diff --git a/buildcore.sh b/buildcore.sh
index 21e22e892..c374d91c4 100755
--- a/buildcore.sh
+++ b/buildcore.sh
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@
 #  - Run this script from the local svn repository you just created.  It will create the other
 #    directories that are needed.
 
-# Usage:  buildcore.sh [attr=value attr=value ...]
+# Usage:  buildcore.sh BRANCH=<branch> [attr=value attr=value ...]
+#       BRANCH=<branch> - the branch within the git repo that should be built.  This arg is required for git.
 #		PROMOTE=1 - if the attribute "PROMOTE" is specified, means an official dot release.  This does not
 #					actually build xcat, just uploads the most recent snap build to https://sourceforge.net/projects/xcat/files/xcat/ .
 #					If not specified, a snap build is assumed, which uploads to https://sourceforge.net/projects/xcat/files/yum/
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@
 #		BUILDALL=1 - build all rpms, whether they changed or not.  Should be used for snap builds that are in prep for a release.
 # 		UP=0 or UP=1 - override the default upload behavior 
 # 		SVNUP=<filename> - control which rpms get built by specifying a coresvnup file
-#       FRSYUM=0 - put the yum repo and snap builds in the old project web area instead of the FRS area.
+# 		GITUP=<filename> - control which rpms get built by specifying a coregitup file
 #		EMBED=<embedded-environment> - the environment for which a minimal version of xcat should be built, e.g. zvm or flex
 #		VERBOSE=1 - to see lots of verbose output
 
@@ -69,6 +70,10 @@ if [ -z "$REL" ]; then
 	D=${curdir%/src/xcat-core}
 	REL=`basename $D`
 fi
+if [ "$REL" = "xcat-core" -a -z "$BRANCH" ]; then			# using git but they didnt specify BRANCH
+	echo "Error: must specify BRANCH=<branch> when building a git repository.  Exiting...."
+	exit 1
+fi
 OSNAME=$(uname)
 
 if [ "$OSNAME" != "AIX" ]; then
@@ -84,14 +89,8 @@ if [ "$OSNAME" != "AIX" ]; then
 	export HOME=/root		# This is so rpm and gpg will know home, even in sudo
 fi
 
-# this is needed only when we are transitioning the yum over to frs
-if [ "$FRSYUM" != 0 ]; then
-	YUMDIR=$FRS
-	YUMREPOURL="https://sourceforge.net/projects/xcat/files/yum"
-else
-	YUMDIR=htdocs
-	YUMREPOURL="http://xcat.sourceforge.net/yum"
-fi
+YUMDIR=$FRS
+YUMREPOURL="https://sourceforge.net/projects/xcat/files/yum"
 
 # Set variables based on which type of build we are doing
 if [ -n "$EMBED" ]; then
@@ -116,26 +115,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 XCATCORE="xcat-core"		# core-snap is a sym link to xcat-core
-echo "svn --quiet up Version"
-svn --quiet up Version
-VER=`cat Version`
-SHORTVER=`cat Version|cut -d. -f 1,2`
-SHORTSHORTVER=`cat Version|cut -d. -f 1`
-if [ "$PROMOTE" = 1 ]; then
-	CORE="xcat-core"
-	if [ "$OSNAME" = "AIX" ]; then
-		TARNAME=core-aix-$VER.tar.gz
-	else
-		TARNAME=xcat-core-$VER.tar.bz2
-	fi
-else
-	CORE="core-snap"
-	if [ "$OSNAME" = "AIX" ]; then
-		TARNAME=core-aix-snap.tar.gz
-	else
-		TARNAME=core-rpms-snap.tar.bz2
-	fi
-fi
+
 DESTDIR=../..$EMBEDDIR/$XCATCORE
 SRCD=core-snap-srpms
 
@@ -148,6 +128,13 @@ fi
 
 
 if [ "$PROMOTE" != 1 ]; then      # very long if statement to not do builds if we are promoting
+# we are doing a snap build
+CORE="core-snap"
+if [ "$OSNAME" = "AIX" ]; then
+	TARNAME=core-aix-snap.tar.gz
+else
+	TARNAME=core-rpms-snap.tar.bz2
+fi
 mkdir -p $DESTDIR
 SRCDIR=$DESTDIR/../$SRCD
 mkdir -p $SRCDIR
@@ -168,17 +155,51 @@ else
 	#echo "source=$source"
 fi
 
