diff --git a/Modules/Makefile.pre.in b/Modules/Makefile.pre.in
index a5f0d9a5c4f..de2b107b570 100644
--- a/Modules/Makefile.pre.in
+++ b/Modules/Makefile.pre.in
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ MAKESETUP=	$(srcdir)/makesetup
 
 OBJS=		$(MODOBJS)
 
-ADDOBJS=	main.o config.o getpath.o
+ADDOBJS=	main.o config.o getpath.o getbuildinfo.o
 
 LIB=		libModules.a
 
@@ -120,11 +120,18 @@ $(LIB):		$& $(OBJS) Makefile
 		$(AR) cr $(LIB) $(OBJS)
 		$(RANLIB) $(LIB)
 
-../python:	$(MYLIBS) $(ADDOBJS) Makefile
+../python:	$(MYLIBS) $(ADDOBJS) Makefile buildno
+		expr `cat buildno` + 1 >@buildno
+		mv @buildno buildno
+		$(CC) -c $(CFLAGS) -DBUILD=`cat buildno` $(srcdir)/getbuildinfo.c
+		$(AR) r $(LIB) getbuildinfo.o
 		$(LINKCC) $(LDFLAGS) $(OPT) $(LINKFORSHARED) $(ADDOBJS) \
 		      $(MYLIBS) $(MODLIBS) $(LIBS) $(SYSLIBS) -o python
 		mv python ../python
 
+buildno:
+		echo 0 >buildno
+
 clean:
 		-rm -f *.o python core *~ [@,#]* *.old *.orig *.rej
 
diff --git a/Modules/getbuildinfo.c b/Modules/getbuildinfo.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0bf031aaaaf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Modules/getbuildinfo.c
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+#ifndef DATE
+#ifdef __DATE__
+#define DATE __DATE__
+#else
+#define DATE "xx/xx/xx"
+#endif
+#endif
+
+#ifndef TIME
+#ifdef __TIME__
+#define TIME __TIME__
+#else
+#define TIME "xx:xx:xx"
+#endif
+#endif
+
+#ifndef BUILD
+#define BUILD 0
+#endif
+
+
+const char *
+Py_GetBuildInfo()
+{
+	static char buildinfo[40];
+	sprintf(buildinfo, "#%d, %.12s, %.8s", BUILD, DATE, TIME);
+	return buildinfo;
+}