diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 66043a29a6..6e59ddd490 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -124,3 +124,44 @@ $(srcdir)/ChangeLog:
 	  echo A git checkout and git-log is required to generate this file >> $@); \
 	fi
 .PHONY: $(srcdir)/ChangeLog
+
+libapp_generated_sources = \
+	git-version.h
+
+# Build git-version.h before anything in the subdirs as this is needed
+# in the about and debug dialog (app/) and in the debug tool (tools/).
+BUILT_SOURCES = $(libapp_generated_sources)
+
+CLEANFILES = $(libapp_generated_sources)
+
+# If git is available, always check if git-version.h should be
+# updated. If git is not available, don't do anything if git-version.h
+# already exists because then we are probably working with a tarball
+# in which case the git-version.h we ship is correct.
+git-version.h: update-git-version-header
+	@if test -e "$(top_srcdir)/.git"; then \
+	  git_version="`git --git-dir=$(top_srcdir)/.git describe --always`"; \
+	  git_version_abbrev="`git --git-dir=$(top_srcdir)/.git rev-parse --short HEAD`"; \
+	  git_last_commit_year="`git --git-dir=$(top_srcdir)/.git log -n1 --reverse --pretty=%ci | cut -b 1-4`"; \
+	elif test ! -f "$@"; then \
+	  git_version="Unknown, shouldn't happen"; \
+	  git_version_abbrev="$$git_version"; \
+	  git_last_commit_timestamp=-1; \
+	  git_last_commit_year="`date -u '+%Y'`"; \
+	fi; \
+	if test -n "$$git_version"; then \
+	  echo "#ifndef __GIT_VERSION_H__" > "$@.tmp"; \
+	  echo "#define __GIT_VERSION_H__" >> "$@.tmp"; \
+	  echo "#define GIMP_GIT_VERSION \"$$git_version\"" >> "$@.tmp"; \
+	  echo "#define GIMP_GIT_VERSION_ABBREV \"$$git_version_abbrev\"" >> "$@.tmp"; \
+	  echo "#define GIMP_GIT_LAST_COMMIT_YEAR \"$$git_last_commit_year\"" >> "$@.tmp"; \
+	  echo "#endif /* __GIT_VERSION_H__ */" >> "$@.tmp"; \
+	fi
+	@if ( test -f "$@.tmp" && test -f "$@" && cmp "$@.tmp" "$@" > /dev/null ); then \
+	  rm -f "$@.tmp"; \
+	elif test -f "$@.tmp"; then \
+	  mv "$@.tmp" "$@"; \
+	  echo "  git HEAD changed: $@ regenerated"; \
+	fi
+
+.PHONY: update-git-version-header
diff --git a/app/Makefile.am b/app/Makefile.am
index 803b53c3b5..bad2c5d8d9 100644
--- a/app/Makefile.am
+++ b/app/Makefile.am
@@ -69,18 +69,7 @@ libapp_sources = \
 	gimp-version.c		\
 	gimp-version.h
 
-libapp_generated_sources = \
-	git-version.h
-
-# Build git-version.h before anything in the subdirs as this is needed
-# in the about dialog.
-BUILT_SOURCES = $(libapp_generated_sources)
-
-CLEANFILES = $(libapp_generated_sources)
-
-$(srcdir)/version.c: git-version.h
-
-libapp_a_SOURCES = $(libapp_sources) $(libapp_generated_sources)
+libapp_a_SOURCES = $(libapp_sources)
 
 gimp_@GIMP_APP_VERSION@_SOURCES = $(libapp_sources) main.c
 
@@ -268,35 +257,3 @@ dist-dump-gimprc: gimp-console-$(GIMP_APP_VERSION)$(EXEEXT)
 		&& rm gimprc.tmp gimprc.tmp2
 
 dist-hook: dist-check-gimp-console dist-dump-gimprc
-
-# If git is available, always check if git-version.h should be
-# updated. If git is not available, don't do anything if git-version.h
-# already exists because then we are probably working with a tarball
-# in which case the git-version.h we ship is correct.
-git-version.h: update-git-version-header
-	@if test -e "$(top_srcdir)/.git"; then \
-	  git_version="`git --git-dir=$(top_srcdir)/.git describe --always`"; \
-	  git_version_abbrev="`git --git-dir=$(top_srcdir)/.git rev-parse --short HEAD`"; \
-	  git_last_commit_year="`git --git-dir=$(top_srcdir)/.git log -n1 --reverse --pretty=%ci | cut -b 1-4`"; \
-	elif test ! -f "$@"; then \
-	  git_version="Unknown, shouldn't happen"; \
-	  git_version_abbrev="$$git_version"; \
-	  git_last_commit_timestamp=-1; \
-	  git_last_commit_year="`date -u '+%Y'`"; \
-	fi; \
-	if test -n "$$git_version"; then \
-	  echo "#ifndef __GIT_VERSION_H__" > "$@.tmp"; \
-	  echo "#define __GIT_VERSION_H__" >> "$@.tmp"; \
-	  echo "#define GIMP_GIT_VERSION \"$$git_version\"" >> "$@.tmp"; \
-	  echo "#define GIMP_GIT_VERSION_ABBREV \"$$git_version_abbrev\"" >> "$@.tmp"; \
-	  echo "#define GIMP_GIT_LAST_COMMIT_YEAR \"$$git_last_commit_year\"" >> "$@.tmp"; \
-	  echo "#endif /* __GIT_VERSION_H__ */" >> "$@.tmp"; \
-	fi
-	@if ( test -f "$@.tmp" && test -f "$@" && cmp "$@.tmp" "$@" > /dev/null ); then \
-	  rm -f "$@.tmp"; \
-	elif test -f "$@.tmp"; then \
-	  mv "$@.tmp" "$@"; \
-	  echo "  git HEAD changed: $@ regenerated"; \
-	fi
-
-.PHONY: update-git-version-header