diff --git a/bin/not-in-stable.go b/bin/not-in-stable.go
index 46380a2ae..f6fae8226 100755
--- a/bin/not-in-stable.go
+++ b/bin/not-in-stable.go
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"regexp"
+
+	"github.com/coreos/go-semver/semver"
 )
 
 // version=$(sed <VERSION -e 's/\.[0-9]+*$//g')
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ func readCommits(from, to string) (logMap map[string]string, logs []string) {
 	cmd := exec.Command("git", "log", "--oneline", from+".."+to)
 	out, err := cmd.Output()
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("failed to run git log: %v", err)
+		log.Fatalf("failed to run git log %s: %v", from+".."+to, err)
 	}
 	logMap = map[string]string{}
 	logs = []string{}
@@ -53,15 +55,20 @@ func main() {
 	if len(args) != 0 {
 		log.Fatalf("Syntax: %s", os.Args[0])
 	}
+	// v1.54.0
 	versionBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile("VERSION")
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("Failed to read version: %v", err)
 	}
-	i := bytes.LastIndexByte(versionBytes, '.')
-	version := string(versionBytes[:i])
-	log.Printf("Finding commits not in stable %s", version)
-	masterMap, masterLogs := readCommits(version+".0", "master")
-	stableMap, _ := readCommits(version+".0", version+"-stable")
+	if versionBytes[0] == 'v' {
+		versionBytes = versionBytes[1:]
+	}
+	versionBytes = bytes.TrimSpace(versionBytes)
+	semver := semver.New(string(versionBytes))
+	stable := fmt.Sprintf("v%d.%d", semver.Major, semver.Minor-1)
+	log.Printf("Finding commits in %v not in stable %s", semver, stable)
+	masterMap, masterLogs := readCommits(stable+".0", "master")
+	stableMap, _ := readCommits(stable+".0", stable+"-stable")
 	for _, logMessage := range masterLogs {
 		// Commit found in stable already
 		if _, found := stableMap[logMessage]; found {