diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 400bea97..1ff9842e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 AC_INIT([lnav],[0.7.2],[lnav@googlegroups.com],[lnav],[http://lnav.org])
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([src/lnav.cc])
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
@@ -218,6 +217,17 @@ AS_CASE(["$host_os"],
     ]dnl
 )
 
+saved_location=$(pwd)
+cd $srcdir
+version=$(expr $(git describe --abbrev=7 --dirty --always --tags 2>/dev/null) : 'v\([[0-9]]*\.[[0-9]]*\.[[0-9]]*.*\)' 2>/dev/null)
+cd $saved_location
+AS_IF([test $? -eq 0],
+    [version=$(echo $version | tr -d '\n')
+     version=${version:-${PACKAGE_VERSION}}
+     AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([VCS_PACKAGE_STRING], ["$PACKAGE_NAME $version"],
+         [svn package string])],
+    AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([VCS_PACKAGE_STRING], ["$PACKAGE_STRING"], [svn package string]))
+
 AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_INCLUDED_YAJL, test $HAVE_LOCAL_YAJL -eq 0)
 
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([src/config.h])
diff --git a/src/lnav.cc b/src/lnav.cc
index dc940e07..910a96eb 100644
--- a/src/lnav.cc
+++ b/src/lnav.cc
@@ -3055,7 +3055,7 @@ static void usage(void)
         "  To watch the output of make with timestamps prepended:\n"
         "    $ make 2>&1 | lnav -t\n"
         "\n"
-        "Version: " PACKAGE_STRING "\n";
+        "Version: " VCS_PACKAGE_STRING "\n";
 
     fprintf(stderr, usage_msg, lnav_data.ld_program_name);
 }
@@ -4295,7 +4295,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
             break;
 
         case 'V':
-            printf("%s\n", PACKAGE_STRING);
+            printf("%s\n", VCS_PACKAGE_STRING);
             exit(0);
             break;
 
@@ -4596,7 +4596,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         try {
             rescan_files(true);
 
-            log_info("startup: %s", PACKAGE_STRING);
+            log_info("startup: %s", VCS_PACKAGE_STRING);
             log_host_info();
             log_info("Libraries:");
 #ifdef HAVE_BZLIB_H