diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 83e25ab6..a7eeaa00 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 #  ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF
 #  OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 
+$(info mergerfs MAKEFLAGS: $(MAKEFLAGS))
+
 ifeq ($(shell id -u),0)
 FAKEROOT ?=
 endif
@@ -188,7 +190,7 @@ $(BUILDDIR)/tests: $(BUILDDIR)/mergerfs $(TESTS_OBJS)
 .PHONY: libfuse
 $(LIBFUSE):
 libfuse:
-	$(MAKE) NDEBUG=$(NDEBUG) -C libfuse
+	$(MAKE) -C libfuse
 
 tests: $(BUILDDIR)/tests
 
diff --git a/buildtools/build-release b/buildtools/build-release
index 146abd61..51443b15 100755
--- a/buildtools/build-release
+++ b/buildtools/build-release
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ def build(git_repo,
     if os.path.exists(git_repo):
         git_repo = os.path.realpath(git_repo)
         args += ['-v',f'{git_repo}:/tmp/mergerfs.git:ro']
-        args += ['--build-arg=GIT_REPO=/tmp/mergerfs.git']
+        args += ['--build-arg=GIT_REPO=file:///tmp/mergerfs.git']
     else:
         args += [f'--build-arg=GIT_REPO={git_repo}']
     args += ['-o',pkgdirpath,
diff --git a/buildtools/containerfiles/static.amd64 b/buildtools/containerfiles/static.amd64
index e7b50015..4f886fff 100644
--- a/buildtools/containerfiles/static.amd64
+++ b/buildtools/containerfiles/static.amd64
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
-ARG BUILD_TIMESTAMP=0
 FROM --platform=linux/amd64 alpine:latest as build
 COPY install-build-pkgs /tmp/
 RUN /tmp/install-build-pkgs
-ARG BRANCH=master
-RUN git clone --single-branch --depth=1 https://github.com/trapexit/mergerfs /tmp/mergerfs --branch="${BRANCH}"
+ARG BUILD_TIMESTAMP=0
+ARG GIT_REPO
+ARG BRANCH
+RUN git clone --single-branch --branch="${BRANCH}" ${GIT_REPO} /tmp/mergerfs 
 WORKDIR /tmp/mergerfs
 RUN make NDEBUG=1 LTO=1 STATIC=1 DESTDIR=/tmp -j$(nproc) install
 RUN mkdir /build
-RUN tar cvfz /build/mergerfs-static-linux_amd64.tar.gz --directory=/tmp usr sbin
+RUN /tmp/usr/local/bin/mergerfs --version | head -n1 | cut -c 11- | tee /tmp/version
+RUN tar cvfz /build/mergerfs-$(cat /tmp/version)-static-linux_amd64.tar.gz --directory=/tmp usr sbin
 
 FROM scratch
 COPY --from=build /build/ /
diff --git a/buildtools/containerfiles/static.arm64 b/buildtools/containerfiles/static.arm64
index ad57d8e4..d2d421eb 100644
--- a/buildtools/containerfiles/static.arm64
+++ b/buildtools/containerfiles/static.arm64
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
-ARG BUILD_TIMESTAMP=0
 FROM --platform=linux/arm64 alpine:latest as build
 COPY install-build-pkgs /tmp/
 RUN /tmp/install-build-pkgs
-ARG BRANCH=master
-RUN git clone --single-branch --depth=1 https://github.com/trapexit/mergerfs /tmp/mergerfs --branch="${BRANCH}"
+ARG BUILD_TIMESTAMP=0
+ARG GIT_REPO
+ARG BRANCH
+RUN git clone --single-branch --branch="${BRANCH}" ${GIT_REPO} /tmp/mergerfs 
 WORKDIR /tmp/mergerfs
 RUN make NDEBUG=1 LTO=1 STATIC=1 DESTDIR=/tmp -j$(nproc) install
 RUN mkdir /build
-RUN tar cvfz /build/mergerfs-static-linux_arm64.tar.gz --directory=/tmp usr sbin
+RUN /tmp/usr/local/bin/mergerfs --version | head -n1 | cut -c 11- | tee /tmp/version
+RUN tar cvfz /build/mergerfs-$(cat /tmp/version)-static-linux_arm64.tar.gz --directory=/tmp usr sbin
 
 FROM scratch
 COPY --from=build /build/ /
diff --git a/buildtools/containerfiles/static.armhf b/buildtools/containerfiles/static.armhf
index cf418139..6f67c3fc 100644
--- a/buildtools/containerfiles/static.armhf
+++ b/buildtools/containerfiles/static.armhf
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
-ARG BUILD_TIMESTAMP=0
 FROM --platform=linux/armhf alpine:latest as build
 COPY install-build-pkgs /tmp/
 RUN /tmp/install-build-pkgs
-ARG BRANCH=master
-RUN git clone --single-branch --depth=1 https://github.com/trapexit/mergerfs /tmp/mergerfs --branch="${BRANCH}"
+ARG BUILD_TIMESTAMP=0
+ARG GIT_REPO
+ARG BRANCH
+RUN git clone --single-branch --branch="${BRANCH}" ${GIT_REPO} /tmp/mergerfs 
 WORKDIR /tmp/mergerfs
 RUN make NDEBUG=1 LTO=1 STATIC=1 DESTDIR=/tmp -j$(nproc) install
 RUN mkdir /build
-RUN tar cvfz /build/mergerfs-static-linux_armhf.tar.gz --directory=/tmp usr sbin
+RUN /tmp/usr/local/bin/mergerfs --version | head -n1 | cut -c 11- | tee /tmp/version
+RUN tar cvfz /build/mergerfs-$(cat /tmp/version)-static-linux_armhf.tar.gz --directory=/tmp usr sbin
 
