diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.package b/scripts/Makefile.package
index 525a2820976f..e84c4e8ceb8e 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.package
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.package
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export KDEB_SOURCENAME
 TAR_CONTENT := Documentation LICENSES arch block certs crypto drivers fs \
                include init io_uring ipc kernel lib mm net rust \
                samples scripts security sound tools usr virt \
-               .config .scmversion Makefile \
+               .config Makefile \
                Kbuild Kconfig COPYING $(wildcard localversion*)
 MKSPEC     := $(srctree)/scripts/package/mkspec
 
@@ -47,10 +47,8 @@ if test "$(objtree)" != "$(srctree)"; then \
 	echo >&2; \
 	false; \
 fi ; \
-$(srctree)/scripts/setlocalversion --save-scmversion; \
 tar -I $(KGZIP) -c $(RCS_TAR_IGNORE) -f $(2).tar.gz \
-	--transform 's:^:$(2)/:S' $(TAR_CONTENT) $(3); \
-rm -f $(objtree)/.scmversion
+	--transform 's:^:$(2)/:S' $(TAR_CONTENT) $(3)
 
 # rpm-pkg
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/scripts/package/mkspec b/scripts/package/mkspec
index 094e52c979a8..108c0cb95436 100755
--- a/scripts/package/mkspec
+++ b/scripts/package/mkspec
@@ -33,8 +33,6 @@ EXCLUDES="$RCS_TAR_IGNORE --exclude=*vmlinux* --exclude=*.mod \
 --exclude=*.o --exclude=*.ko --exclude=*.cmd --exclude=Documentation \
 --exclude=.config.old --exclude=.missing-syscalls.d --exclude=*.s"
 
-test -n "$LOCALVERSION" && MAKE="$MAKE LOCALVERSION=$LOCALVERSION"
-
 # We can label the here-doc lines for conditional output to the spec file
 #
 # Labels:
@@ -90,7 +88,7 @@ $S	rm -f scripts/basic/fixdep scripts/kconfig/conf
 $S	rm -f tools/objtool/{fixdep,objtool}
 $S
 $S	%build
-$S	$MAKE %{?_smp_mflags} KBUILD_BUILD_VERSION=%{release}
+$S	$MAKE %{?_smp_mflags} KERNELRELEASE=$KERNELRELEASE KBUILD_BUILD_VERSION=%{release}
 $S
 	%install
 	mkdir -p %{buildroot}/boot
@@ -101,8 +99,8 @@ $S
 	%else
 	cp \$($MAKE -s image_name) %{buildroot}/boot/vmlinuz-$KERNELRELEASE
 	%endif
-$M	$MAKE %{?_smp_mflags} INSTALL_MOD_PATH=%{buildroot} modules_install
-	$MAKE %{?_smp_mflags} INSTALL_HDR_PATH=%{buildroot}/usr headers_install
+$M	$MAKE %{?_smp_mflags} KERNELRELEASE=$KERNELRELEASE INSTALL_MOD_PATH=%{buildroot} modules_install
+	$MAKE %{?_smp_mflags} KERNELRELEASE=$KERNELRELEASE INSTALL_HDR_PATH=%{buildroot}/usr headers_install
 	cp System.map %{buildroot}/boot/System.map-$KERNELRELEASE
 	cp .config %{buildroot}/boot/config-$KERNELRELEASE
 $S$M	rm -f %{buildroot}/lib/modules/$KERNELRELEASE/build
diff --git a/scripts/remove-stale-files b/scripts/remove-stale-files
index 04fcdf739638..7f432900671a 100755
--- a/scripts/remove-stale-files
+++ b/scripts/remove-stale-files
@@ -31,3 +31,5 @@ rm -f scripts/kconfig/[gmnq]conf-cfg
 rm -f rust/target.json
 
 rm -f scripts/bin2c
+
+rm -f .scmversion
diff --git a/scripts/setlocalversion b/scripts/setlocalversion
index af4754a35e66..3b31702b4a4a 100755
--- a/scripts/setlocalversion
+++ b/scripts/setlocalversion
@@ -11,16 +11,11 @@
 #
 
 usage() {
-	echo "Usage: $0 [--save-scmversion] [srctree]" >&2
+	echo "Usage: $0 [srctree]" >&2
 	exit 1
 }
 
-scm_only=false
 srctree=.
-if test "$1" = "--save-scmversion"; then
-	scm_only=true
-	shift
-fi
 if test $# -gt 0; then
 	srctree=$1
 	shift
@@ -35,10 +30,6 @@ scm_version()
 	short=false
 
 	cd "$srctree"
-	if test -e .scmversion; then
-		cat .scmversion
-		return
-	fi
 	if test "$1" = "--short"; then
 		short=true
 	fi
@@ -103,14 +94,6 @@ collect_files()
 	echo "$res"
 }
 
-if $scm_only; then
-	if test ! -e .scmversion; then
-		res=$(scm_version)
-		echo "$res" >.scmversion
-	fi
-	exit
-fi
-
 if ! test -e include/config/auto.conf; then
 	echo "Error: kernelrelease not valid - run 'make prepare' to update it" >&2
 	exit 1