diff --git a/maint/version.sh b/maint/version.sh
index cd5fa0657..82c20753f 100755
--- a/maint/version.sh
+++ b/maint/version.sh
@@ -1,44 +1,47 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-git --version >/dev/null || exit
+if [ -z "$1" ]
+  then
+      echo "usage: $0 <toplevel-source-dir>"
+      exit 1
+fi
 
-curr_dir=$(pwd)
+src_top_dir="$1"
 
-src_top_dir=
-[ -d ${curr_dir}/.git ] && {
-    src_top_dir=${curr_dir}
-} || {
-    curr_dir=$(dirname ${curr_dir})
-    [ -d ${curr_dir}/.git ] && {
-        src_top_dir=${curr_dir}
-    } || {
-        [ -z "$1" ] && exit
-        src_top_dir=$1
-    }
-}
-[ -z "${src_top_dir}" ] && exit
+VERSION_FILE="${src_top_dir}/version.h"
+PREV_MC_VERSION="unknown"
+CURR_MC_VERSION="${PREV_MC_VERSION}"
 
+if [ -r ${VERSION_FILE} ]
+  then
+    PREV_MC_VERSION=`sed -rn 's/^#define MC_CURRENT_VERSION "(.*)"$/\1/p' "${VERSION_FILE}"`
+    CURR_MC_VERSION="${PREV_MC_VERSION}"
+fi
 
-VERSION_FILE=${src_top_dir}/version.h
+mc_print_version(){
 
-git_head=$(git --git-dir "${src_top_dir}/.git" rev-parse --verify HEAD 2>/dev/null)
-[ -z "${git_head}" ] && exit
-
-new_version="$(git --git-dir "${src_top_dir}/.git" describe 2>/dev/null)"
-[ -z "${new_version}" ] && exit
-
-
-saved_version=
-[ -r  ${VERSION_FILE} ] && {
-    saved_version=$(sed -rn 's/^#define MC_CURRENT_VERSION "(.*)"$/\1/p' ${VERSION_FILE})
-}
-
-[ -z "${saved_version}" -o "${saved_version}" != "${new_version}" ] && {
-    cat >${VERSION_FILE} <<EOF
+    if [ ! -f "${VERSION_FILE}" \
+         -o "${PREV_MC_VERSION}" != "${CURR_MC_VERSION}" ]
+      then
+        cat >"${VERSION_FILE}" <<EOF
 #ifndef MC_CURRENT_VERSION
 /* This is an autogenerated file. Don't edit! */
-#define MC_CURRENT_VERSION "${new_version}"
+#define MC_CURRENT_VERSION "${CURR_MC_VERSION}"
 #endif
 EOF
+    fi
+    exit
 }
-exit 0
+
+git_head=$(git --git-dir "${src_top_dir}/.git" rev-parse --verify HEAD 2>/dev/null)
+[ -z "${git_head}" ] && mc_print_version
+
+# try to store sha1
+CURR_MC_VERSION="${git_head}"
+
+new_version="$(git --git-dir "${src_top_dir}/.git" describe 2>/dev/null)"
+[ -z "${new_version}" ] && mc_print_version
+
+# store pretty tagged version
+CURR_MC_VERSION="${new_version}"
+mc_print_version