diff --git a/GNUmakefile b/GNUmakefile
index 54f437a..a2a1624 100644
--- a/GNUmakefile
+++ b/GNUmakefile
@@ -242,7 +242,6 @@ all: version config $(TARGET)
 
 version:
 	@echo "$(PNAME) $(VERSION)"
-	@touch version.c
 
 config:
 	@echo "via pkg-config: $(strip $(PKGS) $(TPKGS))"
@@ -260,9 +259,11 @@ endif
 $(TARGET): $(OBJS)
 	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $^ $(LIBS)
 
-%.o: %.c $(HDRS) GNUmakefile $(VFILE)
+%.o: %.c $(HDRS) GNUmakefile
 	$(CC) -c $(CPPFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ $<
 
+version.o: version.c version.h GNUmakefile $(VFILE) FORCE
+
 extra/pki/rsa.pem:
 	$(MAKE) -C extra/pki
 
@@ -274,13 +275,10 @@ test: extra/pki/rsa.pem $(TARGET).test
 $(TARGET).test: $(TOBJS)
 	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) $(TPKG_LDFLAGS) -o $@ $^ $(LIBS) $(TPKG_LIBS)
 
-%.ot: %.t $(HDRS) GNUmakefile $(VFILE)
+%.ot: %.t $(HDRS) GNUmakefile
 	$(CC) -c $(CPPFLAGS) $(TPKG_CPPFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $(TPKG_CFLAGS) -o $@ \
 		-x c $<
 
-lint:
-	$(CPPCHECK) --force --enable=all --error-exitcode=1 .
-
 clean:
 	$(RM) -f $(TARGET) *.o $(TARGET).test *.ot *.core *~
 	$(RM) -rf *.dSYM
@@ -296,6 +294,9 @@ deinstall:
 	$(RM) -f $(PREFIX)/bin/$(TARGET) $(PREFIX)/share/man/man1/$(TARGET).1
 
 ifdef GITDIR
+lint:
+	$(CPPCHECK) --force --enable=all --error-exitcode=1 .
+
 mantest:
 	$(RM) -f man1
 	$(LN) -sf . man1
@@ -340,6 +341,8 @@ realclean: distclean manclean clean
 	$(MAKE) -C extra/pki clean
 endif
 
+FORCE:
+
 .PHONY: all config clean test lint install deinstall \
         mantest man manclean fetchdeps dist disttest distclean realclean
 
diff --git a/main.t b/main.t
index db23529..18f0192 100644
--- a/main.t
+++ b/main.t
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 
 #include "attrib.h"
 #include "opts.h"
+#include "version.h"
 
 #include <check.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -43,11 +44,9 @@ blank_suite(void)
 
 START_TEST(build_date_01)
 {
-	char *bd = BUILD_DATE;
-
-	fail_unless(strlen(bd) == 10, "length mismatch");
-	fail_unless(bd[4] == '-', "year/month separator not dash");
-	fail_unless(bd[7] == '-', "month/day separator not dash");
+	fail_unless(strlen(build_date) == 10, "length mismatch");
+	fail_unless(build_date[4] == '-', "year/month separator not dash");
+	fail_unless(build_date[7] == '-', "month/day separator not dash");
 }
 END_TEST