-# If they have not given us a premade update file, do an svn update and capture the results
-if [ -z "$SVNUP" ]; then
-	SVNUP=../coresvnup
-	echo "svn up > $SVNUP"
-	svn up > $SVNUP
-fi
+# for the git case, set the current branch and also set REL (changing master to devel if necessary)
+function setbranch {
+	git checkout $BRANCH
+	#REL=`git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD`
+	REL=$BRANCH
+	if [ "$REL" = "master" ]; then
+		REL="devel"
+	fi
+}
+
+# If they have not given us a premade update file, do an svn update or git pull and capture the results
 SOMETHINGCHANGED=0
-if ! $GREP 'At revision' $SVNUP; then
-	SOMETHINGCHANGED=1
+if [ "$REL" = "xcat-core" ]; then			# using git
+	GIT=1
+	setbranch
+	if [ -z "$GITUP" ]; then
+		GITUP=../coregitup
+		echo "git pull > $GITUP"
+		git pull > $GITUP
+	fi
+	if ! $GREP 'Already up-to-date' $GITUP; then
+		SOMETHINGCHANGED=1
+	fi
+else		# using svn
+	GIT=0
+	if [ -z "$SVNUP" ]; then
+		SVNUP=../coresvnup
+		echo "svn up > $SVNUP"
+		svn up > $SVNUP
+	fi
+	if ! $GREP 'At revision' $SVNUP; then
+		SOMETHINGCHANGED=1
+	fi
+	# copy the SVNUP variable to GITUP so the rest of the script doesnt have to worry whether we did svn or git
+	GITUP=$SVNUP
 fi
 
+function setversionvars {
+	VER=`cat Version`
+	SHORTVER=`cat Version|cut -d. -f 1,2`
+	SHORTSHORTVER=`cat Version|cut -d. -f 1`
+}
+
+setversionvars
+
 # Function for making the noarch rpms
 function maker {
 	rpmname="$1"
@@ -194,7 +215,7 @@ function maker {
 }
 
 # If anything has changed, we should always rebuild perl-xCAT
-if [ $SOMETHINGCHANGED == 1 -o "$BUILDALL" == 1 ]; then		# Use to be:  $GREP perl-xCAT $SVNUP; then
+if [ $SOMETHINGCHANGED == 1 -o "$BUILDALL" == 1 ]; then		# Use to be:  $GREP perl-xCAT $GITUP; then
 	if [[ " $EMBEDBUILD " = *\ perl-xCAT\ * ]]; then
 		UPLOAD=1
 		maker perl-xCAT
@@ -210,7 +231,7 @@ for rpmname in xCAT-client xCAT-server xCAT-IBMhpc xCAT-rmc xCAT-UI xCAT-test xC
 	#if [ "$EMBED" = "zvm" -a "$rpmname" != "xCAT-server" -a "$rpmname" != "xCAT-UI" ]; then continue; fi		# for zvm embedded env only need to build server and UI
 	if [[ " $EMBEDBUILD " != *\ $rpmname\ * ]]; then continue; fi
 	if [ "$OSNAME" = "AIX" -a "$rpmname" = "xCAT-buildkit" ]; then continue; fi		# do not build xCAT-buildkit on aix
-	if $GREP $rpmname $SVNUP || [ "$BUILDALL" == 1 ]; then
+	if $GREP $rpmname $GITUP || [ "$BUILDALL" == 1 ]; then
 		UPLOAD=1
 		maker $rpmname
 	fi
@@ -225,7 +246,7 @@ done
 # The mknb cmd combines them at install time.
 if [ "$OSNAME" != "AIX" ]; then
 	if [[ " $EMBEDBUILD " = *\ xCAT-genesis-scripts\ * ]]; then
-		if $GREP xCAT-genesis-scripts $SVNUP || [ "$BUILDALL" == 1 ]; then
+		if $GREP xCAT-genesis-scripts $GITUP || [ "$BUILDALL" == 1 ]; then
 			UPLOAD=1
 			ORIGFAILEDRPMS="$FAILEDRPMS"
 			./makerpm xCAT-genesis-scripts x86_64 "$EMBED"
@@ -244,7 +265,7 @@ fi
 for rpmname in xCAT xCATsn xCAT-OpenStack; do
 	#if [ "$EMBED" = "zvm" ]; then break; fi
 	if [[ " $EMBEDBUILD " != *\ $rpmname\ * ]]; then continue; fi
-	if [ $SOMETHINGCHANGED == 1 -o "$BUILDALL" == 1 ]; then		# used to be:  if $GREP -E "^[UAD] +$rpmname/" $SVNUP; then
+	if [ $SOMETHINGCHANGED == 1 -o "$BUILDALL" == 1 ]; then		# used to be:  if $GREP -E "^[UAD] +$rpmname/" $GITUP; then
 		UPLOAD=1
 		ORIGFAILEDRPMS="$FAILEDRPMS"
 		if [ "$OSNAME" = "AIX" ]; then
@@ -356,7 +377,17 @@ chmod -R g+w $DESTDIR
 chgrp -R xcat $SRCDIR
 chmod -R g+w $SRCDIR
 
