diff --git a/src/ioc/misc/iocshRegisterCommon.c b/src/ioc/misc/iocshRegisterCommon.c
index 4bcd6d816..f5f339f46 100644
--- a/src/ioc/misc/iocshRegisterCommon.c
+++ b/src/ioc/misc/iocshRegisterCommon.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 \*************************************************************************/
 
 #include "envDefs.h"
+#include "epicsVersion.h"
 #include "iocsh.h"
 #include "libComRegister.h"
 
@@ -22,15 +23,29 @@
 #include "registryIocRegister.h"
 #include "rsrvIocRegister.h"
 
+#define quote(v) #v
+#define str(v) quote(v)
+
 void iocshRegisterCommon(void)
 {
     iocshPpdbbase = &pdbbase;
     const char *targetArch = envGetConfigParamPtr(&EPICS_BUILD_TARGET_ARCH);
 
+    /* This uses a config param so the user can override it */
     if (targetArch) {
         epicsEnvSet("ARCH", targetArch);
     }
 
+    /* Base build version variables */
+    epicsEnvSet("EPICS_VERSION_MAJOR", str(EPICS_VERSION));
+    epicsEnvSet("EPICS_VERSION_MIDDLE", str(EPICS_REVISION));
+    epicsEnvSet("EPICS_VERSION_MINOR", str(EPICS_MODIFICATION));
+    epicsEnvSet("EPICS_VERSION_PATCH", str(EPICS_PATCH_LEVEL));
+    epicsEnvSet("EPICS_VERSION_SNAPSHOT", EPICS_DEV_SNAPSHOT);
+    epicsEnvSet("EPICS_VERSION_SITE", EPICS_SITE_VERSION);
+    epicsEnvSet("EPICS_VERSION_SHORT", EPICS_VERSION_SHORT);
+    epicsEnvSet("EPICS_VERSION_FULL", EPICS_VERSION_FULL);
+
     dbStaticIocRegister();
     registryIocRegister();
     dbIocRegister();
diff --git a/src/libCom/misc/makeEpicsVersion.pl b/src/libCom/misc/makeEpicsVersion.pl
index 2a720e86d..f7f134f87 100644
--- a/src/libCom/misc/makeEpicsVersion.pl
+++ b/src/libCom/misc/makeEpicsVersion.pl
@@ -47,8 +47,11 @@ map {
     die "$tool: Variable missing from $infile" unless defined $_;
 } $ver, $rev, $mod, $patch, $snapshot, $commit_date;
 
+$commit_date =~ s/^\$\$Date$\$$/\1/;
+
 my $ver_str = "$ver.$rev.$mod";
 $ver_str .= ".$patch" if $patch > 0;
+my $ver_short = $ver_str;
 $ver_str .= $snapshot if $snapshot ne '';
 $ver_str .= "-$opt_v" if $opt_v;
 
@@ -71,10 +74,15 @@ print $OUT <<"END";
 #define EPICS_PATCH_LEVEL    $patch
 #define EPICS_DEV_SNAPSHOT   "$snapshot"
 #define EPICS_SITE_VERSION   "$opt_v"
+
+#define EPICS_VERSION_SHORT  "$ver_short"
+#define EPICS_VERSION_FULL   "$ver_str"
 #define EPICS_VERSION_STRING "EPICS $ver_str"
 #define epicsReleaseVersion  "EPICS R$ver_str $commit_date"
 
-#define VERSION_INT(V,R,M,P) ( ((V)<<24) | ((R)<<16) | ((M)<<8) | (P))
+#ifndef VERSION_INT
+#  define VERSION_INT(V,R,M,P) ( ((V)<<24) | ((R)<<16) | ((M)<<8) | (P))
+#endif
 #define EPICS_VERSION_INT VERSION_INT($ver, $rev, $mod, $patch)
 
 #endif /* INC_${obase}_H */