diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/Makefile b/polymer/eduke32/Makefile
index 1bed4d3a3..c9bc16473 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/Makefile
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/Makefile
@@ -346,11 +346,11 @@ DUKE3D_EDITOR_OBJS_EXP:=$(addprefix $(DUKE3D_OBJ)/,$(addsuffix .$o,$(DUKE3D_EDIT
 ifeq ($(PRETTY_OUTPUT),1)
 .SILENT:
 endif
-.PHONY: veryclean clean all test cleanutils utils dxutils sdlutils printutils printsdlutils printdxutils rev rev_clean
+.PHONY: veryclean clean all test cleanutils utils dxutils sdlutils printutils printsdlutils printdxutils rev $(DUKE3D_OBJ)/rev.$o
 
 # TARGETS
 
-all: start $(DO_REV) $(EDUKE32_TARGET) $(MAPSTER32_TARGET) finish
+all: start $(EDUKE32_TARGET) $(MAPSTER32_TARGET) finish
 ifneq (,$(EDUKE32_TARGET))
 	@ls -l $(EDUKE32)
 endif
@@ -565,6 +565,10 @@ $(DUKE3D_OBJ)/%.$o: $(DUKE3D_SRC)/%.c | $(DUKE3D_OBJ)
 	$(COMPILE_STATUS)
 	$(RECIPE_IF) $(COMPILER) $(COMMONFLAGS) $(COMPILERFLAGS) $(DUKE3D_CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@ $(RECIPE_RESULT_COMPILE)
 
+$(DUKE3D_OBJ)/rev.$o: $(DUKE3D_SRC)/rev.c | $(DUKE3D_OBJ)
+	$(COMPILE_STATUS)
+	$(RECIPE_IF) $(COMPILER) $(COMMONFLAGS) $(COMPILERFLAGS) $(DUKE3D_CFLAGS) $(REVFLAG) -c $< -o $@ $(RECIPE_RESULT_COMPILE)
+
 $(DUKE3D_OBJ)/%.$o: $(DUKE3D_SRC)/util/%.c | $(DUKE3D_OBJ)
 	$(COMPILE_STATUS)
 	$(RECIPE_IF) $(COMPILER) $(COMMONFLAGS) $(COMPILERFLAGS) $(DUKE3D_CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@ $(RECIPE_RESULT_COMPILE)
@@ -603,7 +607,7 @@ $(ENGINE_OBJ) $(AUDIOLIB_OBJ) $(ENET_OBJ) $(DUKE3D_OBJ) $(TESTGAME_OBJ):
 
 # PHONIES
 
-clean: $(UNDO_REV)
+clean:
 	-rm -f $(EDUKE32) $(MAPSTER32) $(COMMON_OBJS_EXP) $(DUKE3D_OBJS_EXP) $(COMMON_EDITOR_OBJS_EXP) $(DUKE3D_EDITOR_OBJS_EXP) $(DUKE3D_MISCDEPS) $(DUKE3D_EDITOR_MISCDEPS) core*
 ifeq ($(PLATFORM),DARWIN)
 	-rm -rf EDuke32.app Mapster32.app
@@ -627,8 +631,4 @@ printdxutils:
 printsdlutils:
 	echo "$(addsuffix $(EXESUFFIX),$(SDLUTILS))"
 
-rev:
-	@echo "s_buildRev = \"r$(VC_REV)$(VC_REV_CUSTOM)\";">source/rev.h
-
-rev_clean:
-	@$(VC_CLEAN) source/rev.h
+rev: $(DUKE3D_OBJ)/rev.$o
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/Makefile.common b/polymer/eduke32/Makefile.common
index e20e844d8..9f0d2aca3 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/Makefile.common
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/Makefile.common
@@ -138,20 +138,6 @@ ifndef SUBPLATFORM
     endif
 endif
 
-# Detect version control revision, if applicable
-ifeq (,$(VC_REV))
-    VC_REV    := $(shell svn info 2>&1 | grep Revision | cut -d' ' -f2)
-    VC_CLEAN  := svn revert
-endif
-ifeq (,$(VC_REV))
-    VC_REV    := $(shell git svn info 2>&1 | grep Revision | cut -d' ' -f2)
-    VC_CLEAN  := git checkout
-endif
-ifneq (,$(VC_REV))
-    DO_REV    :=rev
-    UNDO_REV  :=rev_clean
-endif
-
 # Binary suffix override:
 EXESUFFIX_OVERRIDE ?=
 
