diff --git a/.gitexternals b/.gitexternals
index b9882d3bd3..7c39e9aa01 100644
--- a/.gitexternals
+++ b/.gitexternals
@@ -1,5 +1,2 @@
 # -*- mode: cmake -*-
-include(GitExternal)
-git_external_manage(${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_FILE})
-#-> CMake/common https://github.com/Eyescale/CMake.git a26c94b
-
+# CMake/common https://github.com/Eyescale/CMake.git 9388c77
diff --git a/CMake/GitExternal.cmake b/CMake/GitExternal.cmake
index ed157fdbff..55333c4d0d 100644
--- a/CMake/GitExternal.cmake
+++ b/CMake/GitExternal.cmake
@@ -1,21 +1,14 @@
 # configures an external git repository
 # Usage:
-#  git_external(<directory> <giturl> <gittag> [RESET <files>])
+#  * Automatically reads, parses and updates a .gitexternals file if it only
+#    contains lines in the form "# <directory> <giturl> <gittag>".
+#    This function parses the file for this pattern and then calls
+#    git_external on each found entry. Additionally it provides an
+#    update target to bump the tag to the master revision by
+#    recreating .gitexternals.
+#  * Provides function
+#    git_external(<directory> <giturl> <gittag> [RESET <files>])
 #  git_external_manage(<file>)
-#    is used for a managed .gitexternal file which is parsed and
-#    updated by this function, which calls git_external and provides
-#    an update target to bump the tag to the master revision by
-#    recreating the given file. The file has to contain:
-#      include(GitExternal)
-#      git_external_manage(${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_FILE})
-#      #-> CMake/common https://github.com/Eyescale/CMake.git 8324611
-#    Where the last line can appear multiple times, once for each
-#    external repo It has to start with '#->'. This function parses
-#    the file for this pattern and then calls git_external on each
-#    found entry. The entries are encoded into a target which will
-#    recreate the file on invocation. Since only the '#-> ' lines are
-#    parsed, everything else is ignored. Since the file is under git
-#    control, there should be no risk of data loss.
 
 find_package(Git)
 if(NOT GIT_EXECUTABLE)
@@ -24,74 +17,6 @@ endif()
 
 include(CMakeParseArguments)
 
-function(GIT_EXTERNAL_MANAGE FILE)
-  if(NOT EXISTS ${FILE})
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "Can't open ${FILE}")
-  endif()
-
-  file(READ ${FILE} GIT_EXTERNAL_FILE)
-  string(REGEX REPLACE "\n" ";" GIT_EXTERNAL_FILE "${GIT_EXTERNAL_FILE}")
-  foreach(LINE ${GIT_EXTERNAL_FILE})
-    string(REGEX REPLACE "^#->[ ]*(.+[ ]+.+[ ]+.+)$" "\\1" DATA ${LINE})
-    if(NOT LINE STREQUAL DATA)
-      string(REGEX REPLACE "[ ]+" ";" DATA "${DATA}")
-      list(LENGTH DATA DATA_LENGTH)
-      if(DATA_LENGTH EQUAL 3)
-        list(GET DATA 0 DIR)
-        list(GET DATA 1 REPO)
-        list(GET DATA 2 TAG)
-
-        # pull in identified external
-        git_external(${DIR} ${REPO} ${TAG})
-
-        # Create update script and target to bump external spec
-        if(NOT TARGET update)
-          add_custom_target(update)
-        endif()
-        if(NOT TARGET update_git_external)
-          add_custom_target(update_git_external)
-          add_dependencies(update update_git_external)
-        endif()
-        if(NOT TARGET update_git_external_header)
-          set(GIT_EXTERNAL_SCRIPT
-            "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/gitupdateexternal.cmake")
-          file(WRITE "${GIT_EXTERNAL_SCRIPT}"
-            "file(WRITE ${FILE} \"# -*- mode: cmake -*-
-include(GitExternal)
-git_external_manage(\\\${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_FILE})
-\")")
-          add_custom_target(update_git_external_header
-            COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -P ${GIT_EXTERNAL_SCRIPT}
-            COMMENT "Recreate ${FILE}"
-            WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}")
-        endif()
-
-        string(REPLACE "/" "_" GIT_EXTERNAL_NAME ${DIR}) # unique, flat name
-        set(GIT_EXTERNAL_SCRIPT
-          "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/gitupdate${GIT_EXTERNAL_NAME}.cmake")
-        file(WRITE "${GIT_EXTERNAL_SCRIPT}" "
-execute_process(COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} fetch --all -q
-  WORKING_DIRECTORY ${DIR})
-execute_process(
-  COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} show-ref --hash=7 refs/remotes/origin/master
-  OUTPUT_VARIABLE newref WORKING_DIRECTORY ${DIR})
-if(newref)
-  file(APPEND ${FILE} \"#-> ${DIR} ${REPO} \${newref}\n\")
-else()
-  file(APPEND ${FILE} \"#-> ${DIR} ${REPO} ${TAG}\n\")
-endif()")
-        add_custom_target(update_git_external_${GIT_EXTERNAL_NAME}
-          COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -P ${GIT_EXTERNAL_SCRIPT}
-          COMMENT "Update ${REPO} in ${FILE}"
-          DEPENDS update_git_external_header
-          WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}")
-        add_dependencies(update_git_external
-          update_git_external_${GIT_EXTERNAL_NAME})
-      endif()
-    endif()
-  endforeach()
-endfunction()
-
 function(GIT_EXTERNAL DIR REPO TAG)
   cmake_parse_arguments(GIT_EXTERNAL "" "" "RESET" ${ARGN})
   get_filename_component(DIR "${DIR}" ABSOLUTE)
@@ -109,6 +34,14 @@ function(GIT_EXTERNAL DIR REPO TAG)
   endif()
 
