diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2a86e41caf..6f6cfa1682 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -27,3 +27,4 @@ docs/AWS_S3_BUCKET
 docs/GIT_BRANCH
 docs/VERSION
 docs/GITCOMMIT
+dockerversion/static.go
diff --git a/hack/make.sh b/hack/make.sh
index d6da3057fa..5d0ddd879f 100755
--- a/hack/make.sh
+++ b/hack/make.sh
@@ -94,6 +94,8 @@ if [ -z "$DOCKER_CLIENTONLY" ]; then
 	DOCKER_BUILDTAGS+=" daemon"
 fi
 
+rm -f dockerversion/static.go
+
 # Use these flags when compiling the tests and final binary
 LDFLAGS='
 	-w
@@ -115,7 +117,6 @@ TESTFLAGS+=" -test.timeout=${TIMEOUT}"
 EXTLDFLAGS_STATIC_DOCKER="$EXTLDFLAGS_STATIC -lpthread -Wl,--unresolved-symbols=ignore-in-object-files"
 LDFLAGS_STATIC_DOCKER="
 	$LDFLAGS_STATIC
-	-X $DOCKER_PKG/dockerversion.IAMSTATIC true
 	-extldflags \"$EXTLDFLAGS_STATIC_DOCKER\"
 "
 
diff --git a/hack/make/binary b/hack/make/binary
index b97069a856..2c71f201b9 100755
--- a/hack/make/binary
+++ b/hack/make/binary
@@ -3,6 +3,17 @@ set -e
 
 DEST=$1
 
+: ${IAMSTATIC:=true}
+
+cat > dockerversion/static.go <<EOF
+// AUTOGENERATED FILE; see hack/make/binary and hack/make/dynbinary
+package dockerversion
+
+func init() {
+	IAMSTATIC = $IAMSTATIC
+}
+EOF
+
 go build \
 	-o "$DEST/docker-$VERSION" \
 	"${BUILDFLAGS[@]}" \
diff --git a/hack/make/dynbinary b/hack/make/dynbinary
index 5064a799bd..bcb4471498 100644
--- a/hack/make/dynbinary
+++ b/hack/make/dynbinary
@@ -5,6 +5,14 @@ DEST=$1
 
 if [ -z "$DOCKER_CLIENTONLY" ]; then
 	# dockerinit still needs to be a static binary, even if docker is dynamic
+	cat > dockerversion/static.go <<EOF
+// AUTOGENERATED FILE; see hack/make/binary and hack/make/dynbinary
+package dockerversion
+
+func init() {
+	IAMSTATIC = true
+}
+EOF
 	go build \
 		-o "$DEST/dockerinit-$VERSION" \
 		"${BUILDFLAGS[@]}" \
@@ -40,6 +48,7 @@ fi
 
 (
 	export LDFLAGS_STATIC_DOCKER="-X $DOCKER_PKG/dockerversion.INITSHA1 \"$DOCKER_INITSHA1\" -X $DOCKER_PKG/dockerversion.INITPATH \"$DOCKER_INITPATH\""
+	export IAMSTATIC=false
 	export BUILDFLAGS=( "${BUILDFLAGS[@]/netgo /}" ) # disable netgo, since we don't need it for a dynamic binary
 	source "$(dirname "$BASH_SOURCE")/binary"
 )