diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 70d23af0dd..2c046ea8fb 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -85,7 +85,18 @@ tools/%.o: tools/%.c
 
 ffplay.o ffplay.d: CFLAGS += $(SDL_CFLAGS)
 
-cmdutils.o cmdutils.d: version.h
+VERSION_SH  = $(SRC_PATH_BARE)/version.sh
+SVN_ENTRIES = $(SRC_PATH_BARE)/.svn/entries
+
+.version: $(wildcard $(SVN_ENTRIES)) $(VERSION_SH) config.mak
+.version: M=@
+
+version.h .version:
+	$(M)$(VERSION_SH) $(SRC_PATH) $@ $(EXTRA_VERSION)
+	$(Q)touch .version
+
+# force version.sh to run whenever version might have changed
+-include .version
 
 alltools: $(TOOLS)
 
diff --git a/common.mak b/common.mak
index 36788e5cfe..e868a2849c 100644
--- a/common.mak
+++ b/common.mak
@@ -54,14 +54,6 @@ CFLAGS   += $(ECFLAGS)
 
 %.c %.h: MSG = GEN
 
-SVN_ENTRIES = $(SRC_PATH_BARE)/.svn/entries
-ifeq ($(wildcard $(SVN_ENTRIES)),$(SVN_ENTRIES))
-$(BUILD_ROOT_REL)/version.h: $(SVN_ENTRIES)
-endif
-
-$(BUILD_ROOT_REL)/version.h: $(SRC_PATH_BARE)/version.sh config.mak
-	$(M)$< $(SRC_PATH) $@ $(EXTRA_VERSION)
-
 install: install-libs install-headers
 install-libs: install-libs-yes