diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 93164748..ca87a68c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -404,5 +404,7 @@ FodyWeavers.xsd
 cmake-build-*
 
 # Linux stuff
-build
-builds
+build[s]
+
+# Ignore autogenerated git-hash.txt file, generated for packaging purposes
+git-hash.txt
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 60efd9ff..e275d687 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ endif()
 
 project(Descent3
   LANGUAGES C CXX
-  VERSION 1.5.500
+  VERSION 1.5.0
 )
 
 option(FORCE_COLORED_OUTPUT "Always produce ANSI-colored compiler warnings/errors (GCC/Clang only; esp. useful with ninja)." OFF)
@@ -42,6 +42,23 @@ if(BUILD_TESTING)
   add_subdirectory(tests)
 endif()
 
+add_custom_command(
+  OUTPUT ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/Descent3/d3_version.h ALL
+  COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND}
+    -D SOURCE_DIR=${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}
+    -D TARGET_DIR=${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
+    -D PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR=${PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR}
+    -D PROJECT_VERSION_MINOR=${PROJECT_VERSION_MINOR}
+    -D PROJECT_VERSION_PATCH=${PROJECT_VERSION_PATCH}
+    -P ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/CheckGit.cmake
+  WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}
+)
+
+# rebuild version.hpp every time
+add_custom_target(get_git_hash ALL
+  DEPENDS ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/Descent3/d3_version.h
+)
+
 if(UNIX)
   set(D3_GAMEDIR "~/Descent3/")
 
diff --git a/Descent3/CMakeLists.txt b/Descent3/CMakeLists.txt
index f7158650..8f2a3133 100644
--- a/Descent3/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Descent3/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ set(HEADERS
   BriefingParse.h
   bsp.h
   buddymenu.h
-  buildno.h
   cinematics.h
   cockpit.h
   config.h
@@ -301,6 +300,8 @@ target_link_libraries(Descent3
   fix grtext manage mem misc model module movie stream_audio
   music networking physics renderer rtperformance sndlib ui unzip vecmat md5
   ${PLATFORM_LIBS})
+target_include_directories(Descent3 PRIVATE ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/lib)
+add_dependencies(Descent3 get_git_hash)
 
 if(UNIX)
 	add_dependencies(Descent3 HogLinuxFull)
diff --git a/Descent3/buildno.h b/Descent3/buildno.h
deleted file mode 100644
index b40bb182..00000000
--- a/Descent3/buildno.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-/*
-* Descent 3 
-* Copyright (C) 2024 Parallax Software
-*
-* 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/>.
-*/
-
-// Descent 3 release build number definition. This file is generated by code, so don't edit it!!!!
-
-#define D3_RELEASE_BUILD_NO 604
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Descent3/lnxmain.cpp b/Descent3/lnxmain.cpp
index efe31f48..fa5bae25 100644
--- a/Descent3/lnxmain.cpp
+++ b/Descent3/lnxmain.cpp
@@ -539,14 +539,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
   GatherArgs(argv);
 
-  snprintf(game_version_buffer, sizeof(game_version_buffer), "%d.%d.%d%s%s", D3_MAJORVER, D3_MINORVER, D3_BUILD,
-           LOKI_VERSION, GAME_VERS_EXT);
+  snprintf(game_version_buffer, sizeof(game_version_buffer), "%d.%d.%d%s %s", D3_MAJORVER, D3_MINORVER, D3_BUILD,
+           D3_GIT_HASH, GAME_VERS_EXT);
 
   loki_setgamename("descent3" GAME_NAME_EXT, game_version_buffer, "Descent 3");
 
   snprintf(game_version_buffer, sizeof(game_version_buffer),
            "\n\n"
-           "Descent 3 %s %s v%d.%d.%d%s\n"
+           "Descent 3 %s %s v%d.%d.%d %s\n"
            "Copyright (C) 1999 Outrage Entertainment, Inc.\n",
 
 #if defined(__APPLE__) && defined(__MACH__)
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 #else
            "Client",
 #endif
-           D3_MAJORVER, D3_MINORVER, D3_BUILD, LOKI_VERSION);
+           D3_MAJORVER, D3_MINORVER, D3_BUILD, D3_GIT_HASH);
 
   game_version += 2; // skip those first newlines for loki_initialize.
 
diff --git a/Descent3/mmItem.cpp b/Descent3/mmItem.cpp
index 5af1a386..09ddb63d 100644
--- a/Descent3/mmItem.cpp
+++ b/Descent3/mmItem.cpp
@@ -438,31 +438,19 @@ void mmInterface::CopyrightText() {
   } else if (Program_version.version_type == RELEASE_VERSION) {
     strcat(type, "Ver");
   }
-#ifndef RELEASE
-  int x = Max_window_w - 128, y = Max_window_h - 29; // was -128 and -16
-#else
+
   int x = Max_window_w - 164, y = Max_window_h - 29; // was -128 and -16
-#endif
+
   // attempt to print text nicely.
   grtext_SetFont(BRIEFING_FONT);
   grtext_SetAlpha(192);
   grtext_SetColor(GR_RGB(255, 32, 32));
-#if ((!defined(RELEASE)) || defined(DEMO))
-  grtext_Printf(x, y, Program_version.build ? "%s %d.%d.%d" : "%s v%d.%d", type, Program_version.major,
-                Program_version.minor, Program_version.build);
-#else
-  grtext_Printf(x, y, Program_version.build ? "%s %d.%d.%d Build %d" : "%s v%d.%d", type, Program_version.major,
-                Program_version.minor, Program_version.build, D3_RELEASE_BUILD_NO);
-#endif
-  //	grtext_CenteredPrintf(0, Max_window_h-16, "(c) 1998 Outrage Entertainment, Inc.");
 
