diff --git a/release/Makefile.azure b/release/Makefile.azure
index 12fd3484291e..de95a944f9c7 100644
--- a/release/Makefile.azure
+++ b/release/Makefile.azure
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ AZURE${VAR}!=	grep -E ^AZURE${VAR} ${AZURE_UPLOAD_CONF} | awk -F'	' '{print $$2}
 .endif
 
 .if ${BRANCH} == "STABLE" || ${BRANCH} == "CURRENT" || ${BRANCH} == "PRERELEASE"
-SNAPSHOT_DATE!=		date +-%Y-%m-%d
+SNAPSHOT_DATE!=		date +-${BUILDDATE}
 .endif
 
 AZURE_TARGET:=		${OSRELEASE}${SNAPSHOT_DATE}.vhd
diff --git a/release/Makefile.ec2 b/release/Makefile.ec2
index 740edc76cbfe..63552494db95 100644
--- a/release/Makefile.ec2
+++ b/release/Makefile.ec2
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #
 
 .if ${BRANCH} == "CURRENT" || ${BRANCH} == "STABLE" || ${BRANCH} == "PRERELEASE"
-AMINAMESUFFIX!=	date +-%Y-%m-%d
+AMINAMESUFFIX!=	date +-${BUILDDATE}
 .endif
 .if defined(EC2PUBLIC) && !empty(EC2PUBLIC)
 PUBLISH=	--public
diff --git a/release/Makefile.gce b/release/Makefile.gce
index e466f9a323bd..106804de61e3 100644
--- a/release/Makefile.gce
+++ b/release/Makefile.gce
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@ GCE_FAMILY=		${TYPE:tl}-${REVISION:S,.,-,}
 .endif
 
 .if ${BRANCH} == "STABLE" || ${BRANCH} == "CURRENT" || ${BRANCH} == "PRERELEASE"
-_SNAPSHOT_DATE!=	date +%Y%m%d
-SNAPSHOT_DATE=		-v${_SNAPSHOT_DATE}
+SNAPSHOT_DATE=		-v${BUILDDATE}
 GCE_FAMILY_SUFX=	-snap
 .endif
 
diff --git a/release/Makefile.inc1 b/release/Makefile.inc1
index c8426f2cba31..7d46f79adabd 100644
--- a/release/Makefile.inc1
+++ b/release/Makefile.inc1
@@ -23,3 +23,9 @@ GITBRANCH!=	${GIT_CMD} rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD 2>/dev/null | sed -e 's/\^\//
 GITREV!=	${GIT_CMD} rev-parse --verify --short HEAD 2>/dev/null || true
 .export GITREV
 .endif
+
+# Set the build date, primarily for snapshot builds.
+.if !defined(BUILDDATE) || empty(BUILDDATE)
+BUILDDATE!=		date +%Y%m%d
+.export BUILDDATE
+.endif
diff --git a/release/release.conf.sample b/release/release.conf.sample
index 23de28670a82..260c8c37227a 100644
--- a/release/release.conf.sample
+++ b/release/release.conf.sample
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ DOCBRANCH="main"
 PORTBRANCH="main"
 
 ## Sample configuration for using git from ports.
-#GITCMD="/usr/local/bin/git clone --branch main"
+#GITCMD="/usr/local/bin/git clone -q --branch main"
 
 ## Set to override the default target architecture.
 #TARGET="amd64"
diff --git a/release/release.sh b/release/release.sh
index 160a5e4aaf61..d10b6aa2bd1f 100755
--- a/release/release.sh
+++ b/release/release.sh
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ env_setup() {
 		echo "*** The devel/git port/package is required."
 		exit 1
 	fi
-	VCSCMD="/usr/local/bin/git clone"
+	VCSCMD="/usr/local/bin/git clone -q"
 
 	# The default git checkout server, and branches for src/, doc/,
 	# and ports/.