diff --git a/Makefile.inc1 b/Makefile.inc1
--- a/Makefile.inc1
+++ b/Makefile.inc1
@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@
 # Set VERSION for CTFMERGE to use via the default CTFFLAGS=-L VERSION.
 .for _V in BRANCH REVISION TYPE
 .if !defined(_${_V})
-_${_V}!=	eval $$(awk '/^${_V}=/{print}' ${SRCTOP}/sys/conf/newvers.sh); echo $$${_V}
+_${_V}!=	eval $$(/bin/sh ${SRCTOP}/sys/conf/newvers.sh -V ${_V}); echo $$${_V}
 .export _${_V}
 .endif
 .endfor
diff --git a/release/Makefile b/release/Makefile
--- a/release/Makefile
+++ b/release/Makefile
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
 # Define OSRELEASE by using newvers.sh
 .if !defined(OSRELEASE) || empty(OSRELEASE)
 .for _V in TYPE BRANCH REVISION
-${_V}!=	eval $$(awk '/^${_V}=/{print}' ${.CURDIR:H}/sys/conf/newvers.sh); echo $$${_V}
+${_V}!=	eval $$(/bin/sh ${SRCTOP}/sys/conf/newvers.sh -V ${_V}); echo $$${_V}
 .endfor
 .for _V in ${TARGET_ARCH}
 .if !empty(TARGET:M${_V})
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@
 WSTAGEDIR!=	${IMAKE} -f Makefile.inc1 -C ${WORLDDIR} -V WSTAGEDIR
 PKG_ABI_FILE=	${WSTAGEDIR}/usr/bin/uname
 PKG_ABI=	$$(${PKG_CMD} -o ABI_FILE=${PKG_ABI_FILE} config ABI)
+OSVERSION=	$$(${PKG_CMD} -o ABI_FILE=${PKG_ABI_FILE} config OSVERSION)
 .endif
 
 .if ${.MAKE.OS} == "FreeBSD"
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@
 PKG_ENV+=	INSTALL_AS_USER=yes
 PKG_ENV+=	ASSUME_ALWAYS_YES=yes
 PKG_ARGS+=	-o METALOG=METALOG
-PKG_ARGS+=	-o ABI=${PKG_ABI}
+PKG_ARGS+=	-o ABI=${PKG_ABI} -o OSVERSION=${OSVERSION}
 PKG_ARGS+=	-r ${.TARGET}
 PKG_REPO_ARGS=	-o REPOS_DIR=${.CURDIR}/pkg_repos
 PKGBASE_REPO_ARGS=-o REPOS_DIR=${.OBJDIR}/pkgbase-repo-dir
@@ -148,7 +149,7 @@
 .if defined(WITH_DVD) && !empty(WITH_DVD)
 CLEANFILES+=	pkg-stage
 .endif
-CLEANDIRS=	dist pkgdb-dvd pkgdb-disc1 pkgbase-repo pkgbase-repo-dir ftp disc1 disc1-disc1 disc1-memstick bootonly bootonly-bootonly bootonly-memstick dvd pkgbase-repo.tar
+CLEANDIRS=	${DISTDIR} pkgdb-dvd pkgdb-disc1 pkgbase-repo pkgbase-repo-dir ftp disc1 disc1-disc1 disc1-memstick bootonly bootonly-bootonly bootonly-memstick dvd pkgbase-repo.tar
 beforeclean:
 	chflags -R noschg .
 .include <bsd.obj.mk>
diff --git a/release/scripts/pkgbase-stage.lua b/release/scripts/pkgbase-stage.lua
--- a/release/scripts/pkgbase-stage.lua
+++ b/release/scripts/pkgbase-stage.lua
@@ -93,9 +93,11 @@
 	local ABI = assert(arg[5])
 	-- pkgdb to use
 	local PKGDB = assert(arg[6])
+	-- PKG(1) needs OSVERSION defined together with -o ABI 
+	local OSVERSION = capture("pkg config OSVERSION")
 
 	local pkg = "pkg -o ASSUME_ALWAYS_YES=yes -o IGNORE_OSVERSION=yes " ..
-	    "-o ABI=" .. ABI .. " " ..
+	    "-o ABI=" .. ABI .. " -o OSVERSION=" .. OSVERSION .. " " ..
 	    "-o INSTALL_AS_USER=1 -o PKG_DBDIR=" .. PKGDB .. " -R " .. repo_dir .. " "
 
 	assert(os.execute(pkg .. "update"))