diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 79d8046d9..ddba04ef9 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -295,11 +295,18 @@ function(create_directory_groups)
     endforeach()
 endfunction()
 
-# generate git revision information
+# Gets a UTC timstamp and sets the provided variable to it
+function(get_timestamp _var)
+    string(TIMESTAMP timestamp UTC)
+    set(${_var} "${timestamp}" PARENT_SCOPE)
+endfunction()
+
+# generate git/build information
 include(GetGitRevisionDescription)
 get_git_head_revision(GIT_REF_SPEC GIT_REV)
 git_describe(GIT_DESC --always --long --dirty)
 git_branch_name(GIT_BRANCH)
+get_timestamp(BUILD_DATE)
 
 enable_testing()
 add_subdirectory(externals)
diff --git a/src/common/scm_rev.cpp.in b/src/common/scm_rev.cpp.in
index 0080db5d5..4083095d5 100644
--- a/src/common/scm_rev.cpp.in
+++ b/src/common/scm_rev.cpp.in
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #define GIT_BRANCH   "@GIT_BRANCH@"
 #define GIT_DESC     "@GIT_DESC@"
 #define BUILD_NAME   "@REPO_NAME@"
+#define BUILD_DATE   "@BUILD_DATE@"
 
 namespace Common {
 
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ const char g_scm_rev[]      = GIT_REV;
 const char g_scm_branch[]   = GIT_BRANCH;
 const char g_scm_desc[]     = GIT_DESC;
 const char g_build_name[]   = BUILD_NAME;
+const char g_build_date[]   = BUILD_DATE;
 
 } // namespace
 
diff --git a/src/common/scm_rev.h b/src/common/scm_rev.h
index e22389803..18aaa1735 100644
--- a/src/common/scm_rev.h
+++ b/src/common/scm_rev.h
@@ -10,5 +10,6 @@ extern const char g_scm_rev[];
 extern const char g_scm_branch[];
 extern const char g_scm_desc[];
 extern const char g_build_name[];
+extern const char g_build_date[];
 
 } // namespace