diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 45db1f1..f2c7d5b 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ install:
 - make test
 - if ([[ ${TRAVIS_BRANCH} == "master" ]] && [[ ${TRAVIS_PULL_REQUEST} != "true" ]]) || [[ -n ${TRAVIS_TAG} ]]; then
     docker login -u ${REGISTRY_USERNAME} -p ${REGISTRY_TOKEN} -e ${AUTHOR_EMAIL} ${REGISTRY};
-    VERSION="latest" make docker-release;
+    VERSION=latest make docker-release;
   fi
 before_deploy:
 - NAME=GOOS=linux GOARCH=amd64 godep go build -o bin/vault-sidekick-linux-amd64
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0f95f04..3d1c07b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ AUTHOR ?= ukhomeofficedigital
 REGISTRY ?= quay.io
 GOVERSION ?= 1.7.1
 HARDWARE=$(shell uname -m)
-VERSION=$(shell awk '/Version =/ { print $$3 }' main.go | sed 's/"//g')
+VERSION ?= $(shell awk '/Version =/ { print $$3 }' main.go | sed 's/"//g')
 VETARGS?=-asmdecl -atomic -bool -buildtags -copylocks -methods -nilfunc -printf -rangeloops -shift -structtags -unsafeptr
 
 .PHONY: test authors changelog build docker static release