diff --git a/TOOLS/old-makefile b/TOOLS/old-makefile
index 77a03a58cd..9942fb84ab 100644
--- a/TOOLS/old-makefile
+++ b/TOOLS/old-makefile
@@ -381,8 +381,8 @@ config.mak: configure
 	@echo "####### Please run ./configure again - it's changed! #######"
 	@echo "############################################################"
 
-version.h .version: version.sh
-	./$<
+old_build/version.h .version: version.sh
+	./version.sh --versionh=old_build/version.h
 
 # Force version.sh to run to potentially regenerate version.h
 -include .version
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ version.h .version: version.sh
 
 ###### dependency declarations / specific CFLAGS ######
 
-common/version.c: version.h
+common/version.c: old_build/version.h
 
 DOCS/man/mpv.1: DOCS/man/af.rst \
                    DOCS/man/ao.rst \
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ clean:
 	-$(RM) $(call ADD_ALL_DIRS,/*.o /*.a /*.ho /*~)
 	-$(RM) mpv
 	-$(RM) DOCS/man/*/mpv.1
-	-$(RM) version.h
+	-$(RM) old_build/version.h version.h
 	-$(RM) input/input_conf.h
 	-$(RM) video/out/vdpau_template.c
 	-$(RM) demux/ebml_types.h demux/ebml_defs.c
diff --git a/version.sh b/version.sh
index a9dfb69620..674c6a1633 100755
--- a/version.sh
+++ b/version.sh
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 export LC_ALL=C
 
 version_h="version.h"
+print=yes
 
 for ac_option do
   ac_arg=$(echo $ac_option | cut -d '=' -f 2-)
@@ -12,13 +13,11 @@ for ac_option do
     ;;
   --versionh=*)
     version_h="$(pwd)/$ac_arg"
+    print=no
     ;;
   --cwd=*)
     cwd="$ac_arg"
     ;;
-  --print)
-    print=yes
-    ;;
   *)
     echo "Unknown parameter: $ac_option" >&2
     exit 1