diff --git a/pkgs/distro-build/config.rkt b/pkgs/distro-build/config.rkt
index 9bd9a96..09e7973 100644
--- a/pkgs/distro-build/config.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/distro-build/config.rkt
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@
     [(#:dist-catalogs) (and (list? val) (andmap string? val))]
     [(#:dist-base-url) (string? val)]
     [(#:install-name) (string? val)]
+    [(#:build-stamp) (string? val)]
     [(#:max-vm) (real? val)]
     [(#:server) (simple-string? val)]
     [(#:host) (simple-string? val)]
diff --git a/pkgs/distro-build/doc.txt b/pkgs/distro-build/doc.txt
index 9f9360d..1daefe6 100644
--- a/pkgs/distro-build/doc.txt
+++ b/pkgs/distro-build/doc.txt
@@ -146,6 +146,11 @@ Site-configuration keywords (where <string*> means no spaces, etc.):
     where "" keeps the name as the Racket version; the default is
     "snapshot" if the value of `#:release?' is false, "" otherwise.
 
+  #:build-stamp <string> --- a string representing a build stamp,
+     recorded in installes; the default is from the `BUILD_STAMP'
+     makefile variable or generated if the value of `#:release?' is
+     false, "" otherwise.
+
   #:dist-name <string> --- the distribution name; defaults to the
     `DIST_NAME' makefile variable
 
diff --git a/pkgs/distro-build/drive-clients.rkt b/pkgs/distro-build/drive-clients.rkt
index 7db5bb0..c0ed0a7 100644
--- a/pkgs/distro-build/drive-clients.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/distro-build/drive-clients.rkt
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
          (only-in "config.rkt"
                   current-mode
                   site-config?
-                  site-config-tag site-config-options site-config-content)
+                  site-config-tag site-config-options site-config-content
+                  current-stamp)
          "url-options.rkt"
          "display-time.rkt"
          "readme.rkt")
@@ -257,6 +258,9 @@
   (define install-name (get-opt c '#:install-name (if release? 
                                                       "" 
                                                       snapshot-install-name)))
+  (define build-stamp (get-opt c '#:build-stamp (if release?
+                                                    ""
+                                                    (current-stamp))))
   (~a " SERVER=" server
       " PKGS=" (q pkgs)
       " DOC_SEARCH=" (q doc-search)
@@ -267,6 +271,7 @@
       " DIST_SUFFIX=" (q dist-suffix)
       " DIST_CATALOGS_q=" (qq dist-catalogs kind)
       " INSTALL_NAME=" (q install-name)
+      " BUILD_STAMP=" (q build-stamp)
       " RELEASE_MODE=" (if release? "--release" (q ""))
       " SOURCE_MODE=" (if source-runtime? "--source" (q ""))
       " PKG_SOURCE_MODE=" (if source-pkgs?
@@ -343,7 +348,10 @@
                                                '#:pkgs (string-split default-pkgs)
                                                '#:install-name (if (get-opt c '#:release? default-release?)
                                                                    ""
-                                                                   snapshot-install-name))))))
+                                                                   snapshot-install-name)
+                                               '#:build-stamp (if (get-opt c '#:release? default-release?)
+                                                                  ""
+                                                                  (current-stamp)))))))
   (make-directory* (build-path "build" "readmes"))
   (define readme (make-temporary-file
                   "README-~a"
diff --git a/pkgs/distro-build/set-config.rkt b/pkgs/distro-build/set-config.rkt
index eea6620..d98d65b 100644
--- a/pkgs/distro-build/set-config.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/distro-build/set-config.rkt
@@ -6,13 +6,15 @@
          "url-options.rkt")
 
 (define-values (dest-config-file config-file config-mode 
-                                 install-name 
+                                 install-name build-stamp 
                                  default-doc-search default-catalogs)
   (command-line
    #:args
-   (dest-config-file config-file config-mode install-name doc-search . catalog)
+   (dest-config-file config-file config-mode 
+                     install-name build-stamp
+                     doc-search . catalog)
    (values dest-config-file config-file config-mode 
-           install-name 
+           install-name build-stamp
            doc-search catalog)))
 
 (define config (if (equal? config-file "")
@@ -42,7 +44,10 @@
                                   c))))]
        [table (if (equal? install-name "")
                   table
-                  (hash-set table 'installation-name install-name))])
+                  (hash-set table 'installation-name install-name))]
+       [table (if (equal? build-stamp "")
+                  table
+                  (hash-set table 'build-stamp build-stamp))])
   (unless (equal? table orig)
     (make-directory* (path-only dest-config-file))
     (call-with-output-file dest-config-file