diff --git a/script/release-stable b/script/release-stable
index 00cab9b08..512dadfca 100755
--- a/script/release-stable
+++ b/script/release-stable
@@ -51,11 +51,13 @@ END_USAGE
 
 GCLOUD=$(which gcloud) || GCLOUD=~/google-cloud-sdk/bin/gcloud
 DEBIAN_PACKAGE_REPOSITORY=''
+VERSION="$(command cat ${ROOT}/src/nginx/version)"
 
-while getopts :g:r: arg; do
+while getopts :g:r:v: arg; do
   case ${arg} in
     g) GCLOUD="${OPTARG}";;
     r) DEBIAN_PACKAGE_REPOSITORY="${OPTARG}";;
+    v) VERSION="${OPTARG}";;
     *) usage "Invalid option: -${OPTARG}";;
   esac
 done
@@ -70,7 +72,6 @@ which rapture > /dev/null 2>&1 \
 
 set -x
 
-VERSION="$(command cat ${ROOT}/src/nginx/version)"
 # Minor base is 1.0  if version is 1.0.0
 MINOR_BASE_VERSION=${VERSION%.*}
 # Major base is 1  if version is 1.0.0