diff --git a/Make.mk b/Make.mk
index e1198158..3787a3a5 100644
--- a/Make.mk
+++ b/Make.mk
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ info.ps: info/TROFF.MAC info/INFO.MAC info/TOP.t $(tsubj) $(tsrc)
 
 .PHONY: dist-source
 dist-source: $(addprefix $(srcdir)/, $(src_distgen))
-	$(tarball) $(TARNAME) $(version) -C $(srcdir) $(src_distgen) $(src)
+	$(tarball) -x $(srcdir)/src/scripts/gen-tarball-version $(TARNAME) $(version) -C $(srcdir) $(src_distgen) $(src)
 
 ifeq ($(revctrl),git)
 .PHONY: $(srcdir)/sources.mk
@@ -396,7 +396,8 @@ endif
 
 .PHONY: dist-client
 dist-client: $(addprefix $(srcdir)/, $(cli_distgen))
-	$(tarball) $(TARNAME)-client $(version)				\
+	$(tarball)  -x $(srcdir)/src/scripts/gen-tarball-version	\
+	$(TARNAME)-client $(version)					\
 	-C $(srcdir)/src/client						\
 		$(notdir $(filter src/client/%, $(src))	$(cli_distgen))	\
 	-C $(srcdir)/include fnameat.h proto.h version.h		\
diff --git a/src/scripts/gen-tarball-version b/src/scripts/gen-tarball-version
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..20398afa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/scripts/gen-tarball-version
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/sh -e
+
+if [ $# = 0 ]; then
+    echo "Usage: $0 NAME VERSION (FILE | -C DIR)..."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+nv=$1-$2
+
+printf "%s" "$2" >$nv/.tarball-version
+>$nv/.dirty-stamp
diff --git a/src/scripts/tarball b/src/scripts/tarball
index 3426203e..217594f6 100755
--- a/src/scripts/tarball
+++ b/src/scripts/tarball
@@ -1,18 +1,23 @@
 #!/bin/sh -e
 
 if [ $# = 0 ]; then
-    echo "Usage: $0 NAME (FILE | -C DIR)..."
+    echo "Usage: $0 [-x TWEAK-SCRIPT ] NAME VERSION (FILE | -C DIR)..."
     exit 1
 fi
 
+script=:
+if [ "$1" == -x ]
+then
+    script=$2
+    shift; shift
+fi
+
 name="$1"
 version="$2"
 shift; shift
 
 nv=$name-$version
 mkdir $nv
-printf "%s" $version >$nv/.tarball-version
->$nv/.dirty-stamp
 
 # arrange cleanup
 trap 'rm -rf "$nv"' 0
@@ -30,4 +35,6 @@ until [ $# = 0 ]; do
     shift
 done
 
+$script $name $version
+
 tar -czf $nv.tar.gz --owner=0 --group=0 --mode=ug+w,a+rX $nv