-  grtext_SetFlags(GRTEXTFLAG_SATURATE);
-
-  for (i = 0; i < 1; i++) {
-    grtext_Printf(x, y, Program_version.build ? "%s %d.%d.%d" : "%s v%d.%d", type, Program_version.major,
-                  Program_version.minor, Program_version.build);
-    //		grtext_CenteredPrintf(0, Max_window_h-16, "(c) 1998 Outrage Entertainment, Inc.");
-  }
+  grtext_Printf(x, y, "%s %d.%d.%d %s", type, Program_version.major,
+                Program_version.minor, Program_version.build, D3_GIT_HASH);
+  grtext_SetFlags(GRTEXTFLAG_SHADOW);
+  grtext_Printf(x, y, "%s %d.%d.%d %s", type, Program_version.major,
+                Program_version.minor, Program_version.build, D3_GIT_HASH);
 
   grtext_Flush();
 }
diff --git a/Descent3/program.h b/Descent3/program.h
index aa9e5481..a31ef2e3 100644
--- a/Descent3/program.h
+++ b/Descent3/program.h
@@ -156,14 +156,9 @@
 #ifndef PROGRAM_H
 #define PROGRAM_H
 
+#include "d3_version.h"
 #include "pstypes.h"
 
-#include "buildno.h"
-
-#define D3_MAJORVER 0x1 // DESCENT 3 VERSION NUMBER
-#define D3_MINORVER 0x5
-#define D3_BUILD 0x0
-
 #define DEVELOPMENT_VERSION 0x1 // without editor: with debug, no beta
 #define RELEASE_VERSION 0x2     // final release candidate: no debug, beta, editor
 
diff --git a/cmake/CheckGit.cmake b/cmake/CheckGit.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..090d18ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/CheckGit.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# In case Git is not available, default is empty string
+set(GIT_HASH "")
+
+find_package(Git QUIET)
+if(GIT_FOUND)
+  execute_process(
+    COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} describe --always --dirty
+    OUTPUT_VARIABLE D3_GIT_HASH
+    OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
+    ERROR_QUIET
+  )
+  file(WRITE ${SOURCE_DIR}/git-hash.txt ${D3_GIT_HASH})
+else()
+  # Try to read pregenerated file with commit hash on it (archive version of repository)
+  if(EXISTS ${SOURCE_DIR}/git-hash.txt)
+    file(READ ${SOURCE_DIR}/git-hash.txt D3_GIT_HASH)
+  endif()
+endif()
+
+message(STATUS "Git hash is ${D3_GIT_HASH}")
+
+configure_file(
+  ${SOURCE_DIR}/lib/d3_version.h.in
+  ${TARGET_DIR}/lib/d3_version.h
+  @ONLY
+)
diff --git a/lib/d3_version.h.in b/lib/d3_version.h.in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..93355b9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/d3_version.h.in
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+/*
+ * Descent 3
+ * Copyright (C) 2024 Descent Developers
+ *
+ * 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/>.
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+/* This file is autogenerated from lib/d3_version.h.in */
+
+#define D3_MAJORVER @PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR@
+#define D3_MINORVER @PROJECT_VERSION_MINOR@
+#define D3_BUILD @PROJECT_VERSION_PATCH@
+
+#define D3_GIT_HASH "@D3_GIT_HASH@"
diff --git a/win32/CMakeLists.txt b/win32/CMakeLists.txt
index 7b993853..380b9ffa 100644
--- a/win32/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/win32/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -9,3 +9,5 @@ set(CPPS
   wintask.cpp)
 
 add_library(win32 STATIC ${HEADERS} ${CPPS})
+add_dependencies(win32 get_git_hash)
+target_include_directories(win32 PRIVATE ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/lib)
diff --git a/win32/windebug.cpp b/win32/windebug.cpp
index 317df728..cf06b90d 100644
--- a/win32/windebug.cpp
+++ b/win32/windebug.cpp
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@
  * $NoKeywords: $
  */
 
+#include "d3_version.h"
 #include "Debug.h"
 #include "mono.h"
 
@@ -1183,10 +1184,6 @@ const int NumCodeBytes = 16;   // Number of code bytes to record.
 const int MaxStackDump = 2048; // Maximum number of DWORDS in stack dumps.
 const int StackColumns = 8;    // Number of columns in stack dump.
 
-#if (defined(RELEASE) && (!defined(DEMO)) && (!defined(GAMEGAUGE)))
-#include "buildno.h"
-#endif
-
 extern int no_debug_dialog;
 
 int __cdecl RecordExceptionInfo(PEXCEPTION_POINTERS data, const char *Message) {
@@ -1239,7 +1236,7 @@ int __cdecl RecordExceptionInfo(PEXCEPTION_POINTERS data, const char *Message) {
     WriteFile(LogFile, callstack, lstrlen(callstack), &NumBytes, 0);
 
 #if (defined(RELEASE) && (!defined(DEMO)) && (!defined(GAMEGAUGE)))
-    wsprintf(callstack, "Descent 3 Release build %d\r\n", D3_RELEASE_BUILD_NO);
+    wsprintf(callstack, "Descent 3 Release build %s\r\n", D3_GIT_HASH);
     WriteFile(LogFile, callstack, lstrlen(callstack), &NumBytes, 0);
 #endif
     RecordSystemInformation(LogFile);