diff --git a/tools/cef_version.py b/tools/cef_version.py
index d63dc763f..10aebaaba 100644
--- a/tools/cef_version.py
+++ b/tools/cef_version.py
@@ -172,11 +172,18 @@ class VersionFormatter:
     cef_commit = self.get_cef_commit_components()
     cef_commit_hash = self._format_commit_hash(cef_commit['HASH'])
 
-    # Remove the remote name prefix, if any.
-    cef_branch_name = git.get_branch_name(self.cef_path).split('/')[-1]
+    # Determine whether the current commit is on a release branch. For example,
+    # if using Chrome build 3683, are we on CEF branch "3683" or "origin/3683"?
+    release_branch = chrome_version['BUILD']
+    on_release_branch = (
+        git.is_ancestor(self.cef_path, 'HEAD', release_branch) or
+        git.is_ancestor(self.cef_path, 'HEAD', 'origin/' + release_branch))
+
+    if not on_release_branch:
+      # Not on a commit that is part of an official named release branch. See
+      # if we can get the name of the branch we are on (may be just "HEAD").
+      cef_branch_name = git.get_branch_name(self.cef_path).split('/')[-1]
 
-    if cef_branch_name != chrome_version['BUILD']:
-      # Not on an official named release branch.
       self._version_parts = {'MAJOR': int(chrome_major), 'MINOR': 0, 'PATCH': 0}
       self._version_string = '%s.0.0-%s.%s+%s+%s' % \
              (chrome_major, cef_branch_name, cef_commit['NUMBER'],
diff --git a/tools/exec_util.py b/tools/exec_util.py
index ceabc5b09..6d7677d1c 100644
--- a/tools/exec_util.py
+++ b/tools/exec_util.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ def exec_cmd(cmd, path, input_string=None):
   """ Execute the specified command and return the result. """
   out = ''
   err = ''
+  ret = -1
   parts = cmd.split()
   try:
     if input_string is None:
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ def exec_cmd(cmd, path, input_string=None):
           stderr=PIPE,
           shell=(sys.platform == 'win32'))
       out, err = process.communicate()
+      ret = process.returncode
     else:
       process = Popen(
           parts,
@@ -29,8 +31,9 @@ def exec_cmd(cmd, path, input_string=None):
           stderr=PIPE,
           shell=(sys.platform == 'win32'))
       out, err = process.communicate(input=input_string)
+      ret = process.returncode
   except IOError, (errno, strerror):
     raise
   except:
     raise
-  return {'out': out, 'err': err}
+  return {'out': out, 'err': err, 'ret': ret}
diff --git a/tools/git_util.py b/tools/git_util.py
index 06a96337c..79db0455e 100644
--- a/tools/git_util.py
+++ b/tools/git_util.py
@@ -18,6 +18,13 @@ def is_checkout(path):
   return os.path.isdir(os.path.join(path, '.git'))
 
 
+def is_ancestor(path='.', commit1='HEAD', commit2='master'):
+  """ Returns whether |commit1| is an ancestor of |commit2|. """
+  cmd = "%s merge-base --is-ancestor %s %s" % (git_exe, commit1, commit2)
+  result = exec_cmd(cmd, path)
+  return result['ret'] == 0
+
+
 def get_hash(path='.', branch='HEAD'):
   """ Returns the git hash for the specified branch/tag/hash. """
   cmd = "%s rev-parse %s" % (git_exe, branch)