diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 3d65a902..d29e3003 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ FROM lsiobase/alpine:3.8 as buildstage
 # package versions
 ARG ARGTABLE_VER="2.13"
 ARG TVH_VER="release/4.2"
-ARG XMLTV_VER="0.5.69"
+ARG XMLTV_VER="v0.5.70"
 ARG TVHEADEND_COMMIT
 
 # environment settings
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ RUN \
 	gettext-dev \
 	git \
 	gzip \
+	jq \
 	libgcrypt-dev \
 	libhdhomerun-dev \
 	libressl-dev \
@@ -122,13 +123,9 @@ RUN \
 
 RUN \
  echo "**** compile XMLTV ****" && \
- curl -o \
- /tmp/xmtltv-src.tar.bz2 -L \
-	"https://sourceforge.net/projects/xmltv/files/xmltv/${XMLTV_VER}/xmltv-${XMLTV_VER}.tar.bz2" && \
- tar xf \
- /tmp/xmtltv-src.tar.bz2 -C \
-	/tmp --strip-components=1 && \
- cd "/tmp/xmltv-${XMLTV_VER}" && \
+ git clone https://github.com/XMLTV/xmltv.git /tmp/xmltv && \
+ cd /tmp/xmltv && \
+ git checkout ${XMLTV_VER} && \
  echo "**** Perl 5.26 fixes for XMTLV ****" && \
  sed "s/use POSIX 'tmpnam';//" -i filter/tv_to_latex && \
  sed "s/use POSIX 'tmpnam';//" -i filter/tv_to_text && \
@@ -156,15 +153,11 @@ RUN \
 	TVHEADEND_COMMIT=$(curl -sX GET https://api.github.com/repos/tvheadend/tvheadend/commits/${TVH_VER} \
 	| jq -r '. | .sha'); \
  fi && \
- curl -o \
-	/tmp/tvheadend.tar.gz -L \
-	"https://github.com/tvheadend/tvheadend/archive/${TVHEADEND_COMMIT}.tar.gz" && \
  mkdir -p \
-	/tmp/tvheadend && \
- tar xf \
-	/tmp/tvheadend.tar.gz -C \
-	/tmp/tvheadend/ --strip-components=1 && \
+        /tmp/tvheadend && \
+ git clone https://github.com/tvheadend/tvheadend.git /tmp/tvheadend && \
  cd /tmp/tvheadend && \
+ git checkout ${TVHEADEND_COMMIT} && \
  ./configure \
 	--disable-avahi \
 	--disable-bintray_cache \
diff --git a/Dockerfile.aarch64 b/Dockerfile.aarch64
index 2f2b8acf..dab6a1e0 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.aarch64
+++ b/Dockerfile.aarch64
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ FROM lsiobase/alpine.arm64:3.8 as buildstage
 # package versions
 ARG ARGTABLE_VER="2.13"
 ARG TVH_VER="release/4.2"
-ARG XMLTV_VER="0.5.69"
+ARG XMLTV_VER="v0.5.70"
 ARG TVHEADEND_COMMIT
 
 # environment settings
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ RUN \
 	gettext-dev \
 	git \
 	gzip \
+	jq \
 	libgcrypt-dev \
 	libhdhomerun-dev \
 	libressl-dev \
@@ -122,13 +123,9 @@ RUN \
 
