diff --git a/scripts/met_build.sh b/scripts/met_build.sh
index d00f35fbf1..3695feefed 100755
--- a/scripts/met_build.sh
+++ b/scripts/met_build.sh
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@
 # This script is called by the
 # MET_checkout_and_build.sh script.
 #
-# The desired version of the code must have alredy
-# been checked out prior to calling this script.
+# The desired version of the code must have
+# already been checked out prior to calling this
+# script.
 #
 # Usage: MET_build <version_number>
 #
@@ -38,9 +39,9 @@ fi
 
 # Check for 0 or 1 arguments
 if [ ${NARGS} -eq 0 ]; then
-  VERSION="met-${CUR_REV}"
+  VERSION="${CUR_REV}"
 elif [ ${NARGS} -eq 1 ]; then
-  VERSION="met-${1}"
+  VERSION="${1}"
 else
   echo
   echo "USAGE: MET_build <version_number>"
@@ -48,17 +49,17 @@ else
   exit 1
 fi
 
+# Set the MET build version by stripping off leading "v" from "vX.Y"
+export MET_BUILD_VERSION=`echo $VERSION | sed 's/v//g'`
+echo "Building MET version '${MET_BUILD_VERSION}'"
+
 # Copy the current met directory
-cp -r met ${VERSION}
-cd ${VERSION}
+cp -r met met-${MET_BUILD_VERSION}
+cd met-${MET_BUILD_VERSION}
 
 # Cleanup
 rm -f `find ./ -name ".gitignore"`
 
-# Set the MET build version for bootstrap by stripping off leading "met-"
-export MET_BUILD_VERSION=`echo $VERSION | sed 's/met-//g'`
-echo "Building MET version '${MET_BUILD_VERSION}'"
-
 # Run the bootstrap program to prepare for running configure
 echo "Running 'bootstrap' to prepare for running configure"
 ./bootstrap > /dev/null
@@ -100,8 +101,8 @@ make dist > /dev/null
 
 # Construct the desired name for the tar file.  autoconf
 # creates the tar file using it's standard naming convention.
-TAR_FILE="${VERSION}.${DATE}.tar.gz"
+TAR_FILE="met-${MET_BUILD_VERSION}.${DATE}.tar.gz"
 
-echo "Copying tar file to new name: '${TAR_FILE}'"
+echo "Moving tar file to new name: '${TAR_FILE}'"
 mv met-* ../${TAR_FILE}
 
diff --git a/scripts/met_checkout_and_build.sh b/scripts/met_checkout_and_build.sh
index e1f3986d61..bad4214e89 100755
--- a/scripts/met_checkout_and_build.sh
+++ b/scripts/met_checkout_and_build.sh
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ run_command() {
   return ${STATUS}
 }
 
-# Run svn info to update contents of version.txt
+# Use the Git info to update the contents of version.txt
 get_git_info() {
   echo "CALLING: git config, git rev-parse, and git log"
   git config --get remote.origin.url | sed -r 's/^/Repository:\t\t/g'       > met/data/version.txt
@@ -88,6 +88,12 @@ get_git_info() {
   git log -1 --format=%cd met        | sed -r 's/^/Last Changed Date:\t/g' >> met/data/version.txt
 }
 
+# Store the path the current script being run
+SCRIPT_DIR=`dirname $0`
+if [[ ${SCRIPT_DIR:0:1} != "/" ]]; then
+  SCRIPT_DIR=`pwd`/${SCRIPT_DIR} 
+fi
+
 # Clone repo into a working directory
 mkdir build; cd build
 git clone ${GIT_REPO}
@@ -142,18 +148,19 @@ else
    exit 1
 fi
 
-# Check that the met_build.sh script exists
-if [[ ! -e "scripts/met_build.sh" ]]; then
+# Check that the met_build.sh script exists in the same
+# directory as the met_checkout_and_build script
+if [[ ! -e "${SCRIPT_DIR}/met_build.sh" ]]; then
 
   echo
-  echo "ERROR: scripts/met_build.sh does not exist!"
+  echo "ERROR: ${SCRIPT_DIR}/met_build.sh script does not exist!"
   echo
   exit 1
 
 fi
 
 # Call the build script to build the release
-run_command "scripts/met_build.sh ${BUILD_ARGS}"
+run_command "${SCRIPT_DIR}/met_build.sh ${BUILD_ARGS}"
 run_command "mv *.tar.gz ../../."
 run_command "cd ../.."
 run_command "rm -rf build"