diff --git a/Make.mk b/Make.mk
index 0e572861..5746cc38 100644
--- a/Make.mk
+++ b/Make.mk
@@ -47,8 +47,13 @@ all:
 # Source files
 ifeq ($(revctrl),git)
 src := $(shell cd $(srcdir) && git ls-files | uniq)
+version := $(shell cd $(srcdir) && build-aux/git-version-gen /dev/null)
 else
 include $(srcdir)/sources.mk
+version := $(shell cat $(srcdir)/.tarball-version || echo "UNKNOWN")
+endif
+ifeq ($(version),UNKNOWN)
+$(error cannot figure out version)
 endif
 dirs := $(sort $(dir $(src)))
 csrc := $(filter %.c, $(src))
@@ -333,6 +338,19 @@ $(libs) $(empth_lib):
 	$(call quiet-command,$(AR) rc $@ $?,AR $@)
 	$(RANLIB) $@
 
+src/lib/global/version.o: CPPFLAGS += -DVERSION='"$(version)"'
+src/lib/global/version.o: $(src)
+
+ifneq ($(revctrl),git)
+$(srcdir)/.tarball-version: $(src)
+	v=`sed -e 's/-dirty$$//' <$@`; echo "$$v-dirty" >$@
+# Force Make to start over after updating .tarball-version, so that
+# $(version) gets the new value
+$(srcdir)/.dirty-stamp: .tarball-version
+	>$@
+include $(srcdir)/.dirty-stamp
+endif
+
 # Info formatting
 
 # mksubj.pl reads $(tsrc) and writes $(tsubj).  A naive rule
@@ -367,7 +385,7 @@ info.ps: info/TROFF.MAC info/INFO.MAC info/TOP.t $(tsubj) $(tsrc)
 
 .PHONY: dist-source
 dist-source: $(src_distgen)
-	$(tarball) $(TARNAME)-$(VERSION) -C $(srcdir) $(src_distgen) $(src)
+	$(tarball) $(TARNAME) $(version) -C $(srcdir) $(src_distgen) $(src)
 
 ifeq ($(revctrl),git)
 .PHONY: $(srcdir)/sources.mk
@@ -377,7 +395,7 @@ endif
 
 .PHONY: dist-client
 dist-client: $(cli_distgen)
-	$(tarball) $(TARNAME)-client-$(VERSION)				\
+	$(tarball) $(TARNAME)-client $(version)				\
 	-C $(srcdir)/src/client						\
 		$(notdir $(filter src/client/%, $(src))	$(cli_distgen))	\
 	-C $(srcdir)/include proto.h version.h				\
@@ -389,8 +407,8 @@ dist-client: $(cli_distgen)
 
 .PHONY: dist-info
 dist-info: info html
-	$(tarball) $(TARNAME)-info-text-$(VERSION) -C info.nr $(info)
-	$(tarball) $(TARNAME)-info-html-$(VERSION) -C info.html $(addsuffix .html, $(info))
+	$(tarball) $(TARNAME)-info-text $(version) -C info.nr $(info)
+	$(tarball) $(TARNAME)-info-html $(version) -C info.html $(addsuffix .html, $(info))
 
