diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index b5075aa4345..cd4e31efeff 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ BlenderEnvironment = Blender.BlenderEnvironment
 B = Blender
 
 VERSION = btools.VERSION # This is used in creating the local config directories
+VERSION_RELEASE_CYCLE = btools.VERSION_RELEASE_CYCLE
 
 ### globals ###
 platform = sys.platform
@@ -524,6 +525,10 @@ if env['OURPLATFORM']!='darwin':
                 if '__pycache__' in dn:  # py3.2 cache dir
                     dn.remove('__pycache__')
 
+                # only for testing builds
+                if VERSION_RELEASE_CYCLE == "release" and "addons_contrib" in dn:
+                    dn.remove('addons_contrib')
+
                 dir = os.path.join(env['BF_INSTALLDIR'], VERSION)
                 dir += os.sep + os.path.basename(scriptpath) + dp[len(scriptpath):]
 
diff --git a/build_files/scons/tools/btools.py b/build_files/scons/tools/btools.py
index 856231e3c84..4c826b12e89 100644
--- a/build_files/scons/tools/btools.py
+++ b/build_files/scons/tools/btools.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ def get_version():
             else:
                 ver_display = "%s%s" % (ver_base, ver_char)  # assume release
 
-            return ver_base, ver_display
+            return ver_base, ver_display, ver_cycle
 
     raise Exception("%s: missing version string" % fname)
 
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ def checkEndian():
 
 
 # This is used in creating the local config directories
-VERSION, VERSION_DISPLAY = get_version()
+VERSION, VERSION_DISPLAY, VERSION_RELEASE_CYCLE = get_version()
 REVISION = get_revision()
 ENDIAN = checkEndian()
 
diff --git a/source/creator/CMakeLists.txt b/source/creator/CMakeLists.txt
index ff82b836981..fa68704c7cd 100644
--- a/source/creator/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/source/creator/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -276,12 +276,23 @@ install(
 
 if(WITH_PYTHON)
 	# install(CODE "message(\"copying blender scripts...\")")
+	
+	# exclude addons_contrib if release
+	if("${BLENDER_VERSION_CYCLE}" STREQUAL "release")
+		set(ADDON_EXCLUDE_CONDITIONAL "addons_contrib/*")
+	else()
+		set(ADDON_EXCLUDE_CONDITIONAL "_addons_contrib/*")  # dummy, wont do anything
+	endif()
+
 	install(
 		DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/release/scripts
 		DESTINATION ${TARGETDIR_VER}
 		PATTERN ".svn" EXCLUDE
 		PATTERN "__pycache__" EXCLUDE
+		PATTERN "${ADDON_EXCLUDE_CONDITIONAL}" EXCLUDE
 	)
+	
+	unset(ADDON_EXCLUDE_CONDITIONAL)
 endif()
 
 # localization