   if(IS_DIRECTORY "${DIR}/.git")
+    execute_process(COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} rev-parse --short HEAD
+      OUTPUT_VARIABLE currentref OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
+      WORKING_DIRECTORY ${DIR})
+    if(currentref STREQUAL TAG) # nothing to do
+      return()
+    endif()
+
+    # reset generated files
     foreach(GIT_EXTERNAL_RESET_FILE ${GIT_EXTERNAL_RESET})
       execute_process(
         COMMAND "${GIT_EXECUTABLE}" reset -q "${GIT_EXTERNAL_RESET_FILE}"
@@ -120,6 +53,7 @@ function(GIT_EXTERNAL DIR REPO TAG)
         WORKING_DIRECTORY "${DIR}")
     endforeach()
 
+    # fetch latest update
     execute_process(COMMAND "${GIT_EXECUTABLE}" fetch --all -q
       RESULT_VARIABLE nok ERROR_VARIABLE error
       WORKING_DIRECTORY "${DIR}")
@@ -127,13 +61,97 @@ function(GIT_EXTERNAL DIR REPO TAG)
       message(STATUS "Update of ${DIR} failed:\n   ${error}")
     endif()
 
+    # checkout requested tag
     execute_process(
       COMMAND "${GIT_EXECUTABLE}" checkout -q "${TAG}"
       RESULT_VARIABLE nok ERROR_VARIABLE error
       WORKING_DIRECTORY "${DIR}"
       )
     if(nok)
-      message(FATAL_ERROR "${DIR} git checkout ${TAG} failed: ${error}\n")
+      message(STATUS "${DIR} git checkout ${TAG} failed: ${error}\n")
     endif()
+  else()
+    message(STATUS "Can't update git external ${DIR}: Not a git repository")
   endif()
 endfunction()
+
+set(GIT_EXTERNALS ${GIT_EXTERNALS_FILE})
+if(NOT GIT_EXTERNALS)
+  set(GIT_EXTERNALS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/.gitexternals")
+endif()
+
+if(EXISTS ${GIT_EXTERNALS})
+  file(READ ${GIT_EXTERNALS} GIT_EXTERNAL_FILE)
+  string(REGEX REPLACE "\n" ";" GIT_EXTERNAL_FILE "${GIT_EXTERNAL_FILE}")
+  foreach(LINE ${GIT_EXTERNAL_FILE})
+    if(NOT LINE MATCHES "^#.*$")
+      message(FATAL_ERROR "${GIT_EXTERNALS} contains non-comment line: ${LINE}")
+    endif()
+    string(REGEX REPLACE "^#[ ]*(.+[ ]+.+[ ]+.+)$" "\\1" DATA ${LINE})
+    if(NOT LINE STREQUAL DATA)
+      string(REGEX REPLACE "[ ]+" ";" DATA "${DATA}")
+      list(LENGTH DATA DATA_LENGTH)
+      if(DATA_LENGTH EQUAL 3)
+        list(GET DATA 0 DIR)
+        list(GET DATA 1 REPO)
+        list(GET DATA 2 TAG)
+
+        # Create a unique, flat name
+        string(REPLACE "/" "_" GIT_EXTERNAL_NAME ${DIR})
+
+        if(NOT TARGET update_git_external_${GIT_EXTERNAL_NAME}) # not done
+          # pull in identified external
+          git_external(${DIR} ${REPO} ${TAG})
+
+          # Create update script and target to bump external spec
+          if(NOT TARGET update)
+            add_custom_target(update)
+          endif()
+          if(NOT TARGET update_git_external)
+            add_custom_target(update_git_external)
+            add_dependencies(update update_git_external)
+          endif()
+
