diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 1a8e9c1d5..84886e5a7 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ class DXXProgram:
 			self.opengles_lib = str(ARGUMENTS.get('opengles_lib', self.OGLES_LIB))
 			self.asm = int(ARGUMENTS.get('asm', 0))
 			self.editor = int(ARGUMENTS.get('editor', 0))
+			self.extra_version = ARGUMENTS.get('extra_version', None)
 			self.sdlmixer = int(ARGUMENTS.get('sdlmixer', 1))
 			self.ipv6 = int(ARGUMENTS.get('ipv6', 0))
 			self.use_udp = int(ARGUMENTS.get('use_udp', 1))
@@ -497,8 +498,13 @@ class D2XProgram(DXXProgram):
 	def register_program(self):
 		env = self.env
 		exe_target = os.path.join(self.srcdir, self.target)
+		versid_cppdefines=env['CPPDEFINES'][:]
+		if self.user_settings.extra_version:
+			versid_cppdefines.append(('DESCENT_VERSION_EXTRA', '\\"%s\\"' % self.user_settings.extra_version))
+		env.Object(source = ['main/vers_id.c'], CPPDEFINES=versid_cppdefines)
+		versid_sources = ['main/vers_id%s' % env['OBJSUFFIX']]
 		# finally building program...
-		env.Program(target=str(exe_target), source = self.common_sources, LIBS = self.platform_settings.libs, LINKFLAGS = str(self.platform_settings.lflags))
+		env.Program(target=str(exe_target), source = self.common_sources + versid_sources, LIBS = self.platform_settings.libs, LINKFLAGS = str(self.platform_settings.lflags))
 		if (sys.platform != 'darwin'):
 			env.Install(self.user_settings.BIN_DIR, str(exe_target))
 			env.Alias('install', self.user_settings.BIN_DIR)
diff --git a/main/inferno.c b/main/inferno.c
index f404643aa..2ec9edbf6 100644
--- a/main/inferno.c
+++ b/main/inferno.c
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	load_text();
 
 	//print out the banner title
-	con_printf(CON_NORMAL, "%s%s  %s %s\n", DESCENT_VERSION, PHYSFSX_exists(MISSION_DIR "d2x.hog",1) ? "  Vertigo Enhanced" : "", __DATE__,__TIME__); // D2X version
+	con_printf(CON_NORMAL, "%s%s  %s\n", DESCENT_VERSION, PHYSFSX_exists(MISSION_DIR "d2x.hog",1) ? "  Vertigo Enhanced" : "", g_descent_build_datetime); // D2X version
 	con_printf(CON_NORMAL, "This is a MODIFIED version of Descent 2, based on %s.\n", BASED_VERSION);
 	con_printf(CON_NORMAL, "%s\n%s\n",TXT_COPYRIGHT,TXT_TRADEMARK);
 	con_printf(CON_NORMAL, "Copyright (C) 1999 Peter Hawkins, 2002 Bradley Bell, 2005-2011 Christian Beckhaeuser\n\n");
diff --git a/main/vers_id.c b/main/vers_id.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5ade53700
--- /dev/null
+++ b/main/vers_id.c
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#include "vers_id.h"
+
+#ifndef DESCENT_VERSION_EXTRA
+#define DESCENT_VERSION_EXTRA	"v" VERSION
+#endif
+
+const char g_descent_version[40] = "D2X-Rebirth " DESCENT_VERSION_EXTRA;
+const char g_descent_build_datetime[20] = __DATE__ " " __TIME__;
diff --git a/main/vers_id.h b/main/vers_id.h
index 78eb7b703..5289c15a3 100644
--- a/main/vers_id.h
+++ b/main/vers_id.h
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
 
 #define BASED_VERSION "Full Version v1.2"
 #define VERSION D2XMAJOR "." D2XMINOR "." D2XMICRO
-#define DESCENT_VERSION "D2X-Rebirth v" VERSION
+#define DESCENT_VERSION g_descent_version
+
+extern const char g_descent_version[40];
+extern const char g_descent_build_datetime[20];
 
 #endif /* _VERS_ID */