diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a83c4c97..a7526b78 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ lib*.pc
 /config.log
 /config.status
 /config.h
+/repmgr_version.h
 
 # other
 /.lineno
diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index c769d6f7..740876f9 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -35,8 +35,12 @@ REPMGR_CLIENT_OBJS = repmgr-client.o \
 	repmgr-action-primary.o repmgr-action-standby.o repmgr-action-bdr.o repmgr-action-cluster.o repmgr-action-node.o \
 	configfile.o log.o strutil.o controldata.o dirutil.o compat.o dbutils.o
 REPMGRD_OBJS = repmgrd.o repmgrd-physical.o repmgrd-bdr.o configfile.o log.o dbutils.o strutil.o controldata.o
+DATE=$(shell date "+%Y-%m-%d")
 
-$(REPMGR_CLIENT_OBJS): repmgr-client.h
+repmgr_version.h: repmgr_version.h.in
+	sed '0,/REPMGR_VERSION_DATE/s,\(REPMGR_VERSION_DATE\).*,\1 "$(DATE)",' $< >$@
+
+$(REPMGR_CLIENT_OBJS): repmgr-client.h repmgr_version.h
 
 repmgr: $(REPMGR_CLIENT_OBJS)
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(REPMGR_CLIENT_OBJS) $(libpq_pgport) $(LDFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS_EX) $(LIBS) -o $@$(X)
diff --git a/repmgr_version.h b/repmgr_version.h.in
similarity index 96%
rename from repmgr_version.h
rename to repmgr_version.h.in
index a6760762..7ed5c769 100644
--- a/repmgr_version.h
+++ b/repmgr_version.h.in
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #ifndef _VERSION_H_
 #define _VERSION_H_
 
+#define REPMGR_VERSION_DATE ""
 #define REPMGR_VERSION "4.0dev"
 
 #endif