diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/linux-4.14.nix b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/linux-4.14.nix
index 46c3302fb29597..768d06bb053021 100644
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/linux-4.14.nix
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/linux-4.14.nix
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ buildLinux (args // rec {
   version = "4.14.112";
 
   # modDirVersion needs to be x.y.z, will automatically add .0 if needed
+  modDirVersion = if (modDirVersionArg == null) then concatStrings (intersperse "." (take 3 (splitString "." "${version}.0"))) else modDirVersionArg;
 
   # branchVersion needs to be x.y
   extraMeta.branch = concatStrings (intersperse "." (take 2 (splitString "." version)));
diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/linux-4.19.nix b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/linux-4.19.nix
index 18385b97fac500..9bdbdf4558fb1d 100644
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/linux-4.19.nix
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/linux-4.19.nix
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ buildLinux (args // rec {
   version = "4.19.35";
 
   # modDirVersion needs to be x.y.z, will automatically add .0 if needed
+  modDirVersion = if (modDirVersionArg == null) then concatStrings (intersperse "." (take 3 (splitString "." "${version}.0"))) else modDirVersionArg;
 
   # branchVersion needs to be x.y
   extraMeta.branch = concatStrings (intersperse "." (take 2 (splitString "." version)));
diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/linux-5.0.nix b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/linux-5.0.nix
index cc4dbaefa0aaad..11a7287fdb8219 100644
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/linux-5.0.nix
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/linux-5.0.nix
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ buildLinux (args // rec {
   version = "5.0.8";
 
   # modDirVersion needs to be x.y.z, will automatically add .0 if needed
+  modDirVersion = if (modDirVersionArg == null) then concatStrings (intersperse "." (take 3 (splitString "." "${version}.0"))) else modDirVersionArg;
 
   # branchVersion needs to be x.y
   extraMeta.branch = concatStrings (intersperse "." (take 2 (splitString "." version)));
diff --git a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/update.sh b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/update.sh
index 878c3c14fe473c..7dcbcbe2e35e4d 100755
--- a/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/update.sh
+++ b/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/update.sh
@@ -48,10 +48,7 @@ ls $NIXPKGS/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel | while read FILE; do
   sed -i "s/sha256 = \".*\"/sha256 = \"$HASH\"/g" $NIXPKGS/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/$FILE
 
   # Rewrite the expression
-  sed -i -e '/version = /d' -e '/modDirVersion = /d' $NIXPKGS/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/$FILE
-  if grep -q '^[0-9]\+.[0-9]\+$' <<< "$V"; then
-    sed -i "\#buildLinux (args // rec {#a \  modDirVersion = \"${V}.0\";" $NIXPKGS/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/$FILE
-  fi
+  sed -i -e '/version = /d' $NIXPKGS/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/$FILE
   sed -i "\#buildLinux (args // rec {#a \  version = \"$V\";" $NIXPKGS/pkgs/os-specific/linux/kernel/$FILE
 
   # Commit the changes