diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 89840ad2f9d..c8f64b998dc 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 # REGENIE = 1
 # VERBOSE = 1
 # NOWERROR = 1
+# IGNORE_GIT = 1
 
 # TARGET = mame
 # SUBTARGET = tiny
@@ -893,25 +894,18 @@ $(error Python is not available in path)
 endif
 
 ifneq ($(GIT_AVAILABLE),git)
-PARAMS += --IGNORE_GIT='1'
+	IGNORE_GIT := 1
 endif
 ifeq ($(wildcard .git/*),)
-PARAMS += --IGNORE_GIT='1'
+	IGNORE_GIT := 1
 endif
 
-ifeq ($(GIT_AVAILABLE),git)
-NEW_GIT_VERSION := $(shell git describe)
-ifeq (posix,$(SHELLTYPE))
-OLD_GIT_VERSION := $(shell cat .mame_version 2> /dev/null)
+OLD_GIT_VERSION := $(file <$(GENDIR)/git_desc)
+ifneq ($(IGNORE_GIT),1)
+NEW_GIT_VERSION := $(shell git describe --dirty)
 else
-OLD_GIT_VERSION := $(shell cat .mame_version 2> NUL)
+NEW_GIT_VERSION := unknown
 endif
-ifneq ($(NEW_GIT_VERSION),$(OLD_GIT_VERSION))
-$(shell git describe > .mame_version)
-$(shell touch $(SRC)/version.cpp)
-endif
-endif
-
 
 GENIE := 3rdparty/genie/bin/$(GENIEOS)/genie$(EXE)
 
@@ -1463,6 +1457,7 @@ genie: $(GENIE)
 generate: \
 		genie \
 		$(GEN_FOLDERS) \
+		$(GENDIR)/version.cpp \
 		$(patsubst %.po,%.mo,$(call rwildcard, language/, *.po)) \
 		$(patsubst $(SRC)/%.lay,$(GENDIR)/%.lh,$(LAYOUTS)) \
 		$(GENDIR)/mame/drivers/ymmu100.hxx \
@@ -1473,6 +1468,32 @@ $(GENDIR)/includes/SDL2:
 	-$(call MKDIR,$@)
 	-$(call COPY,3rdparty/SDL2/include/,$(GENDIR)/includes/SDL2)
 
+ifneq ($(NEW_GIT_VERSION),$(OLD_GIT_VERSION))
+stale:
+
+.PHONY: stale
+
+$(GENDIR)/git_desc: stale | $(GEN_FOLDERS)
+	@echo $(NEW_GIT_VERSION) > $@
+endif
+
+ifeq (posix,$(SHELLTYPE))
+$(GENDIR)/version.cpp: $(GENDIR)/git_desc | $(GEN_FOLDERS)
+	@echo '#define BARE_BUILD_VERSION "0.174"' > $@
+	@echo 'extern const char bare_build_version[];' >> $@
+	@echo 'extern const char build_version[];' >> $@
+	@echo 'const char bare_build_version[] = BARE_BUILD_VERSION;' >> $@
+	@echo 'const char build_version[] = BARE_BUILD_VERSION " ($(NEW_GIT_VERSION))";' >> $@
+else
+$(GENDIR)/version.cpp: $(GENDIR)/git_desc
+	@echo \#define BARE_BUILD_VERSION "0.174" > $@
+	@echo extern const char bare_build_version[]; >> $@
+	@echo extern const char build_version[]; >> $@
+	@echo const char bare_build_version[] = BARE_BUILD_VERSION; >> $@
+	@echo const char build_version[] = BARE_BUILD_VERSION " ($(NEW_GIT_VERSION))"; >> $@
+endif
+
+
 $(GENDIR)/%.lh: $(SRC)/%.lay scripts/build/complay.py | $(GEN_FOLDERS)
 	@echo Compressing $<...
 	$(SILENT)$(PYTHON) scripts/build/complay.py $< $@ layout_$(basename $(notdir $<))
diff --git a/scripts/genie.lua b/scripts/genie.lua
index d17753a8834..85dbe6d295e 100644
--- a/scripts/genie.lua
+++ b/scripts/genie.lua
@@ -349,15 +349,6 @@ newoption {
 	}
 }
 
-newoption {
-	trigger = "IGNORE_GIT",
-	description = "Ignore usage of git command in build process",
-	allowed = {
-		{ "0",  "Do not ignore"   },
-		{ "1",  "Ingore"  },
-	},
-}
-
 newoption {
 	trigger = "SOURCES",
 	description = "List of sources to compile.",
diff --git a/scripts/src/main.lua b/scripts/src/main.lua
index d5cce436dce..42615bedebb 100644
--- a/scripts/src/main.lua
+++ b/scripts/src/main.lua
@@ -147,17 +147,7 @@ end
 		end
 
