diff --git a/magic/Makefile b/magic/Makefile
index b9de76ed..40dfc655 100644
--- a/magic/Makefile
+++ b/magic/Makefile
@@ -32,8 +32,7 @@ EXTRA_LIBS = ${MAGICDIR}/bplane/libbplane.o \
 BITMAPS = up.gif down.gif left.gif right.gif zoom.gif lock.xbm
 DEST_XBM = $(BITMAPS:%=$(DESTDIR)${INSTALL_TCLDIR}/bitmaps/%)
 
-# DFLAGS += -DMAGIC_DATE="\"`date`\"" -DCAD_DIR="${LIBDIR}"
-DFLAGS += -DMAGIC_DATE="\"`date`\""
+# DFLAGS += -DCAD_DIR="${LIBDIR}"
 LIBS   += ${GR_LIBS} ${READLINE_LIBS} -lm ${LD_EXTRA_LIBS} \
 		${OA_LIBS} ${ZLIB_FLAG} ${TOP_EXTRA_LIBS}
 CLEANS += tclmagic${SHDLIB_EXT} libtclmagic${SHDLIB_EXT}.a proto.magicrc
diff --git a/magic/magicTop.c b/magic/magicTop.c
index 669fcb8f..879b3eac 100644
--- a/magic/magicTop.c
+++ b/magic/magicTop.c
@@ -63,4 +63,4 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 char *MagicVersion = MAGIC_VERSION;
 char *MagicRevision = MAGIC_REVISION;
-char *MagicCompileTime = MAGIC_DATE;
+char *MagicCompileTime = MAGIC_BUILDDATE;
diff --git a/scripts/defs.mak.in b/scripts/defs.mak.in
index 3658cee2..452854a1 100755
--- a/scripts/defs.mak.in
+++ b/scripts/defs.mak.in
@@ -75,16 +75,24 @@ LIB_SPECS_NOSTUB       = @LIB_SPECS_NOSTUB@
 LIB_SPECS_GRNULL       = @LIB_SPECS_GRNULL@
 WISH_EXE	       = @WISH_EXE@
 TCL_LIB_DIR	       = @TCL_LIB_DIR@
-MAGIC_VERSION	       = $(shell cat ${MAGICDIR}/VERSION | cut -d. -f1-2)
-MAGIC_REVISION	       = $(shell cat ${MAGICDIR}/VERSION | cut -d. -f3)
-MAGIC_COMMIT	       = $(shell git rev-parse HEAD)
+
+MAGIC_VERSION	       ?= $(shell cat ${MAGICDIR}/VERSION | cut -d. -f1-2)
+MAGIC_REVISION	       ?= $(shell cat ${MAGICDIR}/VERSION | cut -d. -f3)
+MAGIC_COMMIT	       ?= $(shell git rev-parse HEAD)
+MAGIC_BUILDDATE	       ?= $(shell date | tr -d '\r\n')
+
+# This allow inheritence of the values from toplevel Makefile
+export MAGIC_VERSION
+export MAGIC_REVISION
+export MAGIC_COMMIT
+export MAGIC_BUILDDATE
 
 CC                     = @CC@
 CPP                    = @CPP@
 CXX		       = @CXX@
 
 CPPFLAGS               = -I${MAGICDIR} @CPPFLAGS@
-DFLAGS_MAGICVERSION    = -DMAGIC_VERSION=\"${MAGIC_VERSION}\" -DMAGIC_REVISION=\"${MAGIC_REVISION}\" -DMAGIC_COMMIT=\"${MAGIC_COMMIT}\"
+DFLAGS_MAGICVERSION    = -DMAGIC_VERSION=\"${MAGIC_VERSION}\" -DMAGIC_REVISION=\"${MAGIC_REVISION}\" -DMAGIC_COMMIT=\"${MAGIC_COMMIT}\" "-DMAGIC_BUILDDATE=\"${MAGIC_BUILDDATE}\""
 DFLAGS                 = @extra_defs@ @stub_defs@ @DEFS@ ${DFLAGS_MAGICVERSION} -DGCORE=\"@GCORE@\"
 DFLAGS		      += -DSHDLIB_EXT=\"@SHDLIB_EXT@\" -DNDEBUG
 DFLAGS_NOSTUB	       = @extra_defs@             @DEFS@ ${DFLAGS_MAGICVERSION} -DGCORE=\"@GCORE@\"
diff --git a/tcltk/tclmagic.c b/tcltk/tclmagic.c
index 1108d7bd..9b12aa85 100644
--- a/tcltk/tclmagic.c
+++ b/tcltk/tclmagic.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
 
 char *MagicVersion = MAGIC_VERSION;
 char *MagicRevision = MAGIC_REVISION;
-char *MagicCompileTime = MAGIC_DATE;
+char *MagicCompileTime = MAGIC_BUILDDATE;
 
 #if TCL_MAJOR_VERSION < 9
 const char *Tclmagic_InitStubsVersion = "8.5";