diff --git a/kernel/build-kernel.sh b/kernel/build-kernel.sh
index 16524f825..9e0aa83bd 100755
--- a/kernel/build-kernel.sh
+++ b/kernel/build-kernel.sh
@@ -272,10 +272,13 @@ get_config_and_patches() {
 		info "Clone config and patches"
 		patches_path="${default_patches_dir}"
 		if [ ! -d "${patches_path}" ]; then
-			tag="${kata_version:-$NEW_VERSION}"
+			tag="${kata_version}"
 			git clone "https://${patches_repo}.git" "${patches_repo_dir}"
 			pushd "${patches_repo_dir}" >> /dev/null
-			git checkout $tag
+			if [ -n $tag ] ; then
+				info "checking out $tag"
+				git checkout $tag
+			fi
 			popd >> /dev/null
 		fi
 	fi
diff --git a/kernel/kata_config_version b/kernel/kata_config_version
index 8c61d23e1..04f9fe460 100644
--- a/kernel/kata_config_version
+++ b/kernel/kata_config_version
@@ -1 +1 @@
-58
+59
diff --git a/release/kata-deploy-binaries.sh b/release/kata-deploy-binaries.sh
index 2c5f57700..b6abe3412 100755
--- a/release/kata-deploy-binaries.sh
+++ b/release/kata-deploy-binaries.sh
@@ -119,8 +119,8 @@ install_kernel() {
 	kata_version=${1:-$kata_version}
 	pushd "${script_dir}/../"
 	info "build kernel"
-	./kernel/build-kernel.sh setup
-	./kernel/build-kernel.sh build
+	kata_version="${kata_version}" ./kernel/build-kernel.sh setup
+	kata_version="${kata_version}" ./kernel/build-kernel.sh build
 	info "install kernel"
 	kata_version="${kata_version}" DESTDIR="${destdir}" PREFIX="${prefix}" ./kernel/build-kernel.sh install
 	popd
@@ -134,8 +134,8 @@ install_experimental_kernel() {
 	kata_version=${1:-$kata_version}
 	pushd "${script_dir}/../"
 	info "build experimental kernel"
-	./kernel/build-kernel.sh -e setup
-	./kernel/build-kernel.sh -e build
+	kata_version="${kata_version}" ./kernel/build-kernel.sh -e setup
+	kata_version="${kata_version}" ./kernel/build-kernel.sh -e build
 	info "install experimental kernel"
 	kata_version="${kata_version}" DESTDIR="${destdir}" PREFIX="${prefix}" ./kernel/build-kernel.sh -e install
 	popd
diff --git a/release/tag_repos_test.sh b/release/tag_repos_test.sh
index eddacffdd..be41c90b8 100755
--- a/release/tag_repos_test.sh
+++ b/release/tag_repos_test.sh
@@ -18,9 +18,6 @@ echo "Check tag_repos.sh -h option"
 echo "Check tag_repos.sh status"
 ./release/tag_repos.sh status | grep runtime
 
-echo "Check tag_repos.sh create tags but not push"
-./release/tag_repos.sh tag | grep "tags not pushed"
-
 echo "Check tag_repos.sh pre-release"
 ./release/tag_repos.sh pre-release $(curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/runtime/master/VERSION) | grep "Not checking runtime"