diff --git a/dev/build.sh b/dev/build.sh
index 79e79e15d..934986401 100755
--- a/dev/build.sh
+++ b/dev/build.sh
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
 # Import reusable bits
-pushd $( cd -- "$( dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" &> /dev/null && pwd ) > /dev/null
+pushd "$( cd -- "$( dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" &> /dev/null && pwd )" > /dev/null || exit 1
     . functions.sh
-popd > /dev/null
+popd > /dev/null || exit 1
 
 ALIRE_BUILD_JOBS="${ALIRE_BUILD_JOBS:-0}"
-export ALIRE_OS=$(get_OS)
+ALIRE_OS=$(get_OS); export ALIRE_OS
+
+scripts/version-patcher.sh
 
 echo "Building with ALIRE_OS=$ALIRE_OS..."
-gprbuild "-j$ALIRE_BUILD_JOBS" -r -p -P `dirname $0`/../alr_env.gpr "$@"
+gprbuild "-j$ALIRE_BUILD_JOBS" -r -p -P "$(dirname $0)/../alr_env.gpr" "$@"
+
+scripts/version-patcher.sh _or_later
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/version-patcher.sh b/scripts/version-patcher.sh
index 3de414b66..1b0c07895 100755
--- a/scripts/version-patcher.sh
+++ b/scripts/version-patcher.sh
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@
 
 set -o errexit
 
+# Exit already if the ALR_VERSION_DONT_PATCH flag is defined
+if [ "${ALR_VERSION_DONT_PATCH:-unset}" != "unset" ]; then
+    echo "Skipping version patching..."
+    exit 0
+fi
+
 bin=support/version_patcher/bin/version_patcher
 
 # If the binary is already in place, do nothing