diff --git a/releng.control/promote.sh b/releng.control/promote.sh
index 3a5a4c2d30b0a882f03375e34596f85f45efa800..1c7e4780369ad1e83727db369097c2504eea2744 100755
--- a/releng.control/promote.sh
+++ b/releng.control/promote.sh
@@ -41,7 +41,9 @@ do
         ;;
         a)    addProperties=1        
         ;;        
-         p)    projectname=$OPTARG
+        # we strip off ".ser", if present, just to make it easier to use with tab completion, etc., from 
+        # releng.control directory, were the project files are named, for example, "wtp-R3.3.0-I.ser"
+         p)    projectname=${OPTARG%\.ser}
         ;;
         ?)    usage
         exit 2