diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6416fff4ad..d6bcaacc78 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -11,4 +11,6 @@
 /reports
 */reports
 .DS_Store
+/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/Version.java
+
 
diff --git a/common/pom.xml b/common/pom.xml
index e074aaaee4..4ef39610cb 100644
--- a/common/pom.xml
+++ b/common/pom.xml
@@ -75,6 +75,64 @@
           </instructions>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>             
+      <plugin>
+        <artifactId>maven-antrun-plugin</artifactId>
+        <executions>
+          <execution>
+            <id>write-version</id>
+            <phase>validate</phase>
+            <goals>
+              <goal>run</goal>
+            </goals>
+            <configuration>
+              <tasks>
+                <taskdef resource="net/sf/antcontrib/antlib.xml" />
+                <exec executable="git" outputproperty="gitOutput" resultproperty="gitExitCode" failonerror="false" failifexecutionfails="false">
+                  <arg value="log" />
+                  <arg value="-1" />
+                  <arg value="--format=format:%h" />
+                </exec>
+                <if>
+                  <equals arg2="0" arg1="${gitExitCode}" />
+                  <then>
+                    <property name="buildNumber" value="${gitOutput}" />
+                  </then>
+                  <else>
+                    <property name="buildNumber" value="unknown" />
+                  </else>
+                </if>
+                <echo>Build number: ${buildNumber}</echo>
+                <mkdir dir="${project.build.directory}" />
+                <echo message="${project.version}" file="${project.build.directory}/version.txt" />
+                <echo message="// DO NOT MODIFY - WILL BE OVERWRITTEN DURING THE BUILD PROCESS${line.separator}package io.netty.util;${line.separator}/**${line.separator} * Provides the version information of Netty.${line.separator} * @apiviz.landmark${line.separator} */${line.separator}@SuppressWarnings(&quot;all&quot;)${line.separator}public final class Version {${line.separator} /** The version identifier. */${line.separator} public static final String ID = &quot;${project.version}-${buildNumber}&quot;;${line.separator} /** Prints out the version identifier to stdout. */${line.separator} public static void main(String[] args) { System.out.println(ID); }${line.separator} private Version() { }${line.separator}}${line.separator}" file="${basedir}/src/main/java/io/netty/util/Version.java" />
+              </tasks>
+            </configuration>
+          </execution>
+        </executions>
+        <dependencies>
+          <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.apache.ant</groupId>
+            <artifactId>ant</artifactId>
+            <version>1.8.2</version>
+          </dependency>
+          <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.apache.ant</groupId>
+            <artifactId>ant-launcher</artifactId>
+            <version>1.8.2</version>
+          </dependency>
+          <dependency>
+            <groupId>ant-contrib</groupId>
+            <artifactId>ant-contrib</artifactId>
+            <version>1.0b3</version>
+            <exclusions>
+              <exclusion>
+                <groupId>ant</groupId>
+                <artifactId>ant</artifactId>
+              </exclusion>
+            </exclusions>
+          </dependency>
+        </dependencies>
+      </plugin>
     </plugins>
   </build>
 </project>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 0333f94694..674cbc1ba6 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -529,6 +529,19 @@
           <configuration>
             <lifecycleMappingMetadata>
               <pluginExecutions>
+                <pluginExecution>
+                  <pluginExecutionFilter>
+                    <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+                    <artifactId>maven-antrun-plugin</artifactId>
+                    <versionRange>[1.7,)</versionRange>
+                    <goals>
+                      <goal>run</goal>
+                    </goals>
+                  </pluginExecutionFilter>
+                  <action>
+                    <ignore />
+                  </action>
+                </pluginExecution>
                 <pluginExecution>
                   <pluginExecutionFilter>
                     <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>