diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..96718a911e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+2011.05
diff --git a/src/NQP/Compiler.pm b/src/NQP/Compiler.pm
index f7861856d5..a3cc15c79b 100644
--- a/src/NQP/Compiler.pm
+++ b/src/NQP/Compiler.pm
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ sub MAIN(@ARGS) {
     $nqpcomp.language('nqp');
     $nqpcomp.parsegrammar(NQP::Grammar);
     $nqpcomp.parseactions(NQP::Actions);
+    hll-config($nqpcomp.config);
     
     # Add extra command line options.
     my @clo := $nqpcomp.commandline_options();
diff --git a/tools/build/Makefile.in b/tools/build/Makefile.in
index 2567760647..ead30c141e 100644
--- a/tools/build/Makefile.in
+++ b/tools/build/Makefile.in
@@ -300,7 +300,8 @@ $(STAGE1)/$(P6REGEX_PBC): $(STAGE0_PBCS) $(STAGE1)/$(HLL_PBC) $(STAGE1)/$(CORE_S
 
 $(STAGE1)/$(NQP_PBC): $(STAGE0_PBCS) $(STAGE1)/$(P6REGEX_PBC) $(STAGE1)/$(CORE_SETTING_PBC) $(NQP_SOURCES)
 	$(MKPATH) $(STAGE1)/gen
-	$(PERL) tools/build/gen-cat.pl $(NQP_SOURCES) > $(STAGE1)/$(NQP_COMBINED)
+	$(PERL) tools/build/gen-version.pl >src/gen/nqp-config.pm
+	$(PERL) tools/build/gen-cat.pl $(NQP_SOURCES) src/gen/nqp-config.pm > $(STAGE1)/$(NQP_COMBINED)
 	$(PARROT) --library=$(STAGE0) $(STAGE0)/$(NQP_PBC) \
 	    --target=pir --output=$(STAGE1)/$(NQP_COMBINED_PIR) \
 	    --module-path=$(STAGE1) --setting-path=$(STAGE1) $(STAGE1)/$(NQP_COMBINED)
@@ -356,7 +357,8 @@ $(STAGE2)/$(P6REGEX_PBC): $(STAGE1_PBCS) $(STAGE2)/$(HLL_PBC) $(P6REGEX_SOURCES)
 
 $(STAGE2)/$(NQP_PBC): $(STAGE0_PBCS) $(STAGE2)/$(P6REGEX_PBC) $(NQP_SOURCES)
 	$(MKPATH) $(STAGE1)/gen
-	$(PERL) tools/build/gen-cat.pl $(NQP_SOURCES) > $(STAGE2)/$(NQP_COMBINED)
+	$(PERL) tools/build/gen-version.pl >src/gen/nqp-config.pm
+	$(PERL) tools/build/gen-cat.pl $(NQP_SOURCES) src/gen/nqp-config.pm > $(STAGE2)/$(NQP_COMBINED)
 	$(PARROT) --library=$(STAGE1) $(STAGE1)/$(NQP_PBC) \
 	    --target=pir --output=$(STAGE2)/$(NQP_COMBINED_PIR) \
 	    --module-path=$(STAGE2) --setting-path=$(STAGE2) $(STAGE2)/$(NQP_COMBINED)
diff --git a/tools/build/gen-version.pl b/tools/build/gen-version.pl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2ff40ee5d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/build/gen-version.pl
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#! perl
+
+=head1 TITLE
+
+gen-version.l -- script to generate version information for HLL compilers
+
+=cut
+
+use POSIX 'strftime';
+
+open(my $fh, '<', 'VERSION') or die $!;
+my $VERSION = <$fh>;
+close($fh);
+
+if (-d '.git' && open(my $GIT, '-|', "git describe --tags")) {
+    $VERSION = <$GIT>;
+    close($GIT);
+}
+
+chomp $VERSION;
+
+my $builddate = strftime('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ', gmtime);
+
+print <<"END_VERSION";
+sub hll-config(\$config) {
+    \$config<version>    := '$VERSION';
+    \$config<build-date> := '$builddate';
+}
+END_VERSION
+
+0;
+