diff --git a/rtems/config/rtems-urls.bset b/rtems/config/rtems-urls.bset
index 13fb517..91e4bad 100644
--- a/rtems/config/rtems-urls.bset
+++ b/rtems/config/rtems-urls.bset
@@ -13,8 +13,3 @@
 %define rtems_gcc_patches      %{rtems_git_tools}/gcc
 %define rtems_newlib_patches   %{rtems_git_tools}/newlib
 %define rtems_gdb_patches      %{rtems_git_tools}/gdb
-
-#
-# Releases paths on the FTP server.
-#
-%define rtems_release_url https://ftp.rtems.org/pub/rtems/releases/%{rtems_version}
diff --git a/source-builder/defaults.mc b/source-builder/defaults.mc
index 44fa838..c65fa22 100644
--- a/source-builder/defaults.mc
+++ b/source-builder/defaults.mc
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ _host:               triplet, required, ''
 _build:              triplet, required, ''
 _target:             none,    optional, ''
 
+# RTEMS release URL
+rtems_release_url:   none,    none,     'ftp://ftp.rtems.org/pub/rtems/releases/%{rtems_version}'
+
 # The user
 _uid:                none,    convert,  '%(%{__id_u} -n)'
 
diff --git a/source-builder/sb/download.py b/source-builder/sb/download.py
index d218a9e..9facf06 100644
--- a/source-builder/sb/download.py
+++ b/source-builder/sb/download.py
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ def _http_downloader(url, local, config, opts):
         _chunk = None
         _last_percent = 200.0
         _last_msg = ''
-        _wipe_output = False
+        _have_status_output = False
         try:
             try:
                 _in = None
@@ -367,17 +367,16 @@ def _http_downloader(url, local, config, opts):
                         extras = (len(_last_msg) - len(_msg))
                         log.stdout_raw('%s%s' % (_msg, ' ' * extras + '\b' * extras))
                         _last_msg = _msg
+                        _have_status_output = True
                     _chunk = _in.read(_chunk_size)
                     if not _chunk:
                         break
                     _out.write(_chunk)
                     _have += len(_chunk)
-                if _wipe_output:
-                    log.stdout_raw('\r%s\r' % (' ' * len(_last_msg)))
-                else:
-                    log.stdout_raw('\n')
+                log.stdout_raw('\n\r')
             except:
-                log.stdout_raw('\n')
+                if _have_status_output:
+                    log.stdout_raw('\n\r')
                 raise
         except IOError as err:
             log.notice('download: %s: error: %s' % (url, str(err)))
@@ -557,11 +556,26 @@ def get_file(url, local, opts, config):
         raise error.general('source not found: %s' % (path.host(local)))
     #
     # Check if a URL has been provided on the command line. If the package is
-    # release push to the start the RTEMS URL.
+    # released push to the start the RTEMS URL unless overrided by the command
+    # line option --with-release-url. The variant --without-release-url can
+    # override the released check.
     #
     url_bases = opts.urls()
+    rtems_release_url_value = config.macros.expand('%{rtems_release_url}/%{rsb_version}/sources')
+    rtems_release_url = None
     if version.released():
-        rtems_release_url = config.macros.expand('%{rtems_release_url}/%{rsb_version}/sources')
+        rtems_release_url = rtems_release_url_value
+    with_rel_url = opts.with_arg('release-url')
+    if with_rel_url[0] == 'with_release-url':
+        if with_rel_url[1] == 'yes':
+            rtems_release_url = rtems_release_url_value
+        elif with_rel_url[1] == 'no':
+            pass
+        else:
+            rtems_release_url = with_rel_url[1]
+    elif with_rel_url[0] == 'without_release-url' and with_rel_url[1] == 'no':
+        rtems_release_url = rtems_release_url_value
+    if rtems_release_url is not None:
         log.trace('release url: %s' % (rtems_release_url))
         #
         # If the URL being fetched is under the release path do not add the
diff --git a/source-builder/sb/log.py b/source-builder/sb/log.py
index cc92dd3..b0a9001 100755
--- a/source-builder/sb/log.py
+++ b/source-builder/sb/log.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def _output(text = os.linesep, log = None):
         sys.stdout.flush()
 
 def stdout_raw(text = os.linesep):
-    print(text, end=' ')
+    print(text, end = '')
     sys.stdout.flush()
 
 def stderr(text = os.linesep, log = None):
diff --git a/source-builder/sb/options.py b/source-builder/sb/options.py
index cddc880..ba1eff0 100644
--- a/source-builder/sb/options.py
+++ b/source-builder/sb/options.py
@@ -460,7 +460,9 @@ class command_line:
             return None
         return self.parse_args(arg)
 
-    def with_arg(self, label):
+    def with_arg(self, label, default = 'not-found'):
+        # the default if there is no option for without.
+        result = default
         for pre in ['with', 'without']:
             arg_str = '--%s-%s' % (pre, label)
             arg_label = '%s_%s' % (pre, label)
@@ -471,10 +473,6 @@ class command_line:
                 else:
                     result = arg[1]
                 break
-            if pre == 'with':
-                result = 'yes'
-            else:
-                result = 'no'
         return [arg_label, result]
 
     def get_config_files(self, config):