 # Dependencies
 
diff --git a/build-aux/git-version-gen b/build-aux/git-version-gen
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..0fa90636
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build-aux/git-version-gen
@@ -0,0 +1,220 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Print a version string.
+scriptversion=2012-03-18.17; # UTC
+
+# Copyright (C) 2007-2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+# This script is derived from GIT-VERSION-GEN from GIT: http://git.or.cz/.
+# It may be run two ways:
+# - from a git repository in which the "git describe" command below
+#   produces useful output (thus requiring at least one signed tag)
+# - from a non-git-repo directory containing a .tarball-version file, which
+#   presumes this script is invoked like "./git-version-gen .tarball-version".
+
+# In order to use intra-version strings in your project, you will need two
+# separate generated version string files:
+#
+# .tarball-version - present only in a distribution tarball, and not in
+#   a checked-out repository.  Created with contents that were learned at
+#   the last time autoconf was run, and used by git-version-gen.  Must not
+#   be present in either $(srcdir) or $(builddir) for git-version-gen to
+#   give accurate answers during normal development with a checked out tree,
+#   but must be present in a tarball when there is no version control system.
+#   Therefore, it cannot be used in any dependencies.  GNUmakefile has
+#   hooks to force a reconfigure at distribution time to get the value
+#   correct, without penalizing normal development with extra reconfigures.
+#
+# .version - present in a checked-out repository and in a distribution
+#   tarball.  Usable in dependencies, particularly for files that don't
+#   want to depend on config.h but do want to track version changes.
+#   Delete this file prior to any autoconf run where you want to rebuild
+#   files to pick up a version string change; and leave it stale to
+#   minimize rebuild time after unrelated changes to configure sources.
+#
+# As with any generated file in a VC'd directory, you should add
+# /.version to .gitignore, so that you don't accidentally commit it.
+# .tarball-version is never generated in a VC'd directory, so needn't
+# be listed there.
+#
+# Use the following line in your configure.ac, so that $(VERSION) will
+# automatically be up-to-date each time configure is run (and note that
+# since configure.ac no longer includes a version string, Makefile rules
+# should not depend on configure.ac for version updates).
+#
+# AC_INIT([GNU project],
+#         m4_esyscmd([build-aux/git-version-gen .tarball-version]),
+#         [bug-project@example])
+#
+# Then use the following lines in your Makefile.am, so that .version
+# will be present for dependencies, and so that .version and
+# .tarball-version will exist in distribution tarballs.
+#
+# EXTRA_DIST = $(top_srcdir)/.version
+# BUILT_SOURCES = $(top_srcdir)/.version
+# $(top_srcdir)/.version:
+#	echo $(VERSION) > $@-t && mv $@-t $@
+# dist-hook:
+#	echo $(VERSION) > $(distdir)/.tarball-version
+
+
+me=$0
+
+version="git-version-gen $scriptversion
+
+Copyright 2011 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+There is NO warranty.  You may redistribute this software
+under the terms of the GNU General Public License.
+For more information about these matters, see the files named COPYING."
+
+usage="\
+Usage: $me [OPTION]... \$srcdir/.tarball-version [TAG-NORMALIZATION-SED-SCRIPT]
+Print a version string.
+
+Options:
+
+   --prefix           prefix of git tags (default 'v')
+
+   --help             display this help and exit
+   --version          output version information and exit
+
+Running without arguments will suffice in most cases."
+
+prefix=v
+
+while test $# -gt 0; do
+  case $1 in
+    --help) echo "$usage"; exit 0;;
+    --version) echo "$version"; exit 0;;
+    --prefix) shift; prefix="$1";;
+    -*)
+      echo "$0: Unknown option '$1'." >&2
