diff --git a/build_files/package_spec/build_debian.sh b/build_files/package_spec/build_debian.sh
index 1d35e4590e2..4594095451f 100755
--- a/build_files/package_spec/build_debian.sh
+++ b/build_files/package_spec/build_debian.sh
@@ -14,9 +14,16 @@ cp -a build_files/package_spec/debian .
 # value may be formatted: 35042:35051M
 BLENDER_REVISION=$(svnversion | cut -d: -f2 | tr -dc 0-9)
 
-blender_srcdir=$PWD
-blender_version=$(grep BLENDER_VERSION $blender_srcdir/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_blender.h | tr -dc 0-9)
+blender_version=$(grep BLENDER_VERSION source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_blender.h | tr -dc 0-9)
+blender_version_char=$(sed -ne 's/.*BLENDER_VERSION_CHAR.*\([a-z]\)$/\1/p' source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_blender.h)
 BLENDER_VERSION=$(expr $blender_version / 100).$(expr $blender_version % 100)
+
+# map the version a -> 1, to conform to debian naming convention
+# not to be confused with blender's internal subversions
+if [ "$blender_version_char" ]; then
+    BLENDER_VERSION=${BLENDER_VERSION}.$(expr index abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz $blender_version_char)
+fi
+
 DEB_VERSION=${BLENDER_VERSION}+svn${BLENDER_REVISION}-bf
 
 # update debian/changelog
diff --git a/build_files/package_spec/pacman/PKGBUILD b/build_files/package_spec/pacman/PKGBUILD
index 25f13f3dac2..5f7dd8b38ac 100644
--- a/build_files/package_spec/pacman/PKGBUILD
+++ b/build_files/package_spec/pacman/PKGBUILD
@@ -5,8 +5,17 @@ blender_srcdir=$(dirname $startdir)"/../.."
 # value may be formatted: 35042:35051M
 blender_revision=$(svnversion $blender_srcdir | cut -d: -f2 | tr -dc 0-9)
 blender_version=$(grep BLENDER_VERSION $blender_srcdir/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_blender.h | tr -dc 0-9)
+blender_version=$(expr $blender_version / 100).$(expr $blender_version % 100)  # 256 -> 2.56
+blender_version_char=$(sed -ne 's/.*BLENDER_VERSION_CHAR.*\([a-z]\)$/\1/p' $blender_srcdir/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_blender.h)
 # blender_subversion=$(grep BLENDER_SUBVERSION $blender_srcdir/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_blender.h | tr -dc 0-9)
-blender_ver_string=$(expr $blender_version / 100).$(expr $blender_version % 100)+svn$blender_revision
+
+# map the version a -> 1
+# not to be confused with blender's internal subversions
+if [ "$blender_version_char" ]; then
+    blender_version=${blender_version}.$(expr index abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz $blender_version_char)
+fi
+
+blender_ver_string=$blender_version+svn$blender_revision
 
 pkgname=blender-snapshot
 pkgver=$blender_ver_string