diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b49ebe80..9ea14406 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -75,6 +75,11 @@ GLUON_ENV = $(foreach var,$(GLUON_VARS),$(var)=$(call escape,$($(var))))
 show-release:
 	@echo '$(GLUON_RELEASE)'
 
+show-version:
+	@cat .scmversion 2>/dev/null || git describe --always --dirty=+ 2>/dev/null || echo unknown
+
+show-describe:
+	@git describe --always --dirty=+ 2>/dev/null || echo unknown
 
 update: FORCE
 	@
diff --git a/package/gluon-core/Makefile b/package/gluon-core/Makefile
index 764affb7..56f3ea1e 100644
--- a/package/gluon-core/Makefile
+++ b/package/gluon-core/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 
 PKG_NAME:=gluon-core
 
-GLUON_VERSION = $(shell git describe --always --dirty=+ 2>/dev/null || echo unknown)
+GLUON_VERSION = $(shell cat $(TOPDIR)/../.scmversion 2>/dev/null || git describe --always --dirty=+ 2>/dev/null || echo unknown)
 PKG_VERSION:=$(if $(DUMP),x,$(GLUON_VERSION))
 
 PKG_BUILD_DIR := $(BUILD_DIR)/$(PKG_NAME)