diff --git a/samples/CMakeLists.txt b/samples/CMakeLists.txt
index f35ae6fd1..497557c59 100644
--- a/samples/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/samples/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,29 +6,30 @@ if(HAVE_INSTALL_ECCODES_SAMPLES)
              PERMISSIONS OWNER_WRITE OWNER_READ GROUP_READ WORLD_READ )
     # set to the newest GRIB2 tablesVersion
     if(NOT HAVE_MEMFS)
+      set(GRB2TABVERS '30')
       add_custom_target(set_grib2_latest_tables_version)
       add_custom_command(TARGET set_grib2_latest_tables_version
                          POST_BUILD
-                         COMMAND bash -c "cd ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${ECCODES_SAMPLES_SUFF}; for F in GRIB2.tmpl *_grib2.tmpl ; do grib_set -s tablesVersion=30 $F tmp; mv tmp $F; done"
+                         COMMAND bash -c "cd ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${ECCODES_SAMPLES_SUFF}; for F in GRIB2.tmpl *_grib2.tmpl ; do grib_set -s tablesVersion=${GRB2TABVERS} $F tmp; mv tmp $F; done"
                          VERBATIM
                          WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${ECCODES_SAMPLES_SUFF}
       )
       add_custom_command(TARGET set_grib2_latest_tables_version
                          POST_BUILD
-                         COMMAND bash -c "cd ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/eccodes/ifs_samples/grib1_mlgrib2; for F in *_ml.tmpl ; do grib_set -s tablesVersion=30 $F tmp; mv tmp $F; done"
+                         COMMAND bash -c "cd ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/eccodes/ifs_samples/grib1_mlgrib2; for F in *_ml.tmpl ; do grib_set -s tablesVersion=${GRB2TABVERS} $F tmp; mv tmp $F; done"
                          VERBATIM
                          WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${ECCODES_SAMPLES_SUFF}
       )
       add_custom_command(TARGET set_grib2_latest_tables_version
                          POST_BUILD
-                         COMMAND bash -c "cd ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/eccodes/ifs_samples/grib1_mlgrib2_ieee64; for F in *_ml.tmpl ; do grib_set -s tablesVersion=30 $F tmp; mv tmp $F; done"
+                         COMMAND bash -c "cd ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/eccodes/ifs_samples/grib1_mlgrib2_ieee64; for F in *_ml.tmpl ; do grib_set -s tablesVersion=${GRB2TABVERS} $F tmp; mv tmp $F; done"
                          VERBATIM
                          WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${ECCODES_SAMPLES_SUFF}
       )
       if(HAVE_AEC)
         add_custom_command(TARGET set_grib2_latest_tables_version
                            POST_BUILD
-                           COMMAND bash -c "cd ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/eccodes/ifs_samples/grib1_mlgrib2_ccsds; for F in *_ml.tmpl gg_sfc_grib2.tmpl ; do grib_set -s tablesVersion=30 $F tmp; mv tmp $F; done"
+                           COMMAND bash -c "cd ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/eccodes/ifs_samples/grib1_mlgrib2_ccsds; for F in *_ml.tmpl gg_sfc_grib2.tmpl ; do grib_set -s tablesVersion=${GRB2TABVERS} $F tmp; mv tmp $F; done"
                            VERBATIM
                            WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${ECCODES_SAMPLES_SUFF}
         )