diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 02704fe..03ff4da 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -84,12 +84,13 @@ INSTALL
 /stamp-h1
 /stamp-h2
 
-crypto/Makefile.am
 include/openssl/Makefile.am
-ssl/Makefile.am
-tls/Makefile.am
 tests/Makefile.am
 
+crypto/VERSION
+ssl/VERSION
+tls/VERSION
+
 ssl/*.c
 ssl/*.h
 tls/*.c
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 491e4b8..2cc7477 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 AC_INIT([libressl], m4_esyscmd([tr -d '\n' < VERSION]))
+AC_SUBST([LIBCRYPTO_VERSION], m4_esyscmd([tr -d '\n' < crypto/VERSION]))
+AC_SUBST([LIBSSL_VERSION], m4_esyscmd([tr -d '\n' < ssl/VERSION]))
+AC_SUBST([LIBTLS_VERSION], m4_esyscmd([tr -d '\n' < tls/VERSION]))
+
 AC_CANONICAL_HOST
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([subdir-objects])
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
diff --git a/crypto/Makefile.am.tpl b/crypto/Makefile.am
similarity index 99%
rename from crypto/Makefile.am.tpl
rename to crypto/Makefile.am
index 07a4fc6..39b143d 100644
--- a/crypto/Makefile.am.tpl
+++ b/crypto/Makefile.am
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS += -I$(top_srcdir)/crypto/modes
 
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = libcrypto.la
 
+EXTRA_DIST = VERSION
+
+libcrypto_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info @LIBCRYPTO_VERSION@
 libcrypto_la_LIBADD = libcompat.la libcompatnoopt.la
-libcrypto_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info libcrypto-version
 libcrypto_la_CFLAGS = $(CFLAGS) $(USER_CFLAGS) -DOPENSSL_NO_HW_PADLOCK
 
 noinst_LTLIBRARIES = libcompat.la libcompatnoopt.la
diff --git a/ssl/Makefile.am.tpl b/ssl/Makefile.am
similarity index 95%
rename from ssl/Makefile.am.tpl
rename to ssl/Makefile.am
index c8f72d1..52a29b8 100644
--- a/ssl/Makefile.am.tpl
+++ b/ssl/Makefile.am
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@ include $(top_srcdir)/Makefile.am.common
 
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = libssl.la
 
-libssl_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info libssl-version
+EXTRA_DIST = VERSION
 
+libssl_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info @LIBSSL_VERSION@
 libssl_la_CFLAGS = $(CFLAGS) $(USER_CFLAGS)
 
 libssl_la_SOURCES = bio_ssl.c
diff --git a/tls/Makefile.am.tpl b/tls/Makefile.am
similarity index 83%
rename from tls/Makefile.am.tpl
rename to tls/Makefile.am
index 55461c6..7f65ea5 100644
--- a/tls/Makefile.am.tpl
+++ b/tls/Makefile.am
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@ include $(top_srcdir)/Makefile.am.common
 if ENABLE_LIBTLS
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = libtls.la
 
-libtls_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info libtls-version
+EXTRA_DIST = VERSION
 
+libtls_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info @LIBTLS_VERSION@
 libtls_la_CFLAGS = $(CFLAGS) $(USER_CFLAGS)
 
 libtls_la_SOURCES = tls.c
diff --git a/update.sh b/update.sh
index a4a938d..47e2e22 100755
--- a/update.sh
+++ b/update.sh
@@ -31,14 +31,17 @@ openssl_app_src=$dir/openbsd/src/usr.bin/openssl
 source $libcrypto_src/crypto/shlib_version
 libcrypto_version=$major:$minor:0
 echo "libcrypto version $libcrypto_version"
+echo $libcrypto_version > crypto/VERSION
 
 source $libssl_src/ssl/shlib_version
 libssl_version=$major:$minor:0
 echo "libssl version $libssl_version"
+echo $libssl_version > ssl/VERSION
 
 source $libtls_src/shlib_version
 libtls_version=$major:$minor:0
 echo "libtls version $libtls_version"
+echo $libtls_version > tls/VERSION
 
 CP='cp -p'
 
@@ -91,8 +94,6 @@ copy_hdrs ssl "srtp.h ssl.h ssl2.h ssl3.h ssl23.h tls1.h dtls1.h"
 
 # copy libcrypto source
 rm -f crypto/*.c crypto/*.h
-sed -e "s/libcrypto-version/${libcrypto_version}/" \
-	crypto/Makefile.am.tpl > crypto/Makefile.am
 for i in `awk '/SOURCES|HEADERS/ { print $3 }' crypto/Makefile.am` ; do
 	dir=`dirname $i`
 	mkdir -p crypto/$dir
@@ -107,7 +108,6 @@ $CP crypto/compat/ui_openssl_win.c crypto/ui
 
 # copy libtls source
 rm -f tls/*.c tls/*.h
-sed -e "s/libtls-version/${libtls_version}/" tls/Makefile.am.tpl > tls/Makefile.am
 for i in `awk '/SOURCES|HEADERS/ { print $3 }' tls/Makefile.am` ; do
 	cp $libtls_src/$i tls
 done
@@ -123,7 +123,6 @@ done
 
 # copy libssl source
 rm -f ssl/*.c ssl/*.h
-sed -e "s/libssl-version/${libssl_version}/" ssl/Makefile.am.tpl > ssl/Makefile.am
 for i in `awk '/SOURCES|HEADERS/ { print $3 }' ssl/Makefile.am` ; do
 	cp $libssl_src/src/ssl/$i ssl
 done