diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f63bb50a8..d464ab973 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ sampleledgers:
 #	ghc -e 'putStr $$ unlines $$ replicate 10000 "!include sample.ledger"' >sample10000.ledger
 #	ghc -e 'putStr $$ unlines $$ replicate 100000 "!include sample.ledger"' >sample10000.ledger
 
-VERSION=`grep 'versionno =' Options.hs | perl -pe 's/.*"(.*?)"/\1/'`
+VERSION=`egrep 'versionno *=' Options.hs | perl -pe 's/.*"(.*?)"/\1/'`
 release:
 	cabal sdist && darcs tag $(VERSION) && cabal upload dist/hledger-$(VERSION).tar.gz