diff --git a/versioncontrol_release/versioncontrol_release.module b/versioncontrol_release/versioncontrol_release.module
index 9f7b966..e36b238 100644
--- a/versioncontrol_release/versioncontrol_release.module
+++ b/versioncontrol_release/versioncontrol_release.module
@@ -424,6 +424,13 @@ function versioncontrol_release_attach_release_label_query_alter($query, $ids, $
  */
 function versioncontrol_release_form_alter(&$form, &$form_state, $form_id) {
   if ($form_id == 'project_release_node_form') {
+    // Set a flag in the node form to tell project_release to leave the
+    // version element fields alone and trust us to get it right. We'll
+    // replace this TRUE with an array of values if we need to define them.
+    $form['project_release_preserve_version_elements'] = array(
+      '#type' => 'value',
+      '#value' => TRUE,
+    );
     // Use separate methods for the add and edit versions of this form.
     if (arg(1) == 'add') {
       versioncontrol_release_project_release_form_alter_add($form, $form_state);
@@ -618,6 +625,38 @@ function versioncontrol_release_project_release_form_alter_add_node_form(&$form,
     $form['#versioncontrol_release_version'] = array_merge(
       (array) $version, array('version' => $version_string)
     );
+
+    // Since all these version element fields tend to use a hidden field
+    // widget, it's not easy (possible?) to set the values directly in the
+    // form. So we stash them in a separate form value that project_release
+    // will honor and save in the final release node for us.
+    $form['project_release_preserve_version_elements']['#value'] = array();
+    $version_parts = array(
+      'major',
+      'minor',
+      'patch',
+      // We handle version_extra separately since we'd also have to set the
+      // meta fields (version_ext_weight and version_ext_delta).
+      // Also, since the taxonomy selector is a visible form element, we
+      // handle that separately by just forcing the value to the right one (if
+      // defined via the VCS label).
+    );
+    foreach ($version_parts as $part) {
+      if (isset($version->{'version_' . $part})
+          && !empty($form['field_release_version_' . $part])) {
+        $form['project_release_preserve_version_elements']['#value'][$part] = $version->{'version_' . $part};
+      }
+    }
+    if (isset($version->version_extra)
+        && !empty($form['field_release_version_extra'])) {
+      $form['project_release_preserve_version_elements']['#value']['extra'] = $version->version_extra;
+      $extra_meta = project_release_parse_version_extra($version->version_extra);
+      foreach (array('weight', 'delta') as $extra_key) {
+        if (!empty($form['field_release_version_ext_' . $extra_key])) {
+          $form['project_release_preserve_version_elements']['#value']['ext_' . $extra_key] = $extra_meta[$extra_key];
+        }
+      }
+    }
   }
   else {
     // We should never get here, since we already filter out labels that don't