diff --git a/src/Makefile.in b/src/Makefile.in
index 37a8018..e43098f 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.in
+++ b/src/Makefile.in
@@ -16,9 +16,11 @@ CFGFILE=	/opt/aprsc/etc/aprsc.conf
 # generate version strings
 VERSION:=$(shell cat VERSION)
 SVNVERSION:=$(shell if test -x /usr/bin/svnversion -a -d ../.svn  ; then /usr/bin/svnversion | sed -e 's/^.*://' | tee SVNVERSION ; else cat SVNVERSION; fi)
-DATE:=$(shell date +"%Y %B %d")
-RFCDATE:=$(shell date +"%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S %z")
+DATE:=$(shell TZ=UTC date +"%Y %B %d")
+RFCDATE:=$(shell TZ=UTC date +"%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S %z")
+BUILD_TIME:=$(shell TZ=UTC date +"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %z")
 LINUXDIST:=$(shell if test -f /etc/lsb-release ; then . /etc/lsb-release && echo "$$DISTRIB_ID-$$DISTRIB_RELEASE-$$DISTRIB_CODENAME"; fi)
+BUILD_USER:=$(shell whoami)
 
 # -------------------------------------------------------------------- #
 
@@ -101,6 +103,22 @@ testinstall:
 
 # -------------------------------------------------------------------- #
 
+.PHONY:	version_data.h
+version_data.h:
+	@echo "Generating version_data.h"
+	@echo "/* generated automatically by Makefile - mark your branch in version_branch.h */" > version_data.h.new
+	@echo "#ifndef VERSIONDATA_H" >> version_data.h.new
+	@echo "#define VERSIONDATA_H" >> version_data.h.new
+	@echo "#define SVNVERSION \"$(SVNVERSION)\"" >> version_data.h.new
+	@echo "#define BUILD_TIME \"$(BUILD_TIME)\"" >> version_data.h.new
+	@echo "#define BUILD_USER \"$(BUILD_USER)\"" >> version_data.h.new
+	@echo "#endif" >> version_data.h.new
+	@if test ! -f /version_data.h; then cp version_data.h.new version_data.h; fi
+	@diff -q version_data.h.new version_data.h || mv version_data.h.new version_data.h
+	@rm -f version_data.h.new
+	
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------- #
+
 OBJS = aprsc.o accept.o worker.o \
 	login.o incoming.o dupecheck.o outgoing.o \
 	clientlist.o client_heard.o \
@@ -111,7 +129,7 @@ OBJS = aprsc.o accept.o worker.o \
 	keyhash.o \
 	filter.o cellmalloc.o historydb.o \
 	counterdata.o status.o cJSON.o \
-	http.o \
+	http.o version.o \
 	@LIBOBJS@
 
 clean:
diff --git a/src/aprsc.c b/src/aprsc.c
index ac8c634..79b9157 100644
--- a/src/aprsc.c
+++ b/src/aprsc.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 #include "worker.h"
 #include "status.h"
 #include "http.h"
+#include "version.h"
 
 #include "dupecheck.h"
 #include "filter.h"
@@ -116,7 +117,7 @@ void parse_cmdline(int argc, char *argv[])
 			break;
 		case '?':
 		case 'h':
-			fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", VERSTR);
+			fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", verstr);
 			failed = 1;
 	}
 	}
diff --git a/src/config.h b/src/config.h
index 66ded0d..2da532c 100644
--- a/src/config.h
+++ b/src/config.h
@@ -12,9 +12,6 @@
 #define CONFIG_H
 
 #define PROGNAME "aprsc"
-#define VERSION "0.5.5"
-#define VERSTR  PROGNAME " v" VERSION
-#define SERVERID PROGNAME " " VERSION
 #define CRLF "\r\n"
 