@@ -1000,6 +986,22 @@ ifeq ($(PLATFORM),WII)
     # -msdata=eabi
 endif
 
+# Detect version control revision, if applicable
+ifeq (,$(VC_REV))
+    ifneq (,$(wildcard EDUKE32_REVISION))
+        VC_REV    := $(shell cat EDUKE32_REVISION)
+    endif
+endif
+ifeq (,$(VC_REV))
+    VC_REV    := $(shell svn info 2>&1 | grep Revision | cut -d' ' -f2)
+endif
+ifeq (,$(VC_REV))
+    VC_REV    := $(shell git svn info 2>&1 | grep Revision | cut -d' ' -f2)
+endif
+ifneq (,$(VC_REV)$(VC_REV_CUSTOM))
+    REVFLAG += -DREV="\"r$(VC_REV)$(VC_REV_CUSTOM)\""
+endif
+
 COMPILER=$(CC) $(CONLYFLAGS)
 LINKER=$(L_CC)
 ifneq ($(CPLUSPLUS),0)
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/Makefile.deps b/polymer/eduke32/Makefile.deps
index 6cded062c..c3a8edb9a 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/Makefile.deps
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/Makefile.deps
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ $(DUKE3D_OBJ)/winbits.$o: $(DUKE3D_SRC)/winbits.c
 $(DUKE3D_OBJ)/osdfuncs.$o: $(DUKE3D_SRC)/names.h $(ENGINE_INC)/build.h $(ENGINE_INC)/osd.h
 $(DUKE3D_OBJ)/osdcmds.$o: $(DUKE3D_SRC)/osdcmds.c $(DUKE3D_INC)/osdcmds.h $(ENGINE_INC)/osd.h $(duke3d_h)
 $(DUKE3D_OBJ)/animvpx.$o: $(DUKE3D_SRC)/animvpx.c $(DUKE3D_SRC)/animvpx.h $(duke3d_h) $(ENGINE_INC)/glbuild.h
-$(DUKE3D_OBJ)/rev.$o: $(DUKE3D_SRC)/rev.h
 
 $(DUKE3D_OBJ)/lunatic_game.$o: $(ENGINE_INC)/lunatic.h $(DUKE3D_SRC)/lunatic/lunatic_game.c $(DUKE3D_SRC)/lunatic/lunatic_game.h $(DUKE3D_SRC)/gamedef.h $(DUKE3D_SRC)/gameexec.h $(ENGINE_INC)/cache1d.h $(ENGINE_INC)/osd.h
 $(DUKE3D_OBJ)/lunatic_m32.$o: $(ENGINE_INC)/lunatic.h $(DUKE3D_SRC)/lunatic/lunatic_m32.c $(DUKE3D_SRC)/lunatic/lunatic_m32.h $(ENGINE_INC)/cache1d.h $(ENGINE_INC)/osd.h
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/build/include/common.h b/polymer/eduke32/build/include/common.h
index 2166d2d5d..cd0bf622f 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/build/include/common.h
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/build/include/common.h
@@ -47,8 +47,14 @@ enum
 //// EXTERN DECLS
 extern struct strllist *CommandPaths, *CommandGrps;
 
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
 extern const char *s_buildRev;
 extern const char *s_buildTimestamp;
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
 extern const char *s_buildInfo;
 
 //// FUNCTIONS
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/platform/osxbuild.sh b/polymer/eduke32/platform/osxbuild.sh
index 7cb8f9636..5297f1fd2 100755
--- a/polymer/eduke32/platform/osxbuild.sh
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/platform/osxbuild.sh
@@ -199,10 +199,7 @@ if [ -z "$rev" ]; then
     echo "Detected git repository, revision r$rev"
 fi
 
-if [ -n "$rev" ]; then
-    # throw the svn revision into a header.  this is ugly.
-    echo "s_buildRev = \"r$rev\";" > source/rev.h
-else
+if [ -z "$rev" ]; then
     rev=unknown
     vc=none
 fi
@@ -372,13 +369,6 @@ if [ $buildmain == 1 ]; then
     fi
 fi
 
-# clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere, clean up, clean up, everybody do your share
-if [ "$vc" == "svn" ]; then
-    svn revert "source/rev.h"
-elif [ "$vc" == "git" ]; then
-    git checkout "source/rev.h"
-fi
-
 # Duplicating .app bundles for debug build:
 if [ $builddebug == 1 ] || [ $pack == 1 ]; then
     for i in Mapster32 EDuke32; do
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/platform/wiibuild.bat b/polymer/eduke32/platform/wiibuild.bat
index 824827a0d..1767dd582 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/platform/wiibuild.bat
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/platform/wiibuild.bat
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ if not "%rev%"=="" set vc=svn
 if "%rev%"=="" for /f "delims=" %%G in ('git svn info 2^>^&1 ^| grep Revision ^| cut -d " " -f 2') do @set rev=%%G
 if not "%rev%"=="" set vc=git
 if "%rev%"=="" set vc=none
-if not "%rev%"=="" echo s_buildRev = "r%rev%";>source\rev.h
 if "%rev%"=="" set rev=XXXX
 
 :: Get the current date:
@@ -43,9 +42,5 @@ xcopy /e /q /y /EXCLUDE:%wiidir%\xcopy_exclude.txt package\sdk apps\mapster32\
 
 :end
 
-:: Clean up revision number:
-if "%vc%"=="svn" svn revert source\rev.h
-if "%vc%"=="git" git checkout source\rev.h
-
 endlocal
 goto :eof
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/rev.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/rev.c
index 6affa46c6..055653f00 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/rev.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/rev.c
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
-// This file's main purpose is to be recompiled whenever the Makefile slams rev.h (usually always) so the timestamp gets updated, even for a partial recompile.
+// This file's main purpose is to be recompiled unconditionally so the timestamp gets updated, even for a partial recompile.
 
-const char *
-    #include "rev.h"
+#if !defined REV
+# define REV "r(?)"
+#endif
 
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+const char* s_buildRev = REV;
 const char* s_buildTimestamp = __DATE__ " " __TIME__;
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/rev.h b/polymer/eduke32/source/rev.h
deleted file mode 100644
index bc3ea3e89..000000000
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/rev.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-s_buildRev = "rXXXX";