diff --git a/goldendict.pro b/goldendict.pro
index 59f6e353..df319649 100644
--- a/goldendict.pro
+++ b/goldendict.pro
@@ -5,6 +5,18 @@ TEMPLATE = app
 TARGET = goldendict
 VERSION = 0.9.0+git
 
+# Generate version file. We do this here and in a build rule described later.
+# The build rule is required since qmake isn't run each time the project is
+# rebuilt; and doing it here is required too since any other way the RCC
+# compiler would complain if version.txt wouldn't exist (fresh checkouts).
+
+system(git describe --tags --always --dirty > version.txt): hasGit=1
+
+isEmpty( hasGit ) {
+  message(Failed to precisely describe the version via Git -- using the default version string)
+  system(echo $$VERSION > version.txt)
+}
+
 # DEPENDPATH += . generators
 INCLUDEPATH += .
 QT += webkit
@@ -241,6 +253,13 @@ TRANSLATIONS += locale/ru_RU.ts \
     locale/lt_LT.ts \
     locale/uk_UA.ts
 
+# Build version file
+QMAKE_EXTRA_TARGETS += revtarget
+PRE_TARGETDEPS      += version.txt
+revtarget.target     = version.txt
+revtarget.commands   = git describe --tags --always --dirty > $$revtarget.target
+revtarget.depends = $$SOURCES $$HEADERS $$FORMS
+
 # This makes qmake generate translations
 win32:# Windows doesn't seem to have *-qt4 symlinks
 isEmpty(QMAKE_LRELEASE):QMAKE_LRELEASE = $$[QT_INSTALL_BINS]/lrelease
diff --git a/mainwindow.cc b/mainwindow.cc
index af782641..0244d5f0 100644
--- a/mainwindow.cc
+++ b/mainwindow.cc
@@ -1614,7 +1614,16 @@ void MainWindow::showAbout()
 
   ui.setupUi( &about );
 
-  ui.version->setText( PROGRAM_VERSION );
+  QFile versionFile( ":/version.txt" );
+
+  QString version;
+
+  if ( !versionFile.open( QFile::ReadOnly ) )
+    version = tr( "[Unknown]" );
+  else
+    version = QString::fromAscii( versionFile.readAll() ).trimmed();
+
+  ui.version->setText( version );
 
   about.show();
   about.exec();
diff --git a/resources.qrc b/resources.qrc
index 9f4081e2..b408048a 100644
--- a/resources.qrc
+++ b/resources.qrc
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 <RCC>
     <qresource prefix="/" >
+        <file>version.txt</file>
         <file>icons/print.png</file>
         <file>icons/arrow.png</file>
         <file>icons/prefix.png</file>