diff --git a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
index 05b9b07b1d..deaebf2b1e 100644
--- a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,4 +8,7 @@ if (APPLE)
 endif(APPLE)
 
 
-set_dist_list(cmake_DIST CMakeLists.txt README_CMAKE.txt cmake_uninstall.cmake.in)
+set_dist_list(cmake_DIST CMakeLists.txt README_CMAKE.txt cmake_uninstall.cmake.in
+    configure-manpage.cmake git2version-info.cmake
+    version-info2env.cmake
+)
diff --git a/cmake/configure-manpage.cmake b/cmake/configure-manpage.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fbef1dda88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/configure-manpage.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# Command to configure the gnucash man page
+# These commands are store in a separate cmake file as they have to be
+# rerun depending on build conditions, not depending on cmake conditions
+# (such as did the version string change or not)
+#
+# The following environment variables are used and should be properly set
+# by the calling code:
+# - SRC_DIR (top level source code directory)
+# - SRC (full path to gnc-vcs-info.h.in)
+# - DST (full path to destination for gnc-vcs-info.h)
+# - VCS_INFO_FILE (full path to gnc-vcs-info.h - can be in source tree (release builds) or build tree (git builds))
+
+include (${SRC_DIR}/cmake/version-info2env.cmake)
+versioninfo2env (${VCS_INFO_FILE})
+configure_file(${SRC} ${DST} )
+file(COPY gnucash.1
+DESTINATION ${DATADIR_BUILD}/gnucash)
diff --git a/cmake/git2version-info.cmake b/cmake/git2version-info.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dec89b70b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/git2version-info.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# Create the gnc-vcs-info.h file starting from git.
+# It currently sets four parameters
+# - GNC_VCS_REV
+# - GNC_VCS_REV_DATE
+# - GNC_VCS_REV_YEAR
+# - GNC_VCS_REV_Y_M
+# The following environment variables are used and should be properly set
+# by the calling code:
+# - SHELL (should point at a bash shell or compatible)
+# - SRC_DIR (top level source code directory)
+# - SRC (full path to gnc-vcs-info.h.in)
+# - DST (full path to destination for gnc-vcs-info.h)
+
+
+execute_process(
+    COMMAND ${SHELL} "${SRC_DIR}/util/gnc-vcs-info" -r "${SRC_DIR}"
+    OUTPUT_VARIABLE GNC_VCS_REV
+    OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
+)
+
+execute_process(
+    COMMAND ${SHELL} "${SRC_DIR}/util/gnc-vcs-info" -d "${SRC_DIR}"
+    OUTPUT_VARIABLE GNC_VCS_REV_DATE
+    OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
+)
+string(SUBSTRING ${GNC_VCS_REV_DATE} 0 4 GNC_VCS_REV_YEAR)
+string(SUBSTRING ${GNC_VCS_REV_DATE} 0 7 GNC_VCS_REV_Y_M)
+configure_file(${SRC} ${DST} @ONLY)
diff --git a/cmake/version-info2env.cmake b/cmake/version-info2env.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c612bd9f83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/version-info2env.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# Extract the parameters set in _VCS_INFO_FILE and export them as environment variables
+
+# _VCS_INFO_FILE should be the full path to gnc-vcs-info.h
+
+function (versioninfo2env _VCS_INFO_FILE)
+    file(STRINGS ${_VCS_INFO_FILE} lines REGEX "#define")
+    foreach(line ${lines})
+        string(REGEX REPLACE "^.* (.*) \"(.*)\"" "\\1;\\2" _param_val ${line})
+        list(GET _param_val 0 _param)
+        list(GET _param_val 1 _val)
+        set(${_param} ${_val} PARENT_SCOPE)
+    endforeach()
+endfunction()
diff --git a/doc/CMakeLists.txt b/doc/CMakeLists.txt
index 0d1235a891..7e7f812944 100644
--- a/doc/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/doc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -62,18 +62,6 @@ else()
 endif()
 set(VCS_INFO_FILE ${VCS_INFO_BASE_DIR}/libgnucash/core-utils/gnc-vcs-info.h)
 
