diff --git a/modules/database/src/ioc/Makefile b/modules/database/src/ioc/Makefile
index 3ff0990c5..70b1b5558 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/ioc/Makefile
+++ b/modules/database/src/ioc/Makefile
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ include $(IOCDIR)/misc/Makefile
 include $(IOCDIR)/registry/Makefile
 include $(IOCDIR)/rsrv/Makefile
 
+GENVERSION = epicsVCS.h
+GENVERSIONMACRO = EPICS_VCS_VERSION
+
 EXPANDVARS += EPICS_DATABASE_MAJOR_VERSION
 EXPANDVARS += EPICS_DATABASE_MINOR_VERSION
 EXPANDVARS += EPICS_DATABASE_MAINTENANCE_VERSION
@@ -55,3 +58,5 @@ include $(IOCDIR)/dbtemplate/RULES
 ../O.Common/databaseVersionNum.h: ../databaseVersionNum.h@
 	$(MKDIR) $(COMMON_DIR)
 	$(EXPAND_TOOL) $(EXPANDFLAGS) $($@_EXPANDFLAGS) $< $@
+
+epicsRelease$(DEP): $(COMMON_DIR)/$(GENVERSION)
diff --git a/modules/database/src/ioc/misc/epicsRelease.c b/modules/database/src/ioc/misc/epicsRelease.c
index 5eb55960c..90056d99f 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/ioc/misc/epicsRelease.c
+++ b/modules/database/src/ioc/misc/epicsRelease.c
@@ -16,12 +16,13 @@
 
 #define epicsExportSharedSymbols
 #include "epicsRelease.h"
+#include "epicsVCS.h"
 
 epicsShareFunc int coreRelease(void)
 {
     printf ( "############################################################################\n" );
     printf ( "## %s\n", epicsReleaseVersion );
-    printf ( "## %s\n", "EPICS Base built " __DATE__ );
+    printf ( "## %s\n", "Rev. " EPICS_VCS_VERSION );
     printf ( "############################################################################\n" );
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/modules/libcom/src/osi/epicsTime.cpp b/modules/libcom/src/osi/epicsTime.cpp
index e3a32968e..f80d1738b 100644
--- a/modules/libcom/src/osi/epicsTime.cpp
+++ b/modules/libcom/src/osi/epicsTime.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 #include "epicsStdio.h"
 
 static const char pEpicsTimeVersion[] =
-    "@(#) " EPICS_VERSION_STRING ", Common Utilities Library " __DATE__;
+    "@(#) " EPICS_VERSION_STRING ", Common Utilities Library";
 
 //
 // useful public constants