diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index ba515a38b..8f2c01d32 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ iverilog-vpi.pdf: iverilog-vpi.ps
 	$(PS2PDF) iverilog-vpi.ps iverilog-vpi.pdf
 
 # For VERSION_TAG in driver/main.c, first try git-describe, then look for a
-# version_tag.h file in the source tree (included in snapshots and releases),
+# release_tag.h file in the source tree (included in snapshots and releases),
 # and finally use nothing.
 
 # "true" and "false" in the next few lines are Unix shell command names
@@ -298,9 +298,9 @@ version_tag.h version:
 	    tmp=`(cd $(srcdir) && $(GIT) describe --always --dirty) \
 		   | sed -e 's;\(.*\);#define VERSION_TAG "\1";'`; \
 	    echo "$$tmp" | diff - version_tag.h > /dev/null 2>&1 || echo "$$tmp" > version_tag.h || exit 1; \
-	elif test -r $(srcdir)/version_tag.h; then \
-	    echo "Using $(srcdir)/version_tag.h for VERSION_TAG"; \
-	    diff $(srcdir)/version_tag.h version_tag.h > /dev/null 2>&1 || cp $(srcdir)/version_tag.h version_tag.h; \
+	elif test -r $(srcdir)/release_tag.h; then \
+	    echo "Using $(srcdir)/release_tag.h for VERSION_TAG"; \
+	    diff $(srcdir)/release_tag.h version_tag.h > /dev/null 2>&1 || cp $(srcdir)/release_tag.h version_tag.h; \
 	else \
 	    echo "Using empty VERSION_TAG"; \
 	    echo '#define VERSION_TAG ""' > version_tag.h; \