 	configuration { }
-	
-if _OPTIONS["IGNORE_GIT"]~="1" then	
-	GIT_VERSION = backtick( "git describe --dirty" )
-	local p = string.find(GIT_VERSION, '-', 1)
-	if (p~=nil) then
-		defines {
-			"GIT_VERSION=" .. string.sub(GIT_VERSION,p+1)
-		}
-	end
-end
-	
+
 	if _OPTIONS["targetos"]=="android" then
 		includedirs {
 			MAME_DIR .. "3rdparty/SDL2/include",
@@ -277,7 +267,7 @@ if (STANDALONE~=true) then
 			"-sectcreate __TEXT __info_plist " .. _MAKE.esc(GEN_DIR) .. "resource/" .. _subtarget .. "-Info.plist"
 		}
 		custombuildtask {
-			{ MAME_DIR .. "src/version.cpp" ,  GEN_DIR .. "resource/" .. _subtarget .. "-Info.plist",    {  MAME_DIR .. "scripts/build/verinfo.py" }, {"@echo Emitting " .. _subtarget .. "-Info.plist" .. "...",    PYTHON .. " $(1)  -p -b " .. _subtarget .. " $(<) > $(@)" }},
+			{ GEN_DIR .. "version.cpp" ,  GEN_DIR .. "resource/" .. _subtarget .. "-Info.plist",    {  MAME_DIR .. "scripts/build/verinfo.py" }, {"@echo Emitting " .. _subtarget .. "-Info.plist" .. "...",    PYTHON .. " $(1)  -p -b " .. _subtarget .. " $(<) > $(@)" }},
 		}
 		dependency {
 			{ "$(TARGET)" ,  GEN_DIR  .. "resource/" .. _subtarget .. "-Info.plist", true  },
@@ -312,7 +302,7 @@ if (STANDALONE~=true) then
 	end
 	files {
 		mainfile,
-		MAME_DIR .. "src/version.cpp",
+		GEN_DIR .. "version.cpp",
 		GEN_DIR  .. _target .. "/" .. _subtarget .."/drivlist.cpp",
 	}
 
@@ -355,14 +345,14 @@ if (STANDALONE~=true) then
 
 	configuration { "mingw*" }
 		custombuildtask {
-			{ MAME_DIR .. "src/version.cpp" ,  GEN_DIR  .. "resource/" .. rctarget .. "vers.rc",    {  MAME_DIR .. "scripts/build/verinfo.py" }, {"@echo Emitting " .. rctarget .. "vers.rc" .. "...",    PYTHON .. " $(1)  -r -b " .. rctarget .. " $(<) > $(@)" }},
+			{ GEN_DIR .. "version.cpp" ,  GEN_DIR  .. "resource/" .. rctarget .. "vers.rc",    {  MAME_DIR .. "scripts/build/verinfo.py" }, {"@echo Emitting " .. rctarget .. "vers.rc" .. "...",    PYTHON .. " $(1)  -r -b " .. rctarget .. " $(<) > $(@)" }},
 		}
 
 	configuration { "vs*" }
 		prebuildcommands {
 			"mkdir " .. path.translate(GEN_DIR  .. "resource/","\\") .. " 2>NUL",
 			"@echo Emitting ".. rctarget .. "vers.rc...",
-			PYTHON .. " " .. path.translate(MAME_DIR .. "scripts/build/verinfo.py","\\") .. " -r -b " .. rctarget .. " " .. path.translate(MAME_DIR .. "src/version.cpp","\\") .. " > " .. path.translate(GEN_DIR  .. "resource/" .. rctarget .. "vers.rc", "\\") ,
+			PYTHON .. " " .. path.translate(MAME_DIR .. "scripts/build/verinfo.py","\\") .. " -r -b " .. rctarget .. " " .. path.translate(GEN_DIR .. "version.cpp","\\") .. " > " .. path.translate(GEN_DIR  .. "resource/" .. rctarget .. "vers.rc", "\\") ,
 		}
 end
 
diff --git a/scripts/src/tools.lua b/scripts/src/tools.lua
index a2e5ad73496..87192f53d5b 100644
--- a/scripts/src/tools.lua
+++ b/scripts/src/tools.lua
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ includedirs {
 files {
 	MAME_DIR .. "src/tools/chdman.cpp",
 	MAME_DIR .. "src/emu/emucore.cpp",
-	MAME_DIR .. "src/version.cpp",
+	GEN_DIR .. "version.cpp",
 }
 
 configuration { "mingw*" or "vs*" }
diff --git a/src/version.cpp b/src/version.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index b7f73e4618a..00000000000
--- a/src/version.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-// license:BSD-3-Clause
-// copyright-holders:Aaron Giles
-/***************************************************************************
-
-    version.c
-
-    Version string source file for MAME.
-
-***************************************************************************/
-
-#define BARE_BUILD_VERSION "0.174"
-
-extern const char bare_build_version[];
-extern const char build_version[];
-const char bare_build_version[] = BARE_BUILD_VERSION;
-#if defined(GIT_VERSION)
-#define VERSION_TO_STRING(s) XVERSION_TO_STRING(s)
-#define XVERSION_TO_STRING(ver) #ver
-const char build_version[] = BARE_BUILD_VERSION " (" VERSION_TO_STRING(GIT_VERSION) ")";
-#else
-const char build_version[] = BARE_BUILD_VERSION;
-#endif