diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index 554f67a66a3..b35b0407cf7 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-mythtv/GITHASH export-subst
-mythplugins/GITHASH export-subst
+mythtv/EXPORTED_VERSION export-subst
+mythplugins/EXPORTED_VERSION export-subst
diff --git a/mythplugins/GITHASH b/mythplugins/GITHASH
deleted file mode 100644
index 6828f88dcb0..00000000000
--- a/mythplugins/GITHASH
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-$Format:%H$
diff --git a/mythtv/EXPORTED_VERSION b/mythtv/EXPORTED_VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..607a44ea3c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mythtv/EXPORTED_VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+SOURCE_VERSION="$Format:%h$"
+BRANCH="$Format:%d$"
diff --git a/mythtv/GITHASH b/mythtv/GITHASH
deleted file mode 100644
index fbe9a665422..00000000000
--- a/mythtv/GITHASH
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-$Format:%d$-Exported-$Format:%h$
diff --git a/mythtv/version.sh b/mythtv/version.sh
index a8939c45d18..238fbffa1fe 100755
--- a/mythtv/version.sh
+++ b/mythtv/version.sh
@@ -27,12 +27,16 @@ SOURCE_VERSION=$(git describe --dirty || git describe || echo Unknown)
 
 case "${SOURCE_VERSION}" in
     exported|Unknown)
-        if test -e $GITTREEDIR/VERSION ; then
+        if ! grep -q Format $GITTREEDIR/EXPORTED_VERSION; then
+            . $GITTREEDIR/EXPORTED_VERSION
+        elif test -e $GITTREEDIR/VERSION ; then
             . $GITTREEDIR/VERSION
         fi
     ;;
     *)
-    BRANCH=$(git branch --no-color | sed -e '/^[^\*]/d' -e 's/^\* //' -e 's/(no branch)/exported/')
+        if [ -z "${BRANCH}" ]; then
+            BRANCH=$(git branch --no-color | sed -e '/^[^\*]/d' -e 's/^\* //' -e 's/(no branch)/exported/')
+        fi
     ;;
 esac