-# The copious use of backslashes below is to escape escape sequences that
-# have to end up in the file being written...
-# eg \\\" will become \", \\\\1 will become \\1 (which cmake will then interpret as \1)
-file(WRITE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/manpage.cmake
-"file(STRINGS \${VCS_INFO_FILE} ym_line REGEX \"GNC_VCS_REV_Y_M\")
-string(REGEX REPLACE \"^.* \\\"(.*)\\\"\" \"\\\\1\" DATE \${ym_line})
-configure_file(\${SRC} \${DST} )
-file(COPY gnucash.1
-  DESTINATION \${DATADIR_BUILD}/gnucash)
-")
-
-
 add_custom_command(OUTPUT gnucash.1
   DEPENDS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/gnucash.1.in gnc-vcs-info
   COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -D SRC=${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/gnucash.1.in
@@ -81,7 +69,8 @@ add_custom_command(OUTPUT gnucash.1
                            -D VERSION=${VERSION}
                            -D VCS_INFO_FILE=${VCS_INFO_FILE}
                            -D DATADIR_BUILD=${DATADIR_BUILD}
-                           -P ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/manpage.cmake
+                           -D SRC_DIR=${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}
+                           -P ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/configure-manpage.cmake
   )
 add_custom_target(gnucash-manpage DEPENDS gnucash.1)
 dist_add_generated (${BUILDING_FROM_VCS} gnucash.1)
diff --git a/doc/gnucash.1.in b/doc/gnucash.1.in
index 7d7a42c490..bf56ee86eb 100644
--- a/doc/gnucash.1.in
+++ b/doc/gnucash.1.in
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 .\" Process this file with
 .\" groff -man -Tascii foo.1
 .\"
-.TH GNUCASH 1 "@DATE@" "Version @VERSION@" "GnuCash Manual Pages"
+.TH GNUCASH 1 "@GNC_VCS_REV_DATE@" "Version @VERSION@" "GnuCash Manual Pages"
 .SH NAME
 gnucash \- personal finance manager
 .SH SYNOPSIS
diff --git a/libgnucash/core-utils/CMakeLists.txt b/libgnucash/core-utils/CMakeLists.txt
index a2ceb2979c..647b220413 100644
--- a/libgnucash/core-utils/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libgnucash/core-utils/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -54,29 +54,13 @@ file(WRITE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/gnc-vcs-info.h.in
 #define GNC_VCS_REV_Y_M \"@GNC_VCS_REV_Y_M@\"
 ")
 
-set(SCM_REV_COMMAND "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/util/gnc-vcs-info -r")
-set(SCM_REV_DATE_COMMAND "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/util/gnc-vcs-info -d")
-file(WRITE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/version.cmake
-  "execute_process(
-    COMMAND ${SHELL} ${SCM_REV_COMMAND} ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}
-    OUTPUT_VARIABLE GNC_VCS_REV
-    OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
-  )
-  execute_process(
-    COMMAND ${SHELL} ${SCM_REV_DATE_COMMAND} ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}
-    OUTPUT_VARIABLE GNC_VCS_REV_DATE
-    OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
-  )
-  string(SUBSTRING \${GNC_VCS_REV_DATE} 0 4 GNC_VCS_REV_YEAR)
-  string(SUBSTRING \${GNC_VCS_REV_DATE} 0 7 GNC_VCS_REV_Y_M)
-  configure_file(\${SRC} \${DST} @ONLY)
-")
-
 add_custom_target(gnc-vcs-info ALL
     BYPRODUCTS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/gnc-vcs-info.h
     COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -D SRC=${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/gnc-vcs-info.h.in
                              -D DST=${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/gnc-vcs-info.h
-                             -P ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/version.cmake
+                             -D SRC_DIR=${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}
+                             -D SHELL="${SHELL}"
+                             -P ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/git2version-info.cmake
 )
 else(BUILDING_FROM_VCS)
   add_custom_target(gnc-vcs-info DEPENDS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/gnc-vcs-info.h)