diff --git a/tools/roll_release.sh b/tools/roll_release.sh
index 72806cbfb1f1..1e524dccb798 100755
--- a/tools/roll_release.sh
+++ b/tools/roll_release.sh
@@ -8,9 +8,15 @@
 VERSION_MAJOR=`grep '#define HPX_VERSION_MAJOR' hpx/config/version.hpp | awk {' print $3 '}`
 VERSION_MINOR=`grep '#define HPX_VERSION_MINOR' hpx/config/version.hpp | awk {' print $3 '}`
 VERSION_SUBMINOR=`grep '#define HPX_VERSION_SUBMINOR' hpx/config/version.hpp | awk {' print $3 '}`
+VERSION_TAG=`grep '#define HPX_VERSION_TAG' hpx/config/version.hpp | awk {' print $3 '} | tr --delete '"'`
 
-DOT_VERSION=$VERSION_MAJOR.$VERSION_MINOR.$VERSION_SUBMINOR
-UNDERSCORE_VERSION=${VERSION_MAJOR}_${VERSION_MINOR}_$VERSION_SUBMINOR
+if [ ! -z "$VERSION_TAG" ]; then
+    echo "Warning: VERSION_TAG is not empty (\"$VERSION_TAG\")."
+    echo "If you intended to make a final release, remove the tag in hpx/config/version.hpp."
+fi
+
+DOT_VERSION=$VERSION_MAJOR.$VERSION_MINOR.$VERSION_SUBMINOR$VERSION_TAG
+UNDERSCORE_VERSION=${VERSION_MAJOR}_${VERSION_MINOR}_$VERSION_SUBMINOR$VERSION_TAG
 
 DOCS_WEBSITE="https://stellar-group.github.io"
 SOURCE_WEBSITE="http://stellar.cct.lsu.edu"
@@ -68,6 +74,11 @@ rm -rf packages/7z/hpx_$DOT_VERSION
 (cd packages/7z && $SEVENZIP x ../$SEVENZ > /dev/null)
 echo "DONE"
 
+if [ ! -z "$VERSION_TAG" ]; then
+    echo "Not printing HTML for non-final release."
+    exit
+fi
+
 ZIP_MD5=`md5sum packages/$ZIP | awk {'print $1'}`
 TARGZ_MD5=`md5sum packages/$TARGZ | awk {'print $1'}`
 TARBZ2_MD5=`md5sum packages/$TARBZ2 | awk {'print $1'}`