 #include <unistd.h>
diff --git a/src/http.c b/src/http.c
index d594010..4ea3a90 100644
--- a/src/http.c
+++ b/src/http.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 
 #include "http.h"
 #include "config.h"
+#include "version.h"
 #include "hlog.h"
 #include "hmalloc.h"
 #include "worker.h"
diff --git a/src/status.c b/src/status.c
index c097ac2..2dd50e8 100644
--- a/src/status.c
+++ b/src/status.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "cellmalloc.h"
 #include "hmalloc.h"
 #include "config.h"
+#include "version.h"
 #include "hlog.h"
 #include "worker.h"
 #include "historydb.h"
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ char *status_json_string(int no_cache, int periodical)
 	cJSON_AddStringToObject(server, "admin", myadmin);
 	cJSON_AddStringToObject(server, "email", myemail);
 	cJSON_AddStringToObject(server, "software", "aprsc");
-	cJSON_AddStringToObject(server, "software_version", VERSION);
+	cJSON_AddStringToObject(server, "software_version", verstr);
 	cJSON_AddNumberToObject(server, "uptime", tick - startup_tick);
 	cJSON_AddNumberToObject(server, "t_started", startup_tick);
 	cJSON_AddNumberToObject(server, "t_now", tick);
diff --git a/src/uplink.c b/src/uplink.c
index 6823241..ee5a8f7 100644
--- a/src/uplink.c
+++ b/src/uplink.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <netinet/tcp.h>
 
 #include "config.h"
+#include "version.h"
 #include "uplink.h"
 #include "hmalloc.h"
 #include "hlog.h"
@@ -269,7 +270,7 @@ int uplink_login_handler(struct worker_t *self, struct client_t *c, int l4proto,
 	}
 
 	// TODO: The uplink login command here could maybe be improved to send a filter command.
-	len = sprintf(buf, "user %s pass %d vers %s\r\n", c->username, passcode, VERSTR);
+	len = sprintf(buf, "user %s pass %d vers %s\r\n", c->username, passcode, verstr_aprsis);
 
 	hlog(LOG_DEBUG, "%s: my login string: \"%.*s\"", c->addr_rem, len-2, buf, len);
 
diff --git a/src/version_branch.h b/src/version_branch.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1dff821
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/version_branch.h
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+
+#ifndef VERSION_BRANCH_H
+#define VERSION_BRANCH_H
+
+/*
+ *	If you're building your own version of aprsc, and have actually
+ *	made modifications in the code, please insert a branch ID here
+ *	so that your variant can be identified.
+ *
+ *	Examples:
+ *
+ *	#define VERSION_BRANCH "-mycall-5"
+ *	(for version 5 of modified tree made by MYCALL)
+ *
+ *	Don't forget to put a - in the beginning, as the string will be
+ *	concated with the version string (aprsc 1.0-725-mycall-5).
+ *
+ *	Thanks!
+ */
+
+#define VERSION_BRANCH ""
+
+#endif
+
diff --git a/src/worker.c b/src/worker.c
index 5c2a72c..b3c1ebf 100644
--- a/src/worker.c
+++ b/src/worker.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "clientlist.h"
 #include "client_heard.h"
 #include "cellmalloc.h"
+#include "version.h"
 
 time_t now;	/* current time, updated by the main thread, MAY be spun around by the simulator */
 time_t tick;	/* real monotonous clock, may or may not be wallclock */
@@ -1135,7 +1136,7 @@ void collect_new_clients(struct worker_t *self)
 		/* According to http://www.aprs-is.net/ServerDesign.aspx, the server must
 		 * initially transmit it's software name and version string.
 		 */
-		client_printf(self, c, "# " SERVERID "\r\n");
+		client_printf(self, c, "# %s\r\n", verstr_aprsis);
 		
 		/* If the write failed immediately, c is already invalid at this point. Don't touch it. */
 	}
@@ -1168,7 +1169,7 @@ void send_keepalives(struct worker_t *self)
 	// Example message:
 	// # javAPRSSrvr 3.12b12 1 Mar 2008 15:11:20 GMT T2FINLAND 85.188.1.32:14580
 
-	sprintf(buf, "# %.40s ",SERVERID);
+	sprintf(buf, "# %.40s ", verstr_aprsis);
 	s = buf + strlen(buf);
 
 	memset(&t, 0, sizeof(t));