+      echo "$0: Try '--help' for more information." >&2
+      exit 1;;
+    *)
+      if test -z "$tarball_version_file"; then
+        tarball_version_file="$1"
+      elif test -z "$tag_sed_script"; then
+        tag_sed_script="$1"
+      else
+        echo "$0: extra non-option argument '$1'." >&2
+        exit 1
+      fi;;
+  esac
+  shift
+done
+
+if test -z "$tarball_version_file"; then
+    echo "$usage"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+tag_sed_script="${tag_sed_script:-s/x/x/}"
+
+nl='
+'
+
+# Avoid meddling by environment variable of the same name.
+v=
+v_from_git=
+
+# First see if there is a tarball-only version file.
+# then try "git describe", then default.
+if test -f $tarball_version_file
+then
+    v=`cat $tarball_version_file` || v=
+    case $v in
+        *$nl*) v= ;; # reject multi-line output
+        [0-9]*) ;;
+        *) v= ;;
+    esac
+    test -z "$v" \
+        && echo "$0: WARNING: $tarball_version_file is missing or damaged" 1>&2
+fi
+
+if test -n "$v"
+then
+    : # use $v
+# Otherwise, if there is at least one git commit involving the working
+# directory, and "git describe" output looks sensible, use that to
+# derive a version string.
+elif test "`git log -1 --pretty=format:x . 2>&1`" = x \
+    && v=`git describe --abbrev=4 --match="$prefix*" HEAD 2>/dev/null \
+          || git describe --abbrev=4 HEAD 2>/dev/null` \
+    && v=`printf '%s\n' "$v" | sed "$tag_sed_script"` \
+    && case $v in
+         $prefix[0-9]*) ;;
+         *) (exit 1) ;;
+       esac
+then
+    # Is this a new git that lists number of commits since the last
+    # tag or the previous older version that did not?
+    #   Newer: v6.10-77-g0f8faeb
+    #   Older: v6.10-g0f8faeb
+    case $v in
+        *-*-*) : git describe is okay three part flavor ;;
+        *-*)
+            : git describe is older two part flavor
+            # Recreate the number of commits and rewrite such that the
+            # result is the same as if we were using the newer version
+            # of git describe.
+            vtag=`echo "$v" | sed 's/-.*//'`
+            commit_list=`git rev-list "$vtag"..HEAD 2>/dev/null` \
+                || { commit_list=failed;
+                     echo "$0: WARNING: git rev-list failed" 1>&2; }
+            numcommits=`echo "$commit_list" | wc -l`
+            v=`echo "$v" | sed "s/\(.*\)-\(.*\)/\1-$numcommits-\2/"`;
+            test "$commit_list" = failed && v=UNKNOWN
+            ;;
+    esac
+
+    # Change the first '-' to a '.', so version-comparing tools work properly.
+    # Remove the "g" in git describe's output string, to save a byte.
+    v=`echo "$v" | sed 's/-/./;s/\(.*\)-g/\1-/'`;
+    v_from_git=1
+else
+    v=UNKNOWN
+fi
+
+v=`echo "$v" |sed "s/^$prefix//"`
+
+# Test whether to append the "-dirty" suffix only if the version
+# string we're using came from git.  I.e., skip the test if it's "UNKNOWN"
+# or if it came from .tarball-version.
+if test -n "$v_from_git"; then
+  # Don't declare a version "dirty" merely because a time stamp has changed.
+  git update-index --refresh > /dev/null 2>&1
+
+  dirty=`exec 2>/dev/null;git diff-index --name-only HEAD` || dirty=
+  case "$dirty" in
+      '') ;;
+      *) # Append the suffix only if there isn't one already.
+          case $v in
+            *-dirty) ;;
+            *) v="$v-dirty" ;;
+          esac ;;
+  esac
+fi
+
+# Omit the trailing newline, so that m4_esyscmd can use the result directly.
+echo "$v" | tr -d "$nl"
+
+# Local variables:
+# eval: (add-hook 'write-file-hooks 'time-stamp)
+# time-stamp-start: "scriptversion="
+# time-stamp-format: "%:y-%02m-%02d.%02H"
+# time-stamp-time-zone: "UTC"
+# time-stamp-end: "; # UTC"
+# End:
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 18dc12ef..8c1c6cd2 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #   configure.ac: Autoconf input file
 #
 #   Known contributors to this file:
-#      Markus Armbruster, 2005-2015
+#      Markus Armbruster, 2005-2016
 #
 # Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
 
