diff --git a/cmake/FetchMegBrainVersion.cmake b/cmake/FetchMegBrainVersion.cmake
index aab88bfa..0de834ce 100644
--- a/cmake/FetchMegBrainVersion.cmake
+++ b/cmake/FetchMegBrainVersion.cmake
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ set (MGE_VER_MINOR ${CMAKE_MATCH_1})
 string (REGEX MATCH "MGE_PATCH *([0-9]+)" _ ${content})
 set (MGE_VER_PATCH ${CMAKE_MATCH_1})
 
+string (REGEX MATCH "MGE_EXTRA_NAME *\"(.*)\"" _ ${content})
+set (MGE_EXTRA_NAME ${CMAKE_MATCH_1})
+
 if (MGB_FORCE_DEV_VERSION)
     set (MGB_IS_DEV 1)
 else()
diff --git a/imperative/CMakeLists.txt b/imperative/CMakeLists.txt
index 5e4f0024..d24193cd 100644
--- a/imperative/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/imperative/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -79,9 +79,15 @@ if(DEFINED MGB_VER_MAJOR)
     set(IS_INTERNAL "--internal")
 else()
     set(IS_INTERNAL "")
-endif()
+endif(DEFINED MGB_VER_MAJOR)
+
+if(DEFINED MGE_EXTRA_NAME)
+    set(RC_NAME "--rc=${MGE_EXTRA_NAME}")
+else()
+    set(RC_NAME "")
+endif(DEFINED MGE_EXTRA_NAME)
 
 add_custom_command(
     TARGET ${MODULE_NAME} POST_BUILD
-    COMMAND "${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}" ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/python/gen_version.py --output ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/python/megengine/version.py --major ${MGE_VER_MAJOR} --minor ${MGE_VER_MINOR} --patch ${MGE_VER_PATCH} ${IS_INTERNAL}
+    COMMAND "${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}" ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/python/gen_version.py --output ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/python/megengine/version.py --major ${MGE_VER_MAJOR} --minor ${MGE_VER_MINOR} --patch ${MGE_VER_PATCH} ${RC_NAME} ${IS_INTERNAL}
 )
diff --git a/imperative/python/gen_version.py b/imperative/python/gen_version.py
index bd38ffed..8f80e070 100644
--- a/imperative/python/gen_version.py
+++ b/imperative/python/gen_version.py
@@ -20,11 +20,14 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     parser.add_argument("--major", type=int, required=True)
     parser.add_argument("--minor", type=int, required=True)
     parser.add_argument("--patch", type=int, required=True)
+    parser.add_argument("--rc", type=str, required=False)
     parser.add_argument("--internal", action='store_true')
     args = parser.parse_args()
     python_dir = os.path.dirname(__file__)
     commit_id = get_git_commit(python_dir)
     mge_ver = str(args.major) + "." + str(args.minor) + "." + str(args.patch)
+    if args.rc is not None:
+        mge_ver += args.rc
     with open(args.output, 'w') as f:
         f.write("__version__ = '{}'\n".format(mge_ver))
         f.write("git_version = {}\n".format(repr(commit_id)))
diff --git a/src/core/include/megbrain/version.h b/src/core/include/megbrain/version.h
index 72ac73fc..6830985a 100644
--- a/src/core/include/megbrain/version.h
+++ b/src/core/include/megbrain/version.h
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
 #define MGE_MINOR 7
 #define MGE_PATCH 0
 
+// for rc version, could be like "rc1", "rc2", etc
+#define MGE_EXTRA_NAME ""
+
 //! whether it is development version
 #ifndef MGB_IS_DEV
 #define MGB_IS_DEV 0