diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 8007b74..2adf502 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,7 +1,14 @@
 AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = foreign dist-bzip2 1.6
+ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4
 
 INCLUDES = $(all_includes) -I$(top_srcdir)/include
 SUBDIRS = include src tests
 
 pkgconfigdir = $(libdir)/pkgconfig
 pkgconfig_DATA = libosmocore.pc
+
+BUILT_SOURCES = $(top_srcdir)/.version
+$(top_srcdir)/.version:
+	echo $(VERSION) > $@-t && mv $@-t $@
+dist-hook:
+	echo $(VERSION) > $(distdir)/.tarball-version