diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 298ce121a..5ab5e1bf3 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -34,14 +34,7 @@ cache:
   - "$HOME/.gradle/caches/"
   - "$HOME/.gradle/wrapper/"
 before_install:
-- if [ "$TRAVIS_SECURE_ENV_VARS" == true ]; then openssl aes-256-cbc -K $encrypted_677f232983c0_key -iv $encrypted_677f232983c0_iv -in travis/signing-key.asc.enc -out travis/signing-key.asc -d ; fi
-- if [ "$TRAVIS_SECURE_ENV_VARS" == true ]; then gpg --no-tty --batch --allow-secret-key-import --import travis/signing-key.asc ; fi
-- rm -rf "$HOME/.gradle/gradle.properties"
-- echo signing.keyId="${SIGNING_KEY_ID}" > "$HOME/.gradle/gradle.properties"
-- echo signing.password="${SIGNING_KEY_PASSPHRASE}" >> "$HOME/.gradle/gradle.properties"
-- echo ossrhUsername="${SONATYPE_USERNAME}" >> "$HOME/.gradle/gradle.properties"
-- echo ossrhPassword="${SONATYPE_PASSWORD}" >> "$HOME/.gradle/gradle.properties"
-- echo signing.secretKeyRingFile="${HOME}/.gnupg/secring.gpg" >> "$HOME/.gradle/gradle.properties"
+- ./travis/prepare-signing.sh $encrypted_677f232983c0_key $encrypted_677f232983c0_iv
 - if [ "$CROSSDOCK" == true ]; then bash ./travis/install-crossdock-deps.sh ; fi
 - sudo rm -rf /usr/local/bin/thrift
 - sudo cp travis/docker-thrift/thrift /usr/local/bin/
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 956905530..fd0f6cbb4 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -163,6 +163,11 @@ configure(subprojects.findAll {it.name != 'jaeger-thrift'}) {
 
 def getVersionForBuild() {
     String candidateVersion = System.env.TRAVIS_TAG
+
+    if (null == candidateVersion || candidateVersion.isEmpty()) {
+        return ext.developmentVersion
+    }
+
     if (Pattern.compile("[v]?((\\d+)\\.(\\d+)\\.(\\d+))").matcher(candidateVersion).matches()) {
         return candidateVersion
     }
diff --git a/travis/prepare-signing.sh b/travis/prepare-signing.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..c2ebc3c88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/travis/prepare-signing.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+ENCRYPTION_KEY=$1
+ENCRYPTION_IV=$2
+
+# some sanity checks first:
+if [ "x${ENCRYPTION_KEY}" == "x" ]; then
+    echo "The encryption key has not been provided. Skipping signing preparation"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if [ "x${ENCRYPTION_IV}" == "x" ]; then
+    echo "The encryption initialization vector has not been provided. Skipping signing preparation"
+    exit 2
+fi
+
+if [ "${TRAVIS_SECURE_ENV_VARS}" == true ]; then
+    openssl aes-256-cbc -K "${ENCRYPTION_KEY}" -iv "${ENCRYPTION_IV}" -in travis/signing-key.asc.enc -out travis/signing-key.asc -d
+    if (( $? == 0 )); then
+        echo "Failed to decrypt the signing key. Skipping."
+        exit 3
+    fi
+
+    gpg --no-tty --batch --allow-secret-key-import --import travis/signing-key.asc
+    rm -rf "$HOME/.gradle/gradle.properties"
+    echo signing.keyId="${SIGNING_KEY_ID}" > "$HOME/.gradle/gradle.properties"
+    echo signing.password="${SIGNING_KEY_PASSPHRASE}" >> "$HOME/.gradle/gradle.properties"
+    echo ossrhUsername="${SONATYPE_USERNAME}" >> "$HOME/.gradle/gradle.properties"
+    echo ossrhPassword="${SONATYPE_PASSWORD}" >> "$HOME/.gradle/gradle.properties"
+    echo signing.secretKeyRingFile="${HOME}/.gnupg/secring.gpg" >> "$HOME/.gradle/gradle.properties"
+else
+    echo "Travis secure env vars not set. Skipping."
+fi