diff --git a/build/print-workspace-status.py b/build/print-workspace-status.py
index f03b244..992a8fc 100755
--- a/build/print-workspace-status.py
+++ b/build/print-workspace-status.py
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@
     # tags. All prerelease identifies will be appended by this code.
     if not re.match(r"^v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$", version):
         return None
-    return Version(product, version, [])
+    return Version(product, version[1:], [])
 
 
 # Is this a release build of the given product?
@@ -148,8 +148,8 @@
             break
 
     if version is None:
-        # This product never had a release! Use v0.0.0 as a fallback.
-        version = Version(product, "v0.0.0", [])
+        # This product never had a release! Use 0.0.0 as a fallback.
+        version = Version(product, "0.0.0", [])
         if not args.nostamp:
             # ... and count the number of all commits ever to use as the devXXX
             # prerelease identifier.
diff --git a/metropolis/node/core/update/update.go b/metropolis/node/core/update/update.go
index f241e05..6e41768 100644
--- a/metropolis/node/core/update/update.go
+++ b/metropolis/node/core/update/update.go
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@
 		RetryNotify: func(err error, d time.Duration) {
 			s.Logger.Warningf("Error while fetching OS image, retrying in %v: %v", d, err)
 		},
-		UserAgent:  "MonogonOS/" + strings.TrimPrefix(version.Semver(mversion.Version), "v"),
+		UserAgent:  "MonogonOS/" + version.Semver(mversion.Version),
 		Scheme:     imageRef.Scheme,
 		Host:       imageRef.Host,
 		Repository: imageRef.Repository,
diff --git a/version/stampgo/main.go b/version/stampgo/main.go
index 3f8502c..439dca5 100644
--- a/version/stampgo/main.go
+++ b/version/stampgo/main.go
@@ -106,10 +106,6 @@
 
 	productVersion := values["STABLE_MONOGON_"+flagProduct+"_version"]
 	if productVersion != "" {
-		if productVersion[0] != 'v' {
-			log.Fatalf("Invalid %s version %q: does not start with v", flagProduct, productVersion)
-		}
-		productVersion = productVersion[1:]
 		v, err := semver.NewVersion(productVersion)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Fatalf("Invalid %s version %q: %v", flagProduct, productVersion, err)
diff --git a/version/version.go b/version/version.go
index 2929684..05fe630 100644
--- a/version/version.go
+++ b/version/version.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 // Semver converts a spec.Version proto message into a SemVer 2.0.0 compatible
 // string.
 func Semver(v *spec.Version) string {
-	ver := "v" + Release(v.Release)
+	ver := Release(v.Release)
 	var prerelease []string
 	if git := v.GitInformation; git != nil {
 		if n := git.CommitsSinceRelease; n != 0 {