diff --git a/kernel/main.c b/kernel/main.c
index 1e93aefcb..0579b1263 100755
--- a/kernel/main.c
+++ b/kernel/main.c
@@ -179,6 +179,9 @@ PRIVATE void announce(void)
 {
   /* Display the MINIX startup banner. */
   kprintf("\nMINIX %s.%s. "
+#ifdef SVN_REVISION
+	"(" SVN_REVISION ")\n"
+#endif
       "Copyright 2006, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands\n",
       OS_RELEASE, OS_VERSION);
 }
diff --git a/tools/release.sh b/tools/release.sh
index d3fdd2106..96f07c836 100755
--- a/tools/release.sh
+++ b/tools/release.sh
@@ -284,6 +284,13 @@ then
 	echo "Doing export of revision $REVISION from $REPO."
 	( cd $RELEASEDIR/usr && svn export -r$REVISION $REPO )
 	REVTAG=r$REVISION
+	echo "
+
+/* Added by release script  */
+#ifndef SVN_REVISION
+#define SVN_REVISION \"$REVISION\"
+#endif" >>$RELEASEDIR/usr/src/include/minix/sys_config.h
+
 else
 	( cd .. && make depend && make clean )
 	srcdir=/usr/$SRC