 FROM scratch
 COPY --from=build /build/ /
diff --git a/buildtools/containerfiles/static.i386 b/buildtools/containerfiles/static.i386
index 10ee3d71..b55c12b1 100644
--- a/buildtools/containerfiles/static.i386
+++ b/buildtools/containerfiles/static.i386
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
-ARG BUILD_TIMESTAMP=0
 FROM --platform=linux/i386 alpine:latest as build
 COPY install-build-pkgs /tmp/
 RUN /tmp/install-build-pkgs
-ARG BRANCH=master
-RUN git clone --single-branch --depth=1 https://github.com/trapexit/mergerfs /tmp/mergerfs --branch="${BRANCH}"
+ARG BUILD_TIMESTAMP=0
+ARG GIT_REPO
+ARG BRANCH
+RUN git clone --single-branch --branch="${BRANCH}" ${GIT_REPO} /tmp/mergerfs 
 WORKDIR /tmp/mergerfs
 RUN make NDEBUG=1 LTO=1 STATIC=1 DESTDIR=/tmp -j$(nproc) install
 RUN mkdir /build
-RUN tar cvfz /build/mergerfs-static-linux_i386.tar.gz --directory=/tmp usr sbin
+RUN /tmp/usr/local/bin/mergerfs --version | head -n1 | cut -c 11- | tee /tmp/version
+RUN tar cvfz /build/mergerfs-$(cat /tmp/version)-static-linux_i386.tar.gz --directory=/tmp usr sbin
 
 FROM scratch
 COPY --from=build /build/ /
diff --git a/buildtools/containerfiles/static.riscv64 b/buildtools/containerfiles/static.riscv64
index e6c5fd65..4583f55f 100644
--- a/buildtools/containerfiles/static.riscv64
+++ b/buildtools/containerfiles/static.riscv64
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
-ARG BUILD_TIMESTAMP=0
 FROM --platform=linux/riscv64 alpine:latest as build
 COPY install-build-pkgs /tmp/
 RUN /tmp/install-build-pkgs
-ARG BRANCH=master
-RUN git clone --single-branch --depth=1 https://github.com/trapexit/mergerfs /tmp/mergerfs --branch="${BRANCH}"
+ARG BUILD_TIMESTAMP=0
+ARG GIT_REPO
+ARG BRANCH
+RUN git clone --single-branch --branch="${BRANCH}" ${GIT_REPO} /tmp/mergerfs 
 WORKDIR /tmp/mergerfs
 RUN make NDEBUG=1 LTO=1 STATIC=1 DESTDIR=/tmp -j$(nproc) install
 RUN mkdir /build
-RUN tar cvfz /build/mergerfs-static-linux_riscv64.tar.gz --directory=/tmp usr sbin
+RUN /tmp/usr/local/bin/mergerfs --version | head -n1 | cut -c 11- | tee /tmp/version
+RUN tar cvfz /build/mergerfs-$(cat /tmp/version)-static-linux_riscv64.tar.gz --directory=/tmp usr sbin
 
 FROM scratch
 COPY --from=build /build/ /
diff --git a/libfuse/Makefile b/libfuse/Makefile
index e1e6f222..85b94af4 100644
--- a/libfuse/Makefile
+++ b/libfuse/Makefile
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 #  ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF
 #  OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 
+$(info libfuse MAKEFLAGS: $(MAKEFLAGS))
+
 AR      ?= ar
 CHMOD   ?= chmod
 CHOWN   ?= chown
@@ -88,10 +90,17 @@ OBJS += $(SRC_CXX:lib/%.cpp=$(BUILDDIR)/.objs/%.cpp.o)
 DEPS := $(SRC_C:lib/%.c=$(BUILDDIR)/.objs/%.c.d)
 DEPS += $(SRC_CXX:lib/%.cpp=$(BUILDDIR)/.objs/%.cpp.d)
 
+ifdef STATIC
+STATIC_FLAGS := -static
+else
+STATIC_FLAGS :=
+endif
+
 CPPFLAGS ?=
 CFLAGS ?= \
 	$(OPT_FLAGS) \
 	$(LTO_FLAGS) \
+	$(STATIC_FLAGS) \
 	-Wall \
 	-pipe
 override CFLAGS += \
@@ -101,6 +110,7 @@ override CFLAGS += \
 CXXFLAGS ?= \
 	$(OPT_FLAGS) \
 	$(LTO_FLAGS) \
+	$(STATIC_FLAGS) \
 	-Wall \
 	-pipe
 override CXXFLAGS += \
@@ -138,6 +148,7 @@ $(BUILDDIR)/mergerfs-fusermount: util/fusermount.c lib/mount_util.c
 mergerfs-fusermount: $(BUILDDIR)/mergerfs-fusermount
 
 $(BUILDDIR)/mount.mergerfs: $(BUILDDIR)/libfuse.a util/mount.mergerfs.c
+	echo STATIC=$(STATIC) $(STATIC_FLAGS)
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(FUSE_FLAGS) -o $(BUILDDIR)/mount.mergerfs util/mount.mergerfs.c $(BUILDDIR)/libfuse.a $(LDFLAGS)
 
 mount.mergerfs: $(BUILDDIR)/mount.mergerfs