diff --git a/src/api/python/setup.py b/src/api/python/setup.py
index 418b238f1..d4cc7215f 100644
--- a/src/api/python/setup.py
+++ b/src/api/python/setup.py
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ else:
     BUILD_ARCH = RELEASE_METADATA[1]
     if len(RELEASE_METADATA) == 4:
         BUILD_OS_VERSION = RELEASE_METADATA[3].split(".")
-    else:
+    else:v
         BUILD_OS_VERSION = None
 
 # determine where destinations are
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ def _z3_version():
     post = os.getenv('Z3_VERSION_SUFFIX', '')
     print("z3_version", "release dir", RELEASE_DIR)   
     if RELEASE_DIR is None:
-        dirs = [SRC_DIR, ROOT_DIR, SRC_DIR_REPO]
+        dirs = [SRC_DIR, ROOT_DIR, SRC_DIR_REPO, SRC_DIR_LOCAL, os.path.join(ROOT_DIR, '..', '..')]
         fns = [os.path.join(d, 'VERSION.txt') for d in dirs]
         for fn in fns:
             print("loading version file", fn)