diff --git a/pdns/recursordist/meson-dist-script.sh b/pdns/recursordist/meson-dist-script.sh
index a8699d94dd02..4f0d337dba87 100755
--- a/pdns/recursordist/meson-dist-script.sh
+++ b/pdns/recursordist/meson-dist-script.sh
@@ -10,9 +10,13 @@ cd "$MESON_PROJECT_DIST_ROOT"
 # Get all symlinks
 symlinks=$(find . -type l)
 
+# If these two get out-of-sync, fix it! It used to be a symlink but that can no longer be as we are
+# working with a partial checkout in the dist root dir.
+cmp "$MESON_SOURCE_ROOT"/builder-support/gen-version "$MESON_PROJECT_DIST_ROOT"/builder-support/gen-version
+
 # Get the dereffed symbolic links (the actual files being pointed to) from the source dir
 # Extract them over the existing symbolic links
-tar -C "$MESON_SOURCE_ROOT" -hcf - $symlinks | tar -xf - -C "$MESON_PROJECT_DIST_ROOT"
+tar -C "$MESON_SOURCE_ROOT" -Hcf - $symlinks | tar -xf - -C "$MESON_PROJECT_DIST_ROOT"
 
 # Run autoconf for people using autotools to build, this creates a configure script with VERSION set
 echo Running autoreconf -vi so distfile is still usable for autotools building