diff --git a/logstash-core-plugin-api/logstash-core-plugin-api.gemspec b/logstash-core-plugin-api/logstash-core-plugin-api.gemspec
index 4a599d84b25..05e0b8cfc84 100644
--- a/logstash-core-plugin-api/logstash-core-plugin-api.gemspec
+++ b/logstash-core-plugin-api/logstash-core-plugin-api.gemspec
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ if File.exist?(project_versions_yaml_path)
   # each time we build the logstash-core gem
   original_lines = IO.readlines(project_versions_yaml_path)
   # introduce the version qualifier (e.g. beta1, rc1) into the copied yml so it's displayed by Logstash
-  if ENV['VERSION_QUALIFIER']
+  unless ENV['VERSION_QUALIFIER'].to_s.strip.empty?
     logstash_version_line = original_lines.find {|line| line.match(/^logstash:/) }
     logstash_version_line.chomp!
     logstash_version_line << "-#{ENV['VERSION_QUALIFIER']}\n"
diff --git a/logstash-core/logstash-core.gemspec b/logstash-core/logstash-core.gemspec
index 5efed823547..bb1a043e189 100644
--- a/logstash-core/logstash-core.gemspec
+++ b/logstash-core/logstash-core.gemspec
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ if File.exist?(project_versions_yaml_path)
   # each time we build the logstash-core gem
   original_lines = IO.readlines(project_versions_yaml_path)
   # introduce the version qualifier (e.g. beta1, rc1) into the copied yml so it's displayed by Logstash
-  if ENV['VERSION_QUALIFIER']
+  unless ENV['VERSION_QUALIFIER'].to_s.strip.empty?
     logstash_version_line = original_lines.find {|line| line.match(/^logstash:/) }
     logstash_version_line.chomp!
     logstash_version_line << "-#{ENV['VERSION_QUALIFIER']}\n"
diff --git a/qa/docker/spec/spec_helper.rb b/qa/docker/spec/spec_helper.rb
index b62d4d1f6e0..f79514d5a48 100644
--- a/qa/docker/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/qa/docker/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ def version
 end
 
 def qualified_version
-  qualifier = ENV['VERSION_QUALIFIER']
+  qualifier = ENV['VERSION_QUALIFIER'].to_s.strip.empty? ? nil : ENV['VERSION_QUALIFIER']
   qualified_version = qualifier ? [version, qualifier].join("-") : version
   ENV["RELEASE"] == "1" ? qualified_version : [qualified_version, "SNAPSHOT"].join("-")
 end
diff --git a/rakelib/artifacts.rake b/rakelib/artifacts.rake
index d832974b552..111d44282f8 100644
--- a/rakelib/artifacts.rake
+++ b/rakelib/artifacts.rake
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 namespace "artifact" do
   SNAPSHOT_BUILD = ENV["RELEASE"] != "1"
-  VERSION_QUALIFIER = ENV["VERSION_QUALIFIER"]
+  VERSION_QUALIFIER = ENV["VERSION_QUALIFIER"].to_s.strip.empty? ? nil : ENV["VERSION_QUALIFIER"]
   LOCAL_ARTIFACTS = ENV["LOCAL_ARTIFACTS"] || "true"
   PACKAGE_SUFFIX = SNAPSHOT_BUILD ? "-SNAPSHOT" : ""