKNOWN-ice${versions.ice_lib}</echo>