diff --git a/tools/Makefile.unix b/tools/Makefile.unix
index 5ac78bb1efa..a40c6521a29 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile.unix
+++ b/tools/Makefile.unix
@@ -36,9 +36,17 @@
 
 TOPDIR := ${shell pwd | sed -e 's/ /\\ /g'}
 -include $(TOPDIR)/.config
+-include $(TOPDIR)/.version
 include $(TOPDIR)/tools/Config.mk
 -include $(TOPDIR)/Make.defs
 
+# In case .version file does not exist
+
+CONFIG_VERSION_STRING ?= "0.0"
+CONFIG_VERSION_MAJOR ?= 0
+CONFIG_VERSION_MINOR ?= 0
+CONFIG_VERSION_BUILD ?= "0"
+
 # Control build verbosity
 #
 #  V=1,2: Enable echo of commands
@@ -197,6 +205,9 @@ BIN       = $(NUTTXNAME)$(EXEEXT)
 
 all: $(BIN)
 .PHONY: dirlinks context clean_context check_context config oldconfig menuconfig nconfig qconfig gconfig export subdir_clean clean subdir_distclean distclean apps_clean apps_distclean version_info
+ifeq ($(GIT_DIR),y)
+.PHONY: $(TOPDIR)/.version
+endif
 
 # Target used to copy include/nuttx/lib/math.h.  If CONFIG_ARCH_MATH_H is
 # defined, then there is an architecture specific math.h header file
@@ -273,24 +284,18 @@ endif
 tools/mkversion$(HOSTEXEEXT):
 	$(Q) $(MAKE) -C tools -f Makefile.host TOPDIR="$(TOPDIR)"  mkversion$(HOSTEXEEXT)
 
-# create .version if it doesn't already exist.  Note: it may have been
-# created manually and may contain other info
+# [Re-]create .version if it doesn't already exist.
 
 $(TOPDIR)/.version:
-	$(Q) echo "No .version file found, creating one"
-	$(Q) tools/version.sh -v 0.0 -b 0 .version
+	$(Q) echo "Create .version"
+	$(Q) tools/version.sh -v $(CONFIG_VERSION_MAJOR).$(CONFIG_VERSION_MINOR) -b $(CONFIG_VERSION_BUILD) .version
+ifeq ($(GIT_DIR),y)
+	$(Q) tools/gen_gitrev.sh -t $(TOPDIR) >> .version
+endif
 	$(Q) chmod 755 .version
 
-# version_info will add git-specific info to the .version file
-# which must already exist.  First strip out any existing CONFIG_GIT_ info
-
-version_info: $(TOPDIR)/.version
-ifeq ($(GIT_DIR),y)
-	$(Q) sed -i '/CONFIG_GIT_/d' $<
-	$(Q) tools/gen_gitrev.sh -t $(TOPDIR) >> $<
-endif
-
-include/nuttx/version.h: version_info tools/mkversion$(HOSTEXEEXT)
+include/nuttx/version.h: $(TOPDIR)/.version tools/mkversion$(HOSTEXEEXT)
+	$(Q) echo "Create version.h"
 	$(Q) tools/mkversion $(TOPDIR) > $@
 
 # Targets used to build include/nuttx/config.h.  Creation of config.h is