diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index f65affaf45..179269e225 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 SUBDIRS = externals src scripts corepkgs doc misc tests
-EXTRA_DIST = substitute.mk nix.spec nix.spec.in bootstrap.sh
+EXTRA_DIST = substitute.mk nix.spec nix.spec.in bootstrap.sh svn-revision
 
 include ./substitute.mk
 
@@ -33,3 +33,6 @@ init-state:
 else
 init-state:
 endif
+
+svn-revision:
+	svnversion . > svn-revision
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b4dd93c4a3..2ba8e92384 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ if test "$STABLE" != "1"; then
     elif REVISION=`cat $srcdir/svn-revision 2> /dev/null`; then
         VERSION="${VERSION}pre${REVISION}"
     fi
-    NIX_VERSION=$VERSION
-    AC_SUBST(NIX_VERSION)
 fi
 
 AC_PREFIX_DEFAULT(/nix)
diff --git a/src/libmain/Makefile.am b/src/libmain/Makefile.am
index e326b84217..3c28441ca1 100644
--- a/src/libmain/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/libmain/Makefile.am
@@ -7,5 +7,5 @@ AM_CXXFLAGS = \
  -DNIX_DATA_DIR=\"$(datadir)\" \
  -DNIX_STATE_DIR=\"$(localstatedir)/nix\" \
  -DNIX_LOG_DIR=\"$(localstatedir)/log/nix\" \
- -DNIX_VERSION=\"$(NIX_VERSION)\" \
+ -DNIX_VERSION=\"$(VERSION)\" \
  -I.. ${aterm_include} -I../libutil -I../libstore