diff --git a/configure/CONFIG_SITE b/configure/CONFIG_SITE
index 9689fd9cd..1e64dd23a 100644
--- a/configure/CONFIG_SITE
+++ b/configure/CONFIG_SITE
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ USE_POSIX_THREAD_PRIORITY_SCHEDULING = YES
 
 # Site version number, if set will append '-' and this string to the
 #  EPICS version number string that is reported by many tools.
-EPICS_SITE_VERSION:=$(shell date +%Y-%m)
+EPICS_SITE_VERSION=$(shell $(PERL) -MPOSIX -e 'print strftime "%Y-%m-%d $(shell git describe --tags --dirty)", localtime')
 
 # For GNU compiler, use pipes rather than temporary files for
 #  communication between the various stages of compilation.
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG_SITE.linux-x86.Common b/configure/os/CONFIG_SITE.linux-x86.Common
index 12bd19968..335e5f7ac 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG_SITE.linux-x86.Common
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG_SITE.linux-x86.Common
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 INSTALL_LOCATION=/usr/local/epics/base-$(EPICS_VERSION).$(EPICS_REVISION).$(EPICS_MODIFICATION)
-EPICS_SITE_VERSION:=$(shell date +%Y-%m-%d)
 
 GNU_HOST_ARCH=i686
 GNU_HOST_OS=linux