diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/wscript b/gtk2_ardour/wscript
index 1d552f7303..4a712942fe 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/wscript
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/wscript
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ def configure(conf):
     conf.write_config_header('gtk2ardour-config.h', remove=False)
 
     bak = conf.env['define_key']
-    conf.define('VERSIONSTRING', str (conf.env['VERSION']))
+    conf.define('VERSIONSTRING', conf.env['VERSION'])
     conf.define('CODENAME', enoify(int(conf.env['MAJOR']), int(conf.env['MINOR'])))
     conf.env['define_key'] = ['VERSIONSTRING', 'CODENAME' ]
     conf.write_config_header('gtk2ardour-version.h')
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ def build(bld):
 
     # operate on copy to avoid adding sources twice
     obj.source    = list(gtk2_ardour_sources)
-    obj.target    = 'ardour-' + str (bld.env['VERSION'])
+    obj.target    = 'ardour-' + bld.env['VERSION']
     obj.includes  = ['.']
 
     if bld.is_defined('WINDOWS_VST_SUPPORT'):
@@ -678,8 +678,8 @@ def build(bld):
             'DATADIR'        : os.path.normpath(bld.env['DATADIR']),
             'CONFDIR'        : os.path.normpath(bld.env['CONFDIR']),
             'LIBS'           : 'build/libs',
-            'VERSION'        : str (bld.env['VERSION']),
-            'EXECUTABLE'     : 'build/gtk2_ardour/ardour-' + str (bld.env['VERSION'])
+            'VERSION'        : bld.env['VERSION'],
+            'EXECUTABLE'     : 'build/gtk2_ardour/ardour-' + bld.env['VERSION']
     }
 
     def set_subst_dict(obj, dict):
@@ -829,7 +829,7 @@ def build(bld):
     freedesktop_subst_dict = {
                     'ARDOUR_EXEC' : str (bld.env['lwrcase_dirname']),
                     'ARDOUR_ICON' : str (bld.env['lwrcase_dirname']),
-                    'VERSION': str (bld.env['VERSION']),
+                    'VERSION': bld.env['VERSION'],
                     'DATE': str (bld.env['DATE']),
     }
 
diff --git a/headless/wscript b/headless/wscript
index 32d2e00036..77b39b6877 100644
--- a/headless/wscript
+++ b/headless/wscript
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ def build(bld):
     # this program does not do the whole hidden symbols thing
     obj.cxxflags = [ '-fvisibility=default' ]
     obj.source    = hardour_sources
-    obj.target = 'hardour-' + str (bld.env['VERSION'])
+    obj.target = 'hardour-' + bld.env['VERSION']
     obj.includes = ['.']
     obj.use      = [ 'libpbd',
                      'libardour',
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ def build(bld):
                      ]
 
     obj.defines = [
-        'VERSIONSTRING="' + str(bld.env['VERSION']) + '"',
+        'VERSIONSTRING="' + bld.env['VERSION'] + '"',
         'DATA_DIR="' + os.path.normpath(bld.env['DATADIR']) + '"',
         'CONFIG_DIR="' + os.path.normpath(bld.env['SYSCONFDIR']) + '"',
         'LOCALEDIR="' + os.path.join(os.path.normpath(bld.env['DATADIR']), 'locale') + '"',
diff --git a/libs/auscan/wscript b/libs/auscan/wscript
index 0e2bc35687..c77782241a 100644
--- a/libs/auscan/wscript
+++ b/libs/auscan/wscript
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ def build(bld):
         obj.includes  = [ '../pbd/', '../ardour/', '..' ]
         obj.defines   = [
             'AU_SCANNER_APP',
-            'VERSIONSTRING="' + str(bld.env['VERSION']) + '"',
+            'VERSIONSTRING="' + bld.env['VERSION'] + '"',
             'PACKAGE="' + I18N_PACKAGE + str(bld.env['MAJOR']) + '"',
             'LIBARDOUR="' + bld.env['lwrcase_dirname'] + '"',
             'LOCALEDIR="' + os.path.join(os.path.normpath(bld.env['DATADIR']), 'locale') + '"',
diff --git a/libs/fst/wscript b/libs/fst/wscript
index bed56ec731..dcdad8e4c0 100644
--- a/libs/fst/wscript
+++ b/libs/fst/wscript
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ def build(bld):
         obj.includes  = [ '../pbd/', '../ardour/', '../vst3/', '..' ]
         obj.defines   = [
             'VST3_SCANNER_APP',
-            'VERSIONSTRING="' + str(bld.env['VERSION']) + '"',
+            'VERSIONSTRING="' + bld.env['VERSION'] + '"',
             'PACKAGE="' + I18N_PACKAGE + str(bld.env['MAJOR']) + '"',
             'LIBARDOUR="' + bld.env['lwrcase_dirname'] + '"',
             'LOCALEDIR="' + os.path.join(os.path.normpath(bld.env['DATADIR']), 'locale') + '"',
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ def build(bld):
             'VST_SCANNER_APP',
             'PACKAGE="' + I18N_PACKAGE + str(bld.env['MAJOR']) + '"',
             'LIBARDOUR="' + bld.env['lwrcase_dirname'] + '"',
-            'VERSIONSTRING="' + str(bld.env['VERSION']) + '"',
+            'VERSIONSTRING="' + bld.env['VERSION'] + '"',
             ]
         if re.search ("bsd", sys.platform) != None:
             obj.defines.append('_POSIX_C_SOURCE=200809')
diff --git a/luasession/wscript b/luasession/wscript
index 5e85a9a6fd..578d0bebc5 100644
--- a/luasession/wscript
+++ b/luasession/wscript
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ def build(bld):
                         'libmidipp',
                      ]
     obj.defines = [
-        'VERSIONSTRING="' + str(bld.env['VERSION']) + '"',
+        'VERSIONSTRING="' + bld.env['VERSION'] + '"',
         'DATA_DIR="'   + os.path.normpath(bld.env['DATADIR']) + '"',
         'CONFIG_DIR="' + os.path.normpath(bld.env['SYSCONFDIR']) + '"',
         'LOCALEDIR="'  + os.path.join(os.path.normpath(bld.env['DATADIR']), 'locale') + '"',
diff --git a/session_utils/wscript b/session_utils/wscript
index d8a3ac491a..b33f9b35cc 100644
--- a/session_utils/wscript
+++ b/session_utils/wscript
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ def build_ardour_util(bld, util):
                      'libmidipp',
                      ]
     obj.defines = [
-        'VERSIONSTRING="' + str(bld.env['VERSION']) + '"',
+        'VERSIONSTRING="' + bld.env['VERSION'] + '"',
         'UTILNAME="'   + str(pgmprefix + '-' + util) + '"',
         'DATA_DIR="'   + os.path.normpath(bld.env['DATADIR']) + '"',
         'CONFIG_DIR="' + os.path.normpath(bld.env['SYSCONFDIR']) + '"',
diff --git a/tools/bb/wscript b/tools/bb/wscript
index 2cd093a879..91d22f6c85 100644
--- a/tools/bb/wscript
+++ b/tools/bb/wscript
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ def build(bld):
         'DATADIR'        : os.path.normpath(bld.env['DATADIR']),
         'CONFDIR'        : os.path.normpath(bld.env['CONFDIR']),
         'LIBS'           : 'build/libs',
-        'VERSION'        : str (bld.env['VERSION']),
+        'VERSION'        : bld.env['VERSION'],
         'EXECUTABLE'     : 'build/tools/bb/bb'
     }