diff --git a/api/baseapi.cpp b/api/baseapi.cpp
index af14be31f9..da68d0a729 100644
--- a/api/baseapi.cpp
+++ b/api/baseapi.cpp
@@ -138,7 +138,11 @@ TessBaseAPI::~TessBaseAPI() {
  * Returns the version identifier as a static string. Do not delete.
  */
 const char* TessBaseAPI::Version() {
+#if defined(DEBUG) && defined(GIT_REV)
+  return GIT_REV;
+#else
   return TESSERACT_VERSION_STR;
+#endif
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 8d8f7fa8ef..69cf526308 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -5,12 +5,10 @@
 # ----------------------------------------
 # Initialization
 # ----------------------------------------
-
 AC_PREREQ(2.50)
 AC_INIT([tesseract], [3.04], [http://code.google.com/p/tesseract-ocr/issues/list])
 CXXFLAGS=${CXXFLAGS:-""}
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
-AC_REVISION([$Revision$])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR(config)
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR(api/tesseractmain.cpp)
 AC_PREFIX_DEFAULT(/usr/local)
@@ -21,6 +19,14 @@ AC_PREFIX_DEFAULT(/usr/local)
 PACKAGE_YEAR=2014
 PACKAGE_DATE="08/13"
 
+abs_top_srcdir=`AS_DIRNAME([$0])`
+gitrev="`git --git-dir=${abs_top_srcdir}/.git --work-tree=${abs_top_srcdir} describe --always --tags`"
+if test -n "${gitrev}" ; then
+	AC_REVISION("${gitrev}")
+	AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(GIT_REV,"${gitrev}", [Define to be the git revision])
+	echo "Using git revision: ${gitrev}"
+fi
+
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(PACKAGE_NAME,["${PACKAGE_NAME}"],[Name of package])
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(PACKAGE_VERSION,["${PACKAGE_VERSION}"],[Version number])
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(PACKAGE_YEAR,"$PACKAGE_YEAR",[Official year for this release])
@@ -85,7 +91,7 @@ case "${host_os}" in
         AM_CONDITIONAL(ADD_RT, false)
         AM_CONDITIONAL(T_WIN, true)
         AC_SUBST([AM_LDFLAGS], ['-Wl,-no-undefined -Wl,--as-needed'])
-        ;;			
+        ;;
     solaris*)
         LIBS="-lsocket -lnsl -lrt -lxnet"
         AM_CONDITIONAL(ADD_RT, true)