diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c38de3112..02f19ac27 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ endif
 export TEST_OS
 TARFILE=$(RPM_NAME)-$(VERSION).tar.xz
 NODE_CACHE=$(RPM_NAME)-node-$(VERSION).tar.xz
-SPEC=$(RPM_NAME).spec
 APPSTREAMFILE=org.cockpit-project.$(PACKAGE_NAME).metainfo.xml
 VM_IMAGE=$(CURDIR)/test/images/$(TEST_OS)
 # stamp file to check for node_modules/
@@ -77,9 +76,6 @@ po/LINGUAS:
 # Build/Install/dist
 #
 
-%.spec: packaging/%.spec.in
-	sed -e 's/%{VERSION}/$(VERSION)/g' $< > $@
-
 packaging/arch/PKGBUILD: packaging/arch/PKGBUILD.in
 	sed 's/VERSION/$(VERSION)/; s/SOURCE/$(TARFILE)/' $< > $@
 
@@ -94,7 +90,7 @@ watch:
 
 clean:
 	rm -rf dist/
-	rm -f $(SPEC) packaging/arch/PKGBUILD packaging/debian/changelog
+	rm -f packaging/arch/PKGBUILD packaging/debian/changelog
 	rm -f po/LINGUAS
 
 install: $(WEBPACK_TEST) po/LINGUAS
@@ -133,13 +129,16 @@ dist: $(TARFILE)
 # we don't ship most node_modules for license and compactness reasons, only the ones necessary for running tests
 # we ship a pre-built dist/ (so it's not necessary) and ship package-lock.json (so that node_modules/ can be reconstructed if necessary)
 $(TARFILE): export NODE_ENV=production
-$(TARFILE): $(WEBPACK_TEST) $(SPEC) packaging/arch/PKGBUILD packaging/debian/changelog
+$(TARFILE): $(WEBPACK_TEST) packaging/arch/PKGBUILD packaging/debian/changelog
+	sed -e '/^Version:/ s/0/$(VERSION)/g' packaging/cockpit-podman.spec > cockpit-podman.spec
 	if type appstream-util >/dev/null 2>&1; then appstream-util validate-relax --nonet *.metainfo.xml; fi
 	tar --xz $(TAR_ARGS) -cf $(TARFILE) --transform 's,^,$(RPM_NAME)/,' \
-		--exclude '*.in' --exclude test/reference \
+		--transform 's,cockpit-podman.spec,packaging/cockpit-podman.spec,' \
+		--exclude '*.in' --exclude test/reference packaging/cockpit-podman.spec \
 		$$(git ls-files | grep -v node_modules) \
-		$(COCKPIT_REPO_FILES) $(NODE_MODULES_TEST) $(SPEC) $(TEST_NPMS) \
+		$(COCKPIT_REPO_FILES) $(NODE_MODULES_TEST) $(TEST_NPMS) \
 		packaging/arch/PKGBUILD packaging/debian/changelog dist/
+	rm cockpit-podman.spec
 
 # convenience target for developers
 rpm: $(TARFILE)
diff --git a/packaging/cockpit-podman.spec.in b/packaging/cockpit-podman.spec
similarity index 98%
rename from packaging/cockpit-podman.spec.in
rename to packaging/cockpit-podman.spec
index 280c6b788..3545d84f1 100644
--- a/packaging/cockpit-podman.spec.in
+++ b/packaging/cockpit-podman.spec
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 #
 
 Name:           cockpit-podman
-Version:        %{VERSION}
+Version:        0
 Release:        1%{?dist}
 Summary:        Cockpit component for Podman containers
 License:        LGPLv2+
diff --git a/packit.yaml b/packit.yaml
index 2242aae93..24e805721 100644
--- a/packit.yaml
+++ b/packit.yaml
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 upstream_project_url: https://github.com/cockpit-project/cockpit-podman
 # enable notification of failed downstream jobs as issues
 issue_repository: https://github.com/cockpit-project/cockpit-podman
-specfile_path: cockpit-podman.spec
+# HACK: should be found automatically, but isn't; https://github.com/packit/packit-service/issues/1511
+specfile_path: packaging/cockpit-podman.spec
 upstream_package_name: cockpit-podman
 downstream_package_name: cockpit-podman
 # use the nicely formatted release description from our upstream release, instead of git shortlog
 copy_upstream_release_description: true
 
 actions:
-  post-upstream-clone: make cockpit-podman.spec
   create-archive: make dist
 
 srpm_build_deps:
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ jobs:
       - centos-stream-8-x86_64
       - centos-stream-9-x86_64
     actions:
-      post-upstream-clone: make cockpit-podman.spec
       # HACK: tarball for releases (copr_build, koji, etc.), copying spec's Source0; this
       # really should be the default, see https://github.com/packit/packit-service/issues/1505
       create-archive: