diff --git a/src/emu/mame.h b/src/emu/mame.h
index 457b13f39f6..4f2e7747d8b 100644
--- a/src/emu/mame.h
+++ b/src/emu/mame.h
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ private:
 //**************************************************************************
 
 extern const char build_version[];
-
+extern const char bare_build_version[];
 
 
 /***************************************************************************
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index d3c690a7f3f..93121236803 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -8,5 +8,9 @@
 
 ***************************************************************************/
 
+#define BARE_BUILD_VERSION "0.156"
+
+extern const char bare_build_version[];
 extern const char build_version[];
-const char build_version[] = "0.156 (" __DATE__")";
+const char bare_build_version[] = BARE_BUILD_VERSION;
+const char build_version[] = BARE_BUILD_VERSION " (" __DATE__")";