diff --git a/fdroidserver/checkupdates.py b/fdroidserver/checkupdates.py
index f5d0d450..aa8f6ff8 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/checkupdates.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/checkupdates.py
@@ -518,9 +518,13 @@ def checkupdates_app(app):
                 newbuild.versionCode = app.CurrentVersionCode
                 newbuild.versionName = app.CurrentVersion + suffix.replace('%c', newbuild.versionCode)
                 logging.info("...auto-generating build for " + newbuild.versionName)
-                commit = pattern.replace('%v', app.CurrentVersion)
-                commit = commit.replace('%c', newbuild.versionCode)
-                newbuild.commit = commit
+                if tag:
+                    newbuild.commit = tag
+                else:
+                    commit = pattern.replace('%v', app.CurrentVersion)
+                    commit = commit.replace('%c', newbuild.versionCode)
+                    newbuild.commit = commit
+
                 app['Builds'].append(newbuild)
                 name = _getappname(app)
                 ver = _getcvname(app)