diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 46c429fb6..19484f1d1 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -414,6 +414,9 @@ fi
 
 mkdir -p $BUILD
 
+# source the version script
+. $(dirname $(which $0))/version.sh
+
 # qmake needs absolute paths, so we get them now:
 BUILD=`readlink -f $BUILD`
 BIN=`readlink -f $BIN`
diff --git a/scripts/deploy-win-mingw.sh b/scripts/deploy-win-mingw.sh
index 0ac839f70..7ad20ab1b 100644
--- a/scripts/deploy-win-mingw.sh
+++ b/scripts/deploy-win-mingw.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,57 @@
 #!/bin/sh -e
 
+# Specify the Python interpreter to use.
+# This is the command executed for the Python interpreter that is going
+# to be included in KLayout.
+
+python="python3.5m"
+
+# Specify the Ruby interpreter to use.
+# This is the command executed for the Ruby interpreter that is going
+# to be included in KLayout.
+
+ruby="ruby"
+
+# Specify the path to the NSIS compiler
+
+makensis=/c/Program\ Files\ \(x86\)/NSIS/makensis.exe
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------
+# General initialization
+
+if ! [ -e ./build.sh ]; then
+  echo "ERROR: build script not found (not in the main directory?)"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# source the versions
+. ./version.sh
+
+pwd=$(pwd)
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------
+# Bootstrap script
+# This branch will fork to the actual builds for win32 and win64
+
+if [ "$KLAYOUT_BUILD_IN_PROGRESS" == "" ]; then
+
+  self=$(which $0)
+
+  export KLAYOUT_BUILD_IN_PROGRESS=1
+
+  # Run ourself in MINGW32 system for the win32 build
+  MSYSTEM=MINGW32 bash --login -c "cd $pwd ; $self"
+
+  # Run ourself in MINGW64 system for the win64 build
+  MSYSTEM=MINGW64 bash --login -c "cd $pwd ; $self"
+
+  exit 0
+
+fi
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------
+# Actual build branch
+
 if [ "$MSYSTEM" == "MINGW32" ]; then
   arch=win32
   mingw_inst=/mingw32
@@ -10,20 +62,24 @@ else
   echo "ERROR: not in mingw32 or mingw64 system."
 fi
 
-pwd=$(pwd)
 target=$pwd/bin-release-$arch
 build=$pwd/build-release-$arch
 src=$pwd/src
 scripts=$pwd/scripts
-python="python3.5m"
-ruby="ruby"
 
-makensis=/c/Program\ Files\ \(x86\)/NSIS/makensis.exe
+echo "------------------------------------------------------------------"
+echo "Running build for architecture $arch .."
+echo ""
+echo "  target = $target"
+echo "  build = $build"
+echo "  version = $KLAYOUT_VERSION"
+echo "  date = $KLAYOUT_VERSION_DATE"
+echo "  rev = $KLAYOUT_VERSION_REV"
+echo ""
 
-version=$(cat $src/klayout_main/version.h | grep prg_version | sed 's/.*"\(.*\)".*/\1/')
-echo "Version is $version"
+# Force a minimum rebuild for the version update
+touch src/klayout_main/version.h
 
-echo "Running build .."
 rm -rf $target
 ./build.sh -python $python -ruby $ruby -bin $target -build $build -j2
 
@@ -126,5 +182,5 @@ echo ']' >>$target/.python-paths.txt
 # longer require the copy
 cp $scripts/klayout-inst.nsis $target
 cd $target
-NSIS_VERSION=$version NSIS_ARCH=$arch "$makensis" klayout-inst.nsis
+NSIS_VERSION=$KLAYOUT_VERSION NSIS_ARCH=$arch "$makensis" klayout-inst.nsis
 
