diff --git a/build_image b/build_image
index 62621c190d..e850fd32e2 100755
--- a/build_image
+++ b/build_image
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ COREOS_BRANCH=${COREOS_BRANCH}
 COREOS_PATCH=${COREOS_PATCH}
 COREOS_VERSION=${COREOS_VERSION_STRING}
 COREOS_VERSION_ID=${COREOS_VERSION_ID}
-COREOS_BUILD_ID=${COREOS_BUILD_ID}
+COREOS_BUILD_ID="${COREOS_BUILD_ID}"
 COREOS_SDK_VERSION=${COREOS_SDK_VERSION}
 EOF
 
diff --git a/tag_release b/tag_release
index fdc1840178..ec07fb0d8d 100755
--- a/tag_release
+++ b/tag_release
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ COREOS_BRANCH=${FLAGS_minor}
 COREOS_PATCH=${FLAGS_patch}
 COREOS_VERSION=${BRANCH_VERSION}
 COREOS_VERSION_ID=${BRANCH_VERSION}
-COREOS_BUILD_ID=
+COREOS_BUILD_ID=""
 COREOS_SDK_VERSION=${FLAGS_sdk_version}
 EOF
 ln -sf "${BRANCH_NAME}.xml" release.xml