diff --git a/tools/commands.js b/tools/commands.js
index e5e86d4d8b..adc33b00a7 100644
--- a/tools/commands.js
+++ b/tools/commands.js
@@ -576,19 +576,26 @@ main.registerCommand({
     projectDir: appPath,
     tropohouse: tropohouse.default
   });
-  // XXX #3006 write meteor release version!
-  // project.writeMeteorReleaseVersion(
-  //   release.current.isCheckout() ? "none" : release.current.name);
-  // XXX #3006 write upgraders!
-  // Any upgrader that is in this version of Meteor doesn't need to be run on
-  // this project.
-  // var upgraders = require('./upgraders.js');
-  // _.each(upgraders.allUpgraders(), function (upgrader) {
-  //   project.appendFinishedUpgrader(upgrader);
-  // });
 
   var messages = buildmessage.capture({ title: 'creating your project' }, function () {
-    // XXX #3006 ensure that this ALWAYS writes .meteor/version, even with
+    projectContext.readProjectMetadata();
+    if (buildmessage.jobHasMessages())
+      return;
+
+    projectContext.releaseFile.write(
+      release.current.isCheckout() ? "none" : release.current.name);
+    if (buildmessage.jobHasMessages())
+      return;
+
+    // XXX #3006 write upgraders!
+    // Any upgrader that is in this version of Meteor doesn't need to be run on
+    // this project.
+    // var upgraders = require('./upgraders.js');
+    // _.each(upgraders.allUpgraders(), function (upgrader) {
+    //   project.appendFinishedUpgrader(upgrader);
+    // });
+
+    // XXX #3006 ensure that this ALWAYS writes .meteor/versions, even with
     // '--release'.
     projectContext.prepareProjectForBuild();
   });
diff --git a/tools/project-context.js b/tools/project-context.js
index cbfeb2063f..dc6b42ba32 100644
--- a/tools/project-context.js
+++ b/tools/project-context.js
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ _.extend(exports.ProjectContext.prototype, {
     buildmessage.assertInCapture();
 
     buildmessage.enterJob('preparing project', function () {
-      self._readProjectMetadata();
+      self.readProjectMetadata();
       if (buildmessage.jobHasMessages())
         return;
 
@@ -76,10 +76,16 @@ _.extend(exports.ProjectContext.prototype, {
     return path.join(self.projectDir, '.meteor', 'local', subdirectory);
   },
 
-  _readProjectMetadata: function () {
+  // You can call this manually if you want to do some work before resolving
+  // constraints, or you can let prepareProjectForBuild do it for you.
+  readProjectMetadata: function () {
     var self = this;
     buildmessage.assertInCapture();
 
+    // Has this been called already?
+    if (self.releaseFile)
+      return;
+
     buildmessage.enterJob('reading project metadata', function () {
       // Read .meteor/release.
       self.releaseFile = new exports.ReleaseFile({
@@ -562,7 +568,7 @@ exports.ReleaseFile = function (options) {
   var self = this;
 
   self.filename = path.join(options.projectDir, '.meteor', 'release');
-  self.watchSet = new watch.WatchSet;
+  self.watchSet = null;
   // The release name actually written in the file.  Null if no fill.  Empty if
   // the file is empty.
   self.unnormalizedReleaseName = null;
@@ -587,6 +593,8 @@ _.extend(exports.ReleaseFile.prototype, {
   _readFile: function () {
     var self = this;
 
+    // Start a new watchSet, in case we just overwrote this.
+    self.watchSet = new watch.WatchSet;
     var contents = watch.readAndWatchFile(self.watchSet, self.filename);
     // If file doesn't exist, leave unnormalizedReleaseName empty; fileMissing
     // will be true.
@@ -607,8 +615,9 @@ _.extend(exports.ReleaseFile.prototype, {
     self.displayReleaseName = utils.displayRelease(parts[0], parts[1]);
   },
 
-  write: function () {
+  write: function (releaseName) {
     var self = this;
-    // XXX #3006 fill out
+    files.writeFileAtomically(self.filename, releaseName + '\n');
+    self._readFile();
   }
 });