diff --git a/kpatch-build/kpatch-build b/kpatch-build/kpatch-build
index 2029b558..a7345340 100755
--- a/kpatch-build/kpatch-build
+++ b/kpatch-build/kpatch-build
@@ -210,6 +210,8 @@ restore_kernel_files() {
 }
 
 cleanup() {
+	rm -f "$BUILDDIR/.scmversion"
+
 	remove_patches
 	restore_kernel_files
 
@@ -1118,18 +1120,23 @@ fi
 # appended to the kernel version string (VERMAGIC_STRING), even if the original
 # kernel was not dirty.  That can complicate both the build (create-diff-object
 # false positive changes) and the patch module link (module version mismatch
-# load failures).
+# load failures).  Before making any changes to the source:
+#
+# For pre-v6.3 kernels:
+# Run `./scripts/setlocalversion --save-scmversion`.
 #
-# Prevent that by replacing the original setlocalversion with a friendlier one
-# which just echo's the original version.  This should be done before any
-# changes to the source.
+# For v6.3+ kernels:
+# Replace the original setlocalversion with a friendlier one which just echo's
+# the original version.
 if [[ -n "$USERSRCDIR" && -e "$KERNEL_SRCDIR/.git" ]]; then
 	cd "$KERNEL_SRCDIR" || die
-	backup_kernel_file "scripts/setlocalversion"
-	LOCALVERSION="$(make kernelversion)"
-	LOCALVERSION="$(KERNELVERSION="$LOCALVERSION" ./scripts/setlocalversion)"
-	[[ -n "$LOCALVERSION" ]] || die "setlocalversion failed"
-	echo "echo $LOCALVERSION" > scripts/setlocalversion
+	if ! ./scripts/setlocalversion --save-scmversion &>/dev/null; then
+		backup_kernel_file "scripts/setlocalversion"
+		LOCALVERSION="$(make kernelversion)"
+		LOCALVERSION="$(KERNELVERSION="$LOCALVERSION" ./scripts/setlocalversion)"
+		[[ -n "$LOCALVERSION" ]] || die "setlocalversion failed"
+		echo "echo $LOCALVERSION" > scripts/setlocalversion
+	fi
 fi
 
 # kernel option checking