diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index ca311e69..a586e727 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -240,12 +240,16 @@ endif ()
 
 #--- start create git-revision.h ----------------------------------------------
 if (IS_GIT_REPO)
-  execute_process(COMMAND sh ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/git_revision.sh)
+  add_custom_target(git_revision ALL
+    COMMAND sh ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/git_revision.sh
+    WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}
+    COMMENT "Checking git revision"
+  )
 
-  set(HAVE_GIT_REV_H "-DHAVE_GIT_REV_H")  
+  set(HAVE_GIT_REV_H "-DHAVE_GIT_REV_H")
   set(GIT_REV_H "git-revision.h")
 else (IS_GIT_REPO)
-  set(HAVE_GIT_REV_H "")  
+  set(HAVE_GIT_REV_H "")
   set(GIT_REV_H "")
 endif (IS_GIT_REPO)
 
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 6e1b1ab8..861c5b10 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -145,6 +145,20 @@ target_include_directories(write_musrRoot_runHeader
 )
 target_link_libraries(write_musrRoot_runHeader ${ROOT_LIBRARIES} ${MUSRFIT_LIBS} ${LIBXML2_LIBRARIES})
 
+#--- ensure git-revision.h is regenerated before compiling --------------------
+if (IS_GIT_REPO)
+  add_dependencies(addRun git_revision)
+  add_dependencies(any2many git_revision)
+  add_dependencies(dump_header git_revision)
+  add_dependencies(msr2data git_revision)
+  add_dependencies(musrfit git_revision)
+  add_dependencies(musrFT git_revision)
+  add_dependencies(musrRootValidation git_revision)
+  add_dependencies(musrt0 git_revision)
+  add_dependencies(musrview git_revision)
+  add_dependencies(write_musrRoot_runHeader git_revision)
+endif (IS_GIT_REPO)
+
 #--- installation info --------------------------------------------------------
 install(
   TARGETS