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@
 # whether it's worth fixing.
 
 AC_PREREQ(2.69)
-AC_INIT([Wolfpack Empire], [4.3.34], [wolfpack@wolfpackempire.com], [empire],
+AC_INIT([Wolfpack Empire],
+	m4_esyscmd([build-aux/git-version-gen .tarball-version]),
+	[wolfpack@wolfpackempire.com], [empire],
 	[http://www.wolfpackempire.com/])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([include/combat.h])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR([build-aux])
@@ -58,9 +60,13 @@ AC_ARG_VAR(NROFF, [nroff command])
 AC_CHECK_PROG(NROFF, groff, [GROFF_NO_SGR= groff -Tascii -U], nroff)
 
 # not really a check for a program, but close enough
-if test -d $srcdir/.git; then revctrl=git
+if test -d $srcdir/.git
+then revctrl=git
 else revctrl=
 fi
+if test "$revctrl" && test -r .tarball-version
+then AC_MSG_ERROR([.tarball-version must not exist])
+fi
 AC_SUBST(revctrl,$revctrl)
 
 # Not a program, but need to check this early
diff --git a/src/client/configure.ac b/src/client/configure.ac
index 58bcfacf..9352989f 100644
--- a/src/client/configure.ac
+++ b/src/client/configure.ac
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #   configure.ac: Autoconf input file
 #
 #   Known contributors to this file:
-#      Markus Armbruster, 2005-2015
+#      Markus Armbruster, 2005-2016
 #
 # Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
 
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@
 # whether it's worth fixing.
 
 AC_PREREQ(2.69)
-AC_INIT([Empire Client], [4.3.34], [wolfpack@wolfpackempire.com],,
+AC_INIT([Wolfpack Empire Client],
+	m4_esyscmd([cat .tarball-version]),
+	[wolfpack@wolfpackempire.com],,
 	[http://www.wolfpackempire.com/])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([empire.6])
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([config.h])
@@ -88,6 +90,8 @@ MY_WITH_TERMINFO
 
 ### Output
 
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(VERSION, "`cat .tarball-version`", [Tarball version])
+
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile ipglob.c])
 AC_OUTPUT
 
diff --git a/src/lib/global/version.c b/src/lib/global/version.c
index a218e631..be53aa81 100644
--- a/src/lib/global/version.c
+++ b/src/lib/global/version.c
@@ -27,14 +27,14 @@
  *  version.c:
  *
  *  Known contributors to this file:
- *     Markus Armbruster, 2006
+ *     Markus Armbruster, 2006-2016
  */
 
 #include <config.h>
 
 #include "version.h"
 
-char version[] = PACKAGE_STRING;
+char version[] = PACKAGE_NAME " " VERSION;
 char legal[] =
 "Copyright (C) 1986-2016, Dave Pare, Jeff Bailey, Thomas Ruschak,\n"
 "              Ken Stevens, Steve McClure, Markus Armbruster\n"
diff --git a/src/scripts/tarball b/src/scripts/tarball
index a9a6778d..1ce6341d 100755
--- a/src/scripts/tarball
+++ b/src/scripts/tarball
@@ -5,9 +5,13 @@ if [ $# = 0 ]; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
-name=$1; shift
+name="$1-$2"
+version="$2"
+shift; shift
 
 mkdir $name
+printf "%s" $version >$name/.tarball-version
+>$name/.dirty-stamp
 
 # arrange cleanup
 trap 'rm -rf "$name"' 0
diff --git a/tests/normalize.pl b/tests/normalize.pl
index 5cffabe0..06a4e029 100755
--- a/tests/normalize.pl
+++ b/tests/normalize.pl
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ while (<>) {
 	    and (/\: No (sector|ship|plane|unit|nuke)\(s\)|\: Nothing lost/
 		 or /^[0-9]+ (sector|ship|plane|unit|nuke|lost item)/));
 
+    ### Version
+    s/(Wolfpack( |\\\\040)Empire( |\\\\040))[0-9][^ "]*/${1}4.3.34/;
     ### Formatted time
     # nat_timeused in prompt
     s/^\[[0-9]+(:[0-9]+\] Command \:)/[0$1/;