diff --git a/scripts/deploy-win.sh b/scripts/deploy-win.sh
deleted file mode 100644
index bc24134cd..000000000
--- a/scripts/deploy-win.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh -e
-
-inst_dir=$(dirname $(which $0))
-if ! [ -e ./build.sh ]; then
-  echo "ERROR: build script not found (not in the main directory?)"
-  exit 1
-fi
-
-pwd=$(pwd)
-
-MSYSTEM=MINGW32 bash --login -c "cd $pwd ; $inst_dir/deploy-win-mingw.sh"
-MSYSTEM=MINGW64 bash --login -c "cd $pwd ; $inst_dir/deploy-win-mingw.sh"
-
diff --git a/src/klayout_main/klayout.cc b/src/klayout_main/klayout.cc
index 181ec7907..e5b3aabce 100644
--- a/src/klayout_main/klayout.cc
+++ b/src/klayout_main/klayout.cc
@@ -182,8 +182,21 @@ klayout_main_cont (int argc, char **argv)
   lay::Version::set_exe_name (prg_exe_name);
   lay::Version::set_name (prg_name);
   lay::Version::set_version (prg_version);
-  lay::Version::set_subversion (prg_subversion);
-  lay::Version::set_about_text (prg_about_text);
+
+  std::string subversion (prg_date);
+  subversion += " r";
+  subversion += prg_rev;
+  lay::Version::set_subversion (subversion.c_str ());
+
+  std::string about_text (prg_author);
+  about_text += "\n";
+  about_text += prg_date;
+  about_text += " r";
+  about_text += prg_rev;
+  about_text += "\n";
+  about_text += "\n";
+  about_text += prg_about_text;
+  lay::Version::set_about_text (about_text.c_str ());
 
 #if QT_VERSION >= 0x050000
   qInstallMessageHandler (myMessageOutput);
diff --git a/src/klayout_main/klayout_main.pro b/src/klayout_main/klayout_main.pro
index b13518b94..ade7ab2e6 100644
--- a/src/klayout_main/klayout_main.pro
+++ b/src/klayout_main/klayout_main.pro
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ SOURCES = \
 
 RESOURCES = \
 
+DEFINES += \
+  KLAYOUT_VERSION=$$KLAYOUT_VERSION \
+  KLAYOUT_VERSION_REV=$$KLAYOUT_VERSION_REV \
+  KLAYOUT_VERSION_DATE=$$KLAYOUT_VERSION_DATE \
+
 INCLUDEPATH += ../tl ../gsi ../db ../rdb ../laybasic ../lay ../ext ../img ../ant ../lib
 DEPENDPATH += ../tl ../gsi ../db ../rdb ../laybasic ../lay ../ext ../img ../ant ../lib
 LIBS += $$PYTHONLIBFILE $$RUBYLIBFILE -L$$DESTDIR -lklayout_tl -lklayout_gsi -lklayout_db -lklayout_rdb -lklayout_laybasic -lklayout_lay -lklayout_ant -lklayout_img -lklayout_edt -lklayout_ext -lklayout_lib
diff --git a/src/klayout_main/version.h b/src/klayout_main/version.h
index e8a8611a0..e92aa00ba 100644
--- a/src/klayout_main/version.h
+++ b/src/klayout_main/version.h
@@ -20,19 +20,35 @@
 
 */
 
+#define STRINGIFY(s) _STRINGIFY(s)
+#define _STRINGIFY(s) #s
 
 const char *prg_exe_name        = "klayout";
 const char *prg_name            = "KLayout";
-const char *prg_version         = "0.25";
 
-const char *prg_subversion      = 
-  "2015-12-28 r3123" // UPDATE_HERE
+#if defined(KLAYOUT_VERSION)
+const char *prg_version         = STRINGIFY(KLAYOUT_VERSION);
+#else
+const char *prg_version         = "x.xx";
+#endif
+
+#if defined(KLAYOUT_VERSION_DATE)
+const char *prg_date            = STRINGIFY(KLAYOUT_VERSION_DATE);
+#else
+const char *prg_date            = "xxxx-xx-xx";
+#endif
+
+#if defined(KLAYOUT_VERSION_REV)
+const char *prg_rev             = STRINGIFY(KLAYOUT_VERSION_REV);
+#else
+const char *prg_rev             = "xxxxxxxx";
+#endif
+
+const char *prg_author =  
+  "By Matthias K\303\266fferlein, Munich"
   ;
-  
+
 const char *prg_about_text = 
-  "By Matthias K\303\266fferlein, Munich\n"
-  "2015-12-28 r3123" // UPDATE_HERE
-  "\n\n"
   "For feedback and bug reports mail to: contact@klayout.de\n"
   "\n"
   "\n"
diff --git a/version.sh b/version.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..192f149dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/version.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+
+# This script is sourced to define the main version parameters
+
+# The main version
+KLAYOUT_VERSION="0.25"
+
+# The build date
+KLAYOUT_VERSION_DATE=$(date --iso-8601)
+
+# The short SHA hash of the commit
+KLAYOUT_VERSION_REV=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)
+