+          # Create a unique, flat name
+          file(RELATIVE_PATH GIT_EXTERNALS_BASE ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}
+            ${GIT_EXTERNALS})
+          string(REPLACE "/" "_" GIT_EXTERNAL_TARGET ${GIT_EXTERNALS_BASE})
+
+          set(GIT_EXTERNAL_TARGET update_git_external_${GIT_EXTERNAL_TARGET})
+          if(NOT TARGET ${GIT_EXTERNAL_TARGET})
+            set(GIT_EXTERNAL_SCRIPT
+              "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${GIT_EXTERNAL_TARGET}.cmake")
+            file(WRITE "${GIT_EXTERNAL_SCRIPT}"
+              "file(WRITE ${GIT_EXTERNALS} \"# -*- mode: cmake -*-\n\")\n")
+            add_custom_target(${GIT_EXTERNAL_TARGET}
+              COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -P ${GIT_EXTERNAL_SCRIPT}
+              COMMENT "Recreate ${GIT_EXTERNALS_BASE}"
+              WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}")
+          endif()
+
+          set(GIT_EXTERNAL_SCRIPT
+            "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/gitupdate${GIT_EXTERNAL_NAME}.cmake")
+          file(WRITE "${GIT_EXTERNAL_SCRIPT}" "
+execute_process(COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} fetch --all -q
+  WORKING_DIRECTORY ${DIR})
+execute_process(
+  COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} show-ref --hash=7 refs/remotes/origin/master
+  OUTPUT_VARIABLE newref WORKING_DIRECTORY ${DIR})
+if(newref)
+  file(APPEND ${GIT_EXTERNALS} \"# ${DIR} ${REPO} \${newref}\")
+else()
+  file(APPEND ${GIT_EXTERNALS} \"# ${DIR} ${REPO} ${TAG}\n\")
+endif()")
+          add_custom_target(update_git_external_${GIT_EXTERNAL_NAME}
+            COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -P ${GIT_EXTERNAL_SCRIPT}
+            COMMENT "Update ${REPO} in ${GIT_EXTERNALS_BASE}"
+            DEPENDS ${GIT_EXTERNAL_TARGET}
+            WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}")
+          add_dependencies(update_git_external
+            update_git_external_${GIT_EXTERNAL_NAME})
+        endif()
+      endif()
+    endif()
+  endforeach()
+  include(${GIT_EXTERNALS})
+endif()
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 274f3c9f4d..c06b74e77d 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,9 +5,11 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8 FATAL_ERROR)
 project(Equalizer)
 
-list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/CMake
-                              ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/CMake/common)
-include(.gitexternals)
+list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/CMake
+  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/CMake/common)
+
+include(GitExternal)
+include(Common)
 
 include(Buildyard)
 if(BUILDYARD_STOP)
@@ -22,7 +24,7 @@ option(EQUALIZER_BUILD_2_0_API
 
 mark_as_advanced(EQUALIZER_INSTALL_SERVER_HEADERS)
 
