diff --git a/priv/templates/install_upgrade_escript b/priv/templates/install_upgrade_escript
index 0910c3871..a3e5dd39f 100644
--- a/priv/templates/install_upgrade_escript
+++ b/priv/templates/install_upgrade_escript
@@ -14,10 +14,18 @@ main(["unpack", RelName, NameTypeArg, NodeName, Cookie, VersionArg]) ->
     case proplists:get_value(Version, WhichReleases) of
         undefined ->
             %% not installed, so unpack tarball:
-            ?INFO("Release ~s not found, attempting to unpack releases/~s/~s.tar.gz~n",[Version,Version,RelName]),
-            ReleasePackage = Version ++ "/" ++ RelName,
+            %% look for a release package with the intended version in the following order:
+            %%      releases/<relname>-<version>.tar.gz
+            %%      releases/<version>/<relname>-<version>.tar.gz
+            %%      releases/<version>/<relname>.tar.gz
+            ReleasePackage = find_and_link_release_package(Version, RelName),
+            ?INFO("Release ~s not found, attempting to unpack ~s~n",
+                [Version, ReleasePackage]),
+            %% regardless of the location of the release package, we'll
+            %% always give release handle the same thing which is the symlink
+            ReleasePackageLink = filename:join(Version, RelName),
             case rpc:call(TargetNode, release_handler, unpack_release,
-                          [ReleasePackage], ?TIMEOUT) of
+                          [ReleasePackageLink], ?TIMEOUT) of
                 {ok, Vsn} ->
                     ?INFO("Unpacked successfully: ~p~n", [Vsn]);
                 {error, UnpackReason} ->
@@ -42,16 +50,24 @@ main(["install", RelName, NameTypeArg, NodeName, Cookie, VersionArg]) ->
     case proplists:get_value(Version, WhichReleases) of
         undefined ->
             %% not installed, so unpack tarball:
-            ?INFO("Release ~s not found, attempting to unpack releases/~s/~s.tar.gz~n",[Version,Version,RelName]),
-            ReleasePackage = Version ++ "/" ++ RelName,
+            %% look for a release package with the intended version in the following order:
+            %%      releases/<relname>-<version>.tar.gz
+            %%      releases/<version>/<relname>-<version>.tar.gz
+            %%      releases/<version>/<relname>.tar.gz
+            ReleasePackage = find_and_link_release_package(Version, RelName),
+            ?INFO("Release ~s not found, attempting to unpack ~s~n",
+                [Version, ReleasePackage]),
+            %% regardless of the location of the release package, we'll
+            %% always give release handle the same thing which is the symlink
+            ReleasePackageLink = filename:join(Version, RelName),
             case rpc:call(TargetNode, release_handler, unpack_release,
-                          [ReleasePackage], ?TIMEOUT) of
+                          [ReleasePackageLink], ?TIMEOUT) of
                 {ok, Vsn} ->
                     ?INFO("Unpacked successfully: ~p~n", [Vsn]),
                     install_and_permafy(TargetNode, RelName, Vsn);
                 {error, UnpackReason} ->
-                    print_existing_versions(TargetNode),
                     ?INFO("Unpack failed: ~p~n",[UnpackReason]),
+                    print_existing_versions(TargetNode),
                     erlang:halt(2)
             end;
         old ->
@@ -70,6 +86,50 @@ main(["install", RelName, NameTypeArg, NodeName, Cookie, VersionArg]) ->
 main(_) ->
     erlang:halt(1).
 
+%% look for a release package with the provided version in the following order:
+%%      releases/<relname>-<version>.tar.gz
+%%      releases/<version>/<relname>-<version>.tar.gz
+%%      releases/<version>/<relname>.tar.gz
+find_and_link_release_package(Version, RelName) ->
+    %% this is the symlink name we'll create once
+    %% we've found where the actual release package is located
+    ReleaseLink = filename:join(["releases", Version,
+                                 RelName ++ ".tar.gz"]),
+    case first_value(fun filelib:is_file/1,
+                     [filename:join(["releases",
+                                     RelName ++ "-" ++ Version ++ ".tar.gz"]),
+                      filename:join(["releases", Version,
+                                     RelName ++ "-" ++ Version ++ ".tar.gz"]),
+                      filename:join(["releases", Version,
+                                     RelName ++ ".tar.gz"])]) of
+        no_value ->
+            undefined;
+        %% no need to create the link since the release package we
+        %% found is located in the same place as the link would be
+        {ok, Filename} when is_list(Filename) andalso
+                            Filename =:= ReleaseLink ->
+            Filename;
+        {ok, Filename} when is_list(Filename) ->
+            %% we now have the location of the release package, however
+            %% release handler expects a fixed nomenclature (<relname>.tar.gz)
+            %% so give it just that by creating a symlink to the tarball
+            %% we found.
+            %% make sure that the dir where we're creating the link exists
+            ok = filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join([filename:dirname(ReleaseLink), "dummy"])),
+            %% create the symlink pointing to the full path name
+            ok = file:make_symlink(filename:absname(Filename), ReleaseLink),
+            Filename
+    end.
+
+first_value(_Fun, []) -> no_value;
+first_value(Fun, [Value | Rest]) ->
+    case Fun(Value) of
+        false ->
+            first_value(Fun, Rest);
+        true ->
+            {ok, Value}
+    end.
+
 parse_version(V) when is_list(V) ->
     hd(string:tokens(V,"/")).