diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 8a02b90..2076616 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #! /bin/sh
-# From configure.in Revision: 467 .
 # Guess values for system-dependent variables and create Makefiles.
 # Generated by GNU Autoconf 2.59.
 #
@@ -1350,12 +1349,11 @@ topdir="`pwd`"
           ac_config_headers="$ac_config_headers include/defs.h"
 
 
-VERSION=`sed -n -e 's/";$//' -e '/	const char irc_version.. = "/s///p' -e '/const char irc_version/q' < $srcdir/source/irc.c 2>/dev/null`
-if test x"$VERSION" = x""; then
-  VERSION="BitchX-1.0"
-fi
 _VERSION_="BitchX"
-VERSION_NUMBER="`echo "$VERSION" | sed 's/BitchX-//'`"
+RELEASE_TAG="bitchx-1.2.1"
+RELEASE="1.2.1"
+VERSION_NUMBER="$RELEASE`"$srcdir/gitversion.sh" "$RELEASE_TAG" "$srcdir"`"
+VERSION="$_VERSION_-$VERSION_NUMBER"
 
 cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
 #define VERSION_NUMBER "$VERSION_NUMBER"
@@ -17209,7 +17207,7 @@ fi
 
 
 echo
-echo BitchX \(c\) 1996-2012 Colten Edwards et al
+echo BitchX \(c\) 1996-2015 Colten Edwards et al
 echo ----------------------------------------------------------
 echo
 echo The configuration script has finished. You should look through
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 07b2564..5e67216 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -3,21 +3,17 @@ dnl Copyright (c) 1999-2001 David Walluck
 dnl All rights reserved.
 
 AC_PREREQ(2.59)
-AC_REVISION($Revision$)
 AC_INIT
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([$srcdir/source/irc.c])
 topdir="`pwd`"
 AC_SUBST(topdir)
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS(include/defs.h)
 
-dnl Get the version number from source/irc.c.
-dnl Maybe it's better to set the VERSION in here instead.
-VERSION=`sed -n -e 's/";$//' -e '/	const char irc_version.. = "/s///p' -e '/const char irc_version/q' < $srcdir/source/irc.c 2>/dev/null`
-if test x"$VERSION" = x""; then
-  VERSION="BitchX-1.0"
-fi
 _VERSION_="BitchX"
-VERSION_NUMBER="`echo "$VERSION" | sed 's/BitchX-//'`"
+RELEASE_TAG="bitchx-1.2.1"
+RELEASE="1.2.1"
+VERSION_NUMBER="$RELEASE`"$srcdir/gitversion.sh" "$RELEASE_TAG" "$srcdir"`"
+VERSION="$_VERSION_-$VERSION_NUMBER"
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(VERSION_NUMBER, "$VERSION_NUMBER", Define BitchX version number here.)
 AC_SUBST(VERSION_NUMBER)
 echo Welcome to the "$VERSION" configuration
@@ -1115,7 +1111,7 @@ AC_CONFIG_COMMANDS([default],[[ echo timestamp > stamp-h
 AC_OUTPUT
 
 echo
-echo BitchX \(c\) 1996-2012 Colten Edwards et al
+echo BitchX \(c\) 1996-2015 Colten Edwards et al
 echo ----------------------------------------------------------
 echo
 echo The configuration script has finished. You should look through
diff --git a/gitversion.sh b/gitversion.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..957e95c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gitversion.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test $# -gt 0 || exit
+
+tag="$1"
+
+if test $# -gt 1; then
+	cd $2 || exit
+fi
+
+test -d .git || exit
+
+desc=`git describe --match "$tag" 2>/dev/null` || exit
+
+echo "$desc" | sed -e "s@^$tag@@"
+
diff --git a/source/irc.c b/source/irc.c
index 5d1d17b..a7f1edd 100644
--- a/source/irc.c
+++ b/source/irc.c
@@ -62,11 +62,7 @@ CVS_REVISION(irc_c)
 #include <signame.h>
 #endif
 
-#ifndef VERSION
-	const char irc_version[] = "BitchX-1.2.1";
-#else
-	const char irc_version[] = VERSION;
-#endif
+const char irc_version[] = VERSION;
 
 /* Format of bitchx_numver: MMmmpp
  * MM = major version (eg 10 = 1.0)