diff --git a/docs/src/conf.py b/docs/src/conf.py
index 1309ba1a..9ec9ec2c 100644
--- a/docs/src/conf.py
+++ b/docs/src/conf.py
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@ def get_libuv_version():
         patch = int(m.group(1))
         m = re.search(r"""^#define UV_VERSION_IS_RELEASE (\d)$""", data, re.MULTILINE)
         is_release = int(m.group(1))
-        return '%d.%d.%d%s' % (major, minor, patch, '-pre' if not is_release else '')
+        m = re.search(r"""^#define UV_VERSION_SUFFIX \"(\w*)\"$""", data, re.MULTILINE)
+        suffix = m.group(1)
+        return '%d.%d.%d%s' % (major, minor, patch, '-%s' % suffix if not is_release else '')
     except Exception:
         return 'unknown'
 
diff --git a/include/uv-version.h b/include/uv-version.h
index 7f686d68..23770c74 100644
--- a/include/uv-version.h
+++ b/include/uv-version.h
@@ -34,5 +34,6 @@
 #define UV_VERSION_MINOR 0
 #define UV_VERSION_PATCH 0
 #define UV_VERSION_IS_RELEASE 0
+#define UV_VERSION_SUFFIX "dev"
 
 #endif /* UV_VERSION_H */
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 02de6de3..ff91a460 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 #if UV_VERSION_IS_RELEASE
 # define UV_VERSION_STRING  UV_VERSION_STRING_BASE
 #else
-# define UV_VERSION_STRING  UV_VERSION_STRING_BASE "-pre"
+# define UV_VERSION_STRING  UV_VERSION_STRING_BASE "-" UV_VERSION_SUFFIX
 #endif