diff --git a/tools/verset b/tools/verset
index e27ca86..d26f268 100755
--- a/tools/verset
+++ b/tools/verset
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@
 major="$1"
 minor="$2"
 rev="$3"
-suffix="$4"
+suffix="${4:+-$4}"
+
+version="$major.$minor.$rev$suffix"
 
 # pre-formatted suffix
 fsuffix=
@@ -34,11 +36,17 @@ cat version.js.tpl | sed "
   s/@MAJOR@/$major/;
   s/@MINOR@/$minor/;
   s/@REV@/$rev/;
-  s/@SUFFIX@/$suffix/;
+  s/@SUFFIX@/${suffix#-}/;
 " > ../lib/version.js
 
 # output version for docs
 cat - > ../doc/version.texi <<EOF
 @c DO NOT MODIFY; generated by verset (not autoconf)
-@set VERSION $major.$minor.$rev$fsuffix
+@set VERSION $version
 EOF
+
+# update package.json for npm
+sed -i 's/"version":.*/"version":     "'$version'",/' ../package.json
+
+# update configure script by replacing the second argument of AC_INIT
+sed -i '/^AC_INIT/s/, \[[^]]\+\]/, ['$version']/' ../configure.ac