 RUN \
  echo "**** compile XMLTV ****" && \
- curl -o \
- /tmp/xmtltv-src.tar.bz2 -L \
-	"https://sourceforge.net/projects/xmltv/files/xmltv/${XMLTV_VER}/xmltv-${XMLTV_VER}.tar.bz2" && \
- tar xf \
- /tmp/xmtltv-src.tar.bz2 -C \
-	/tmp --strip-components=1 && \
- cd "/tmp/xmltv-${XMLTV_VER}" && \
+ git clone https://github.com/XMLTV/xmltv.git /tmp/xmltv && \
+ cd /tmp/xmltv && \
+ git checkout ${XMLTV_VER} && \
  echo "**** Perl 5.26 fixes for XMTLV ****" && \
  sed "s/use POSIX 'tmpnam';//" -i filter/tv_to_latex && \
  sed "s/use POSIX 'tmpnam';//" -i filter/tv_to_text && \
@@ -156,15 +153,11 @@ RUN \
 	TVHEADEND_COMMIT=$(curl -sX GET https://api.github.com/repos/tvheadend/tvheadend/commits/${TVH_VER} \
 	| jq -r '. | .sha'); \
  fi && \
- curl -o \
-	/tmp/tvheadend.tar.gz -L \
-	"https://github.com/tvheadend/tvheadend/archive/${TVHEADEND_COMMIT}.tar.gz" && \
  mkdir -p \
-	/tmp/tvheadend && \
- tar xf \
-	/tmp/tvheadend.tar.gz -C \
-	/tmp/tvheadend/ --strip-components=1 && \
+        /tmp/tvheadend && \
+ git clone https://github.com/tvheadend/tvheadend.git /tmp/tvheadend && \
  cd /tmp/tvheadend && \
+ git checkout ${TVHEADEND_COMMIT} && \
  ./configure \
 	--disable-avahi \
 	--disable-bintray_cache \
diff --git a/Dockerfile.armhf b/Dockerfile.armhf
index baa26b82..151c416b 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.armhf
+++ b/Dockerfile.armhf
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ FROM lsiobase/alpine.armhf:3.8 as buildstage
 # package versions
 ARG ARGTABLE_VER="2.13"
 ARG TVH_VER="release/4.2"
-ARG XMLTV_VER="0.5.69"
+ARG XMLTV_VER="v0.5.70"
 ARG TVHEADEND_COMMIT
 
 # environment settings
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ RUN \
 	gettext-dev \
 	git \
 	gzip \
+	jq \
 	libgcrypt-dev \
 	libhdhomerun-dev \
 	libressl-dev \
@@ -122,13 +123,9 @@ RUN \
 
 RUN \
  echo "**** compile XMLTV ****" && \
- curl -o \
- /tmp/xmtltv-src.tar.bz2 -L \
-	"https://sourceforge.net/projects/xmltv/files/xmltv/${XMLTV_VER}/xmltv-${XMLTV_VER}.tar.bz2" && \
- tar xf \
- /tmp/xmtltv-src.tar.bz2 -C \
-	/tmp --strip-components=1 && \
- cd "/tmp/xmltv-${XMLTV_VER}" && \
+ git clone https://github.com/XMLTV/xmltv.git /tmp/xmltv && \
+ cd /tmp/xmltv && \
+ git checkout ${XMLTV_VER} && \
  echo "**** Perl 5.26 fixes for XMTLV ****" && \
  sed "s/use POSIX 'tmpnam';//" -i filter/tv_to_latex && \
  sed "s/use POSIX 'tmpnam';//" -i filter/tv_to_text && \
@@ -156,15 +153,11 @@ RUN \
 	TVHEADEND_COMMIT=$(curl -sX GET https://api.github.com/repos/tvheadend/tvheadend/commits/${TVH_VER} \
 	| jq -r '. | .sha'); \
  fi && \
- curl -o \
-	/tmp/tvheadend.tar.gz -L \
-	"https://github.com/tvheadend/tvheadend/archive/${TVHEADEND_COMMIT}.tar.gz" && \
  mkdir -p \
-	/tmp/tvheadend && \
- tar xf \
-	/tmp/tvheadend.tar.gz -C \
-	/tmp/tvheadend/ --strip-components=1 && \
+        /tmp/tvheadend && \
+ git clone https://github.com/tvheadend/tvheadend.git /tmp/tvheadend && \
  cd /tmp/tvheadend && \
+ git checkout ${TVHEADEND_COMMIT} && \
  ./configure \
 	--disable-avahi \
 	--disable-bintray_cache \
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e9e8041f..f058d7e3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -242,6 +242,7 @@ Below are the instructions for updating containers:
 
 ## Versions
 
+* **17.02.19:** - Bump xmltv to 5.70, ensure version tagging works by cloning tvheadend.
 * **14.02.19:** - Add picons path to config.
 * **15.01.19:** - Add pipeline logic and multi arch.
 * **12.09.18:** - Rebase to alpine 3.8 and use buildstage type build.
diff --git a/readme-vars.yml b/readme-vars.yml
index d871ce93..c8e4fcf2 100644
--- a/readme-vars.yml
+++ b/readme-vars.yml
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ app_setup_block: |
 
 # changelog
 changelogs:
+  - { date: "17.02.19:", desc: "Bump xmltv to 5.70, ensure version tagging works by cloning tvheadend." }
   - { date: "14.02.19:", desc: "Add picons path to config." }
   - { date: "15.01.19:", desc: "Add pipeline logic and multi arch." }
   - { date: "12.09.18:", desc: "Rebase to alpine 3.8 and use buildstage type build." }