--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 MAJORVN=1
 MINORVN=39
 VERSION=$(MAJORVN).$(MINORVN)
+BUILD_DATE="$(shell date)"
 
 OCAMLBEST=@OCAMLBEST@
 
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@
 
 version.ml: Makefile
 	echo "let version = \""$(VERSION)"\"" > version.ml
-	echo "let date = \""`date`"\"" >> version.ml
+	echo "let date = \""$(BUILD_DATE)"\"" >> version.ml
 
 install-indep:
 	mkdir -p $(BINDIR)
