diff --git a/build_image b/build_image
index 58f883a091..5a16c02295 100755
--- a/build_image
+++ b/build_image
@@ -198,7 +198,16 @@ fi
 
 # Generating AU generator zip file to run outside chroot
 generate_au_zip || echo "Failed generating AU zip file - ignoring Error..."
-upload_image "${BUILD_DIR}/au-generator.zip"
+
+# Write out a version.txt file, this will be used by image_to_vm.sh
+tee "${BUILD_DIR}/version.txt" <<EOF
+COREOS_BUILD=${COREOS_BUILD}
+COREOS_BRANCH=${COREOS_BRANCH}
+COREOS_PATCH=${COREOS_PATCH}
+COREOS_SDK_VERSION=${COREOS_SDK_VERSION}
+EOF
+
+upload_image "${BUILD_DIR}/au-generator.zip" "${BUILD_DIR}/version.txt"
 
 # Create a named symlink.
 LINK_NAME="${FLAGS_output_root}/${BOARD}/${FLAGS_symlink}"
@@ -213,8 +222,10 @@ print_image_to_vm() {
   fi
 
   cat << EOF
-To convert it to a VMWare image, use:
+To convert it to a virtual machine image, use:
   ./image_to_vm.sh --from=${OUTSIDE_OUTPUT_DIR} --board=${BOARD} ${flags}
+
+The default type is qemu, see ./image_to_vm.sh --help for other options.
 EOF
 }
 
diff --git a/build_library/vm_image_util.sh b/build_library/vm_image_util.sh
index 852af5d15a..ab7e3f317f 100644
--- a/build_library/vm_image_util.sh
+++ b/build_library/vm_image_util.sh
@@ -99,14 +99,7 @@ set_vm_paths() {
     VM_DST_IMG="${dst_dir}/${dst_name}"
     VM_TMP_DIR="${dst_dir}/${dst_name}.vmtmpdir"
     VM_TMP_IMG="${VM_TMP_DIR}/disk_image.bin"
-
-    # If src_dir happens to be in the build directory figure out the version
-    # from the directory name and use it in the vm name for config files.
-    VM_NAME=$(_src_to_dst_name "${src_name}" "")
-    if [[ "${src_dir}" =~ /build/images/${BOARD}/\d+\.\d+\.[^/]*$ ]]; then
-        VM_NAME+="-$(basename ${src_dir})"
-    fi
-
+    VM_NAME="$(_src_to_dst_name "${src_name}" "")-${COREOS_VERSION_STRING}"
     VM_UUID=$(uuidgen)
     VM_README="${dst_dir}/$(_src_to_dst_name "${src_name}" ".README")"
 }
diff --git a/image_to_vm.sh b/image_to_vm.sh
index a91f20c9f3..86c228feb8 100755
--- a/image_to_vm.sh
+++ b/image_to_vm.sh
@@ -88,6 +88,12 @@ fi
 FLAGS_from=`eval readlink -f $FLAGS_from`
 FLAGS_to=`eval readlink -f $FLAGS_to`
 
+# If source includes version.txt switch to its version information
+if [ -f "${FLAGS_from}/version.txt" ]; then
+    source "${FLAGS_from}/version.txt"
+    COREOS_VERSION_STRING="${COREOS_BUILD}.${COREOS_BRANCH}.${COREOS_PATCH}"
+fi
+
 if [ ${FLAGS_prod_image} -eq ${FLAGS_TRUE} ]; then
   set_vm_paths "${FLAGS_from}" "${FLAGS_to}" "${COREOS_PRODUCTION_IMAGE_NAME}"
 elif [ ${FLAGS_test_image} -eq ${FLAGS_TRUE} ]; then