-include(Revision)
+include(GitInfo)
 
 set(RELEASE_VERSION OFF) # OFF or 'Mm0' ABI version
 set(LAST_RELEASE 1.6.0)
@@ -30,6 +32,10 @@ set(VERSION_MAJOR "1")
 set(VERSION_MINOR "7")
 set(VERSION_PATCH "2")
 
+set(COMMON_PROJECT_DOMAIN ch.eyescale)
+set(EQUALIZER_DESCRIPTION "Parallel rendering framework for the creation of
+                          parallel and scalable OpenGL and GPGPU applications.")
+
 if(RELEASE_VERSION)
   set(EQ_DEFINITIONS -DEQ_RELEASE)
   set(VERSION_ABI ${RELEASE_VERSION})
@@ -44,7 +50,6 @@ else()
   list(APPEND FIND_PACKAGES_DEFINES EQ_1_0_API)
 endif()
 
-include(Common)
 include(GitTargets)
 include(configure)
 include(UpdateFile)
diff --git a/eq/client/CMakeLists.txt b/eq/client/CMakeLists.txt
index b1af64a840..52337275c6 100644
--- a/eq/client/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/eq/client/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ include(files.cmake)
 include(../util/files.cmake)
 include(compressor/files.cmake)
 
-update_file(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/version.in.h
+configure_file(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/version.in.h
   ${OUTPUT_INCLUDE_DIR}/eq/client/version.h)
 
 add_definitions(-DEQ_PLUGIN_BUILD -DBOOST_PROGRAM_OPTIONS_DYN_LINK)
diff --git a/eq/client/roiFinder.cpp b/eq/client/roiFinder.cpp
index 5d5d882a7a..de9a28744f 100644
--- a/eq/client/roiFinder.cpp
+++ b/eq/client/roiFinder.cpp
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ uint8_t ROIFinder::_splitArea( Area& a )
 
 void ROIFinder::_findAreas( PixelViewports& resultPVPs )
 {
-    LBASSERT( _areasToCheck.size() == 0 );
+    LBASSERT( _areasToCheck.empty() );
 
     Area area( PixelViewport( 0, 0, _w, _h ));
     area.pvp  = _getObjectPVP( area.pvp, &_mask[0] );
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ void ROIFinder::_findAreas( PixelViewports& resultPVPs )
         _areasToCheck.push_back( area );
 
     // try to split areas
-    while( _areasToCheck.size() > 0 )
+    while( !_areasToCheck.empty() )
     {
         Area curArea = _areasToCheck.back();
         _areasToCheck.pop_back();
diff --git a/eq/client/roiFinder.h b/eq/client/roiFinder.h
index f7f4ed4736..b406872313 100644
--- a/eq/client/roiFinder.h
+++ b/eq/client/roiFinder.h
@@ -107,7 +107,9 @@ class ROIFinder : public boost::noncopyable
     /** Describes region that is used to search holes withing */
     struct Area
     {
-        Area(){};
+        Area()
+            : valid( false )
+        {};
         Area( PixelViewport pvp_ )
             : emptySize( 0 ), pvp ( pvp_ ), valid( false )
         {}
diff --git a/examples/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/CMakeLists.txt
index 2f6330dcc5..f5b580a657 100644
--- a/examples/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8 FATAL_ERROR)
 
 if(Equalizer_BINARY_DIR) # in-repository build
-  update_file(CMakeLists.txt ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/CMakeLists.txt)
+  configure_file(CMakeLists.txt ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/CMakeLists.txt)
 
   set(EQUALIZER_LIBRARIES Equalizer)
   set(EQUALIZER_ADMIN_LIBRARY EqualizerAdmin)
diff --git a/examples/triply/vertexBufferRoot.h b/examples/triply/vertexBufferRoot.h
index 0d430d927f..11ce18466c 100644
--- a/examples/triply/vertexBufferRoot.h
+++ b/examples/triply/vertexBufferRoot.h
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ class VertexBufferRoot : public VertexBufferNode
     PLYLIB_API void setupTree( VertexData& data );
     PLYLIB_API bool writeToFile( const std::string& filename );
     PLYLIB_API bool readFromFile( const std::string& filename );
-    bool hasColors() const { return _data.colors.size() > 0; }
+    bool hasColors() const { return !_data.colors.empty(); }
 
     void useInvertedFaces() { _invertFaces = true; }