diff --git a/t/release.lisp b/t/release.lisp
index 02577c0539839e68ad4dddc3a2ae6f45bb96b21a..1b9afe12de7a3631ab3e51070bd4534cd7b4e2aa 100644
--- a/t/release.lisp
+++ b/t/release.lisp
@@ -83,10 +83,14 @@ of easy shell characters (that do not require quoting)."
 
 (defun %make-release-tarballs (&key release-dir xcvb-dir &allow-other-keys)
   (nest
+    (with-standard-io-syntax)
     (with-current-directory (xcvb-dir))
     (let (asdf::*source-registry* asdf::*source-registry-parameter*)
-      (asdf:initialize-source-registry xcvb-dir)
-      (asdf:clear-system :xcvb))
+      (asdf:initialize-source-registry
+       `(:source-registry (:tree ,release-dir) :ignore-inherited-configuration))
+      (asdf:clear-system :xcvb)
+      (xcvb::log-format-pp 5 "Making release tarballs for XCVB at: ~A"
+			   (asdf:system-relative-pathname :xcvb "../")))
     (let* ((version (xcvb-driver::get-xcvb-version-from-git))
 	   (version-dir (strcat "xcvb-" version))
 	   (suffix ".tar.bz2")
@@ -100,4 +104,5 @@ of easy shell characters (that do not require quoting)."
       (run `(ln -sf ,bigtarball ("xcvb" ,bigsuffix)))
       (xcvb-driver::make-xcvb-version-file)
       (run `(tar ,@*release-exclude* "-C" ,release-dir --exclude ".git" -hjcf ,tarball "xcvb"))
+      (delete-file (xcvb-driver::xcvb-version-file))
       (run `(ln -sf ,tarball ("xcvb" ,suffix))))))
diff --git a/version.lisp b/version.lisp
index 0f39e66f390ad5d24fd7da1f97f7d0a273f76536..24e66587be6a30e20685b8df6e4c04ad59f3206f 100644
--- a/version.lisp
+++ b/version.lisp
@@ -46,4 +46,8 @@
 ;;; from a git checkout. It is only consulted in a gitless code checkout.
 ;;; Edit manually at your own risk.
 ~S~%"
-              version))))
+              version))
+    (when (>= (or *xcvb-verbosity* 5) 5)
+      (format *error-output* "~&Saved version ~A in version file ~A~%"
+	      version (truename file)))
+    (values)))