diff --git a/cmd/certificates/main.go b/cmd/certificates/main.go
index 76789b391..2ada309df 100644
--- a/cmd/certificates/main.go
+++ b/cmd/certificates/main.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"storj.io/storj/certificate"
 	"storj.io/storj/certificate/authorization"
 	"storj.io/storj/pkg/revocation"
+	_ "storj.io/storj/private/version" // This attaches version information during release builds.
 )
 
 var (
diff --git a/cmd/identity/main.go b/cmd/identity/main.go
index fd7ea8bfa..ca7ab6894 100644
--- a/cmd/identity/main.go
+++ b/cmd/identity/main.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"storj.io/private/version"
 	"storj.io/storj/certificate/certificateclient"
 	"storj.io/storj/pkg/revocation"
+	_ "storj.io/storj/private/version" // This attaches version information during release builds.
 	"storj.io/storj/private/version/checker"
 )
 
diff --git a/cmd/inspector/main.go b/cmd/inspector/main.go
index 1b2485cf0..6000073f9 100644
--- a/cmd/inspector/main.go
+++ b/cmd/inspector/main.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"storj.io/common/storj"
 	"storj.io/private/process"
 	"storj.io/storj/private/prompt"
+	_ "storj.io/storj/private/version" // This attaches version information during release builds.
 	"storj.io/uplink/private/eestream"
 )
 
diff --git a/cmd/satellite/main.go b/cmd/satellite/main.go
index 6b1c4a6f7..17ef49fec 100644
--- a/cmd/satellite/main.go
+++ b/cmd/satellite/main.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"storj.io/storj/cmd/satellite/reports"
 	"storj.io/storj/pkg/cache"
 	"storj.io/storj/pkg/revocation"
+	_ "storj.io/storj/private/version" // This attaches version information during release builds.
 	"storj.io/storj/satellite"
 	"storj.io/storj/satellite/accounting/live"
 	"storj.io/storj/satellite/compensation"
diff --git a/cmd/segment-reaper/main.go b/cmd/segment-reaper/main.go
index dcf4d323d..a8e8bd427 100644
--- a/cmd/segment-reaper/main.go
+++ b/cmd/segment-reaper/main.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"storj.io/private/process"
+	_ "storj.io/storj/private/version" // This attaches version information during release builds.
 )
 
 var (
diff --git a/cmd/storagenode-updater/main.go b/cmd/storagenode-updater/main.go
index d009461b7..bc50edf35 100644
--- a/cmd/storagenode-updater/main.go
+++ b/cmd/storagenode-updater/main.go
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import (
 	"storj.io/private/cfgstruct"
 	"storj.io/private/process"
 	"storj.io/private/version"
+	_ "storj.io/storj/private/version" // This attaches version information during release builds.
 	"storj.io/storj/private/version/checker"
 )
 
diff --git a/cmd/storagenode/main.go b/cmd/storagenode/main.go
index 58300ff08..669c23ab8 100644
--- a/cmd/storagenode/main.go
+++ b/cmd/storagenode/main.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"storj.io/private/process"
 	"storj.io/private/version"
 	"storj.io/storj/pkg/revocation"
+	_ "storj.io/storj/private/version" // This attaches version information during release builds.
 	"storj.io/storj/storagenode"
 	"storj.io/storj/storagenode/storagenodedb"
 )
diff --git a/cmd/uplink/main.go b/cmd/uplink/main.go
index 1f6a6e886..3b28398e0 100644
--- a/cmd/uplink/main.go
+++ b/cmd/uplink/main.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 	"storj.io/private/process"
 	"storj.io/storj/cmd/uplink/cmd"
+	_ "storj.io/storj/private/version" // This attaches version information during release builds.
 )
 
 func main() {
diff --git a/cmd/versioncontrol/main.go b/cmd/versioncontrol/main.go
index a5f8b5e33..6bb2dd219 100644
--- a/cmd/versioncontrol/main.go
+++ b/cmd/versioncontrol/main.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"storj.io/common/fpath"
 	"storj.io/private/cfgstruct"
 	"storj.io/private/process"
+	_ "storj.io/storj/private/version" // This attaches version information during release builds.
 	"storj.io/storj/versioncontrol"
 )
 
diff --git a/private/version/release.go b/private/version/release.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ae486db4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/private/version/release.go
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2020 Storj Labs, Inc.
+// See LICENSE for copying information.
+
+package version
+
+import _ "unsafe" // needed for go:linkname
+
+//go:linkname buildTimestamp storj.io/private/version.buildTimestamp
+var buildTimestamp string
+
+//go:linkname buildCommitHash storj.io/private/version.buildCommitHash
+var buildCommitHash string
+
+//go:linkname buildVersion storj.io/private/version.buildVersion
+var buildVersion string
+
+//go:linkname buildRelease storj.io/private/version.buildRelease
+var buildRelease string
+
+// ensure that linter understands that the variables are being used.
+func init() { use(buildTimestamp, buildCommitHash, buildVersion, buildRelease) }
+
+func use(...interface{}) {}
diff --git a/scripts/tag-release.sh b/scripts/tag-release.sh
index 4955b6136..6f1b6c362 100755
--- a/scripts/tag-release.sh
+++ b/scripts/tag-release.sh
@@ -35,17 +35,29 @@ TIMESTAMP=$(date +%s)
 COMMIT=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
 
 cat > ./private/version/release.go <<EOF
-// Copyright (C) 2019 Storj Labs, Inc.
+// Copyright (C) 2020 Storj Labs, Inc.
 // See LICENSE for copying information.
 
 package version
 
-func init() {
-  buildTimestamp = "$TIMESTAMP"
-  buildCommitHash = "$COMMIT"
-  buildVersion = "$VERSION"
-  buildRelease = "true"
-}
+import _ "unsafe" // needed for go:linkname
+
+//go:linkname buildTimestamp storj.io/private/version.buildTimestamp
+var buildTimestamp string = "$TIMESTAMP"
+
+//go:linkname buildCommitHash storj.io/private/version.buildCommitHash
+var buildCommitHash string = "$COMMIT"
+
+//go:linkname buildVersion storj.io/private/version.buildVersion
+var buildVersion string = "$VERSION"
+
+//go:linkname buildRelease storj.io/private/version.buildRelease
+var buildRelease string = "true"
+
+// ensure that linter understands that the variables are being used.
+func init() { use(buildTimestamp, buildCommitHash, buildVersion, buildRelease) }
+
+func use(...interface{}) {}
 EOF
 
 gofmt -w -s ./private/version/release.go