3 files changed, 8 insertions, 2 deletions

diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index f072d0cae..9191107d2 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
  ABOUT-NLS \
  config.rpath \
  acinclude.m4 \
- README.1st
+ README.1st \
+ .version
 
 gnunetincludedir = $(includedir)/gnunet
 gnunetinclude_HEADERS = gnunet_config.h
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 770ba499e..fec1069fc 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 #
 AC_PREREQ([2.69])
 # Checks for programs.
-AC_INIT([gnunet],[0.15.4-alpha.0],[bug-gnunet@gnu.org])
+AC_INIT([gnunet],m4_esyscmd([contrib/get_version.sh]),[bug-gnunet@gnu.org])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR([build-aux])
 
 # check for legacy option that is no longer supported (#5627) and fail hard
diff --git a/contrib/get_version.sh b/contrib/get_version.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2d2acf0be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/get_version.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+VERSION=$(git describe --tags | tr -d '\n')
+VERSION=${VERSION:1:${#VERSION}}
+echo $VERSION > .version
+echo  $VERSION