diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d04ee0ad1dc..55424172bea 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -904,12 +904,18 @@ localver = $(subst $(space),, $(string) \
 # and if the SCM is know a tag from the SCM is appended.
 # The appended tag is determined by the SCM used.
 #
-# Currently, only git is supported.
-# Other SCMs can edit scripts/setlocalversion and add the appropriate
-# checks as needed.
+# .scmversion is used when generating rpm packages so we do not loose
+# the version information from the SCM when we do the build of the kernel
+# from the copied source
 ifdef CONFIG_LOCALVERSION_AUTO
-	_localver-auto = $(shell $(CONFIG_SHELL) \
-	                  $(srctree)/scripts/setlocalversion $(srctree))
+
+ifeq ($(wildcard .scmversion),)
+        _localver-auto = $(shell $(CONFIG_SHELL) \
+                         $(srctree)/scripts/setlocalversion $(srctree))
+else
+        _localver-auto = $(shell cat .scmversion 2> /dev/null)
+endif
+
 	localver-auto  = $(LOCALVERSION)$(_localver-auto)
 endif
 
diff --git a/scripts/package/Makefile b/scripts/package/Makefile
index 8c6b7b09606..fa4a0a17b7e 100644
--- a/scripts/package/Makefile
+++ b/scripts/package/Makefile
@@ -35,9 +35,10 @@ $(objtree)/kernel.spec: $(MKSPEC) $(srctree)/Makefile
 rpm-pkg rpm: $(objtree)/kernel.spec FORCE
 	$(MAKE) clean
 	$(PREV) ln -sf $(srctree) $(KERNELPATH)
+	$(CONFIG_SHELL) $(srctree)/scripts/setlocalversion > $(objtree)/.scmversion
 	$(PREV) tar -cz $(RCS_TAR_IGNORE) -f $(KERNELPATH).tar.gz $(KERNELPATH)/.
 	$(PREV) rm $(KERNELPATH)
-
+	rm -f $(objtree)/.scmversion
 	set -e; \
 	$(CONFIG_SHELL) $(srctree)/scripts/mkversion > $(objtree)/.tmp_version
 	set -e; \