-fi		# end of very long if-not-promote
+else		# end of very long if-not-promote
+	# we are only promoting (not building)
+	setversionvars
+	setbranch
+	CORE="xcat-core"
+	if [ "$OSNAME" = "AIX" ]; then
+		TARNAME=core-aix-$VER.tar.gz
+	else
+		TARNAME=xcat-core-$VER.tar.bz2
+	fi
+fi
 
 cd $DESTDIR
 
diff --git a/perl-xCAT/modifyUtils b/perl-xCAT/modifyUtils
index f987e5d6b..b96dd593e 100755
--- a/perl-xCAT/modifyUtils
+++ b/perl-xCAT/modifyUtils
@@ -1,33 +1,20 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 # Put the version, svn revision #, and build date into the Version function in Version.pm
 
-if [ -z "$2" ]
+if [ -z "$1" ]
 	then
-	echo "modifyUtils:  Error:  must specify the xCAT version and svn revision number as arguments" >&2
+	echo "modifyUtils:  Error:  must specify the xCAT version as an argument" >&2
 	exit
 fi
 
 VER=$1
-SVNREF="svn r$2, "
-
-#SVNINFO=`svn info 2>/dev/null|grep Revision`
-#/bin/echo -e $SVNINFO
-#if [ $? -ne 0 -a -f .svninfo ]; then
-#    SVNINFO=`cat .svninfo 2>/dev/null|grep Revision`
-#fi
-#if [ $? -eq 0 ]
-#	then
-#		SVNREF="svn r"`echo $SVNINFO|awk '{print $2}'`", "
-#	else
-#		SVNREF=""
-#	fi
 
 BUILDDATE=`date`
-#echo ". '(${SVNREF}built $BUILDDATE)'"
+#echo ". '(built $BUILDDATE)'"
 
 if [ "$(uname)" = "AIX" ]
 then
-	sed -e s/"#XCATVERSIONSUBHERE"/". '$VER'"/ -e s/"#XCATSVNBUILDSUBHERE"/". ' (${SVNREF}built $BUILDDATE)'"/ xCAT/Version.pm >xCAT/Version.pm.new
+	sed -e s/"#XCATVERSIONSUBHERE"/". '$VER'"/ -e s/"#XCATSVNBUILDSUBHERE"/". ' (built $BUILDDATE)'"/ xCAT/Version.pm >xCAT/Version.pm.new
 	mv xCAT/Version.pm.new xCAT/Version.pm
 else
         if [ -f "/etc/debian_version" ];then
@@ -35,5 +22,5 @@ else
         else
             FILENAME="xCAT/Version.pm"
         fi
-	sed -i -e s/"#XCATVERSIONSUBHERE"/". '$VER'"/ -e s/"#XCATSVNBUILDSUBHERE"/". ' (${SVNREF}built $BUILDDATE)'"/ $FILENAME
+	sed -i -e s/"#XCATVERSIONSUBHERE"/". '$VER'"/ -e s/"#XCATSVNBUILDSUBHERE"/". ' (built $BUILDDATE)'"/ $FILENAME
 fi
diff --git a/perl-xCAT/perl-xCAT.spec b/perl-xCAT/perl-xCAT.spec
index 2532bb067..914e09bb0 100644
--- a/perl-xCAT/perl-xCAT.spec
+++ b/perl-xCAT/perl-xCAT.spec
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ Includes xCAT::Table, xCAT::NodeRange, among others.
 
 %define zvm %(if [ "$zvm" = "1" ];then echo 1; else echo 0; fi)
 %define fsm %(if [ "$fsm" = "1" ];then echo 1; else echo 0; fi)
-%define svninfo %(svn info | grep Revision | awk '{print $2}')
 
 %prep
 %setup -q -n perl-xCAT
@@ -37,7 +36,7 @@ Includes xCAT::Table, xCAT::NodeRange, among others.
 %if %fsm
 %else
 # Modify the Version() function in xCAT/Utils.pm to automatically have the correct version
-./modifyUtils %{version} %{svninfo}
+./modifyUtils %{version}
 
 # Build the pod version of the man pages for each DB table.  It puts them in the man5 and man7 subdirs.
 # Then convert the pods to man pages and html pages.