diff --git a/include/anope.h b/include/anope.h
index c268f9599..8a14db5ab 100644
--- a/include/anope.h
+++ b/include/anope.h
@@ -362,10 +362,6 @@ namespace Anope
 	template<typename T>
 	using unordered_map = std::unordered_map<string, T, hash_ci, compare>;
 
-#if !REPRODUCIBLE_BUILD
-	static const char *const compiled = __TIME__ " " __DATE__;
-#endif
-
 	/** The time Anope started.
 	 */
 	extern CoreExport time_t StartTime;
diff --git a/include/version.cpp b/include/version.cpp
index 1c5c28d02..9aeaf121c 100644
--- a/include/version.cpp
+++ b/include/version.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 #include <sstream>
 #include <map>
 
+#include "sysconf.h"
+
 static std::string get_git_hash(const std::string &git_dir)
 {
 	std::fstream fd;
@@ -78,14 +80,18 @@ static bool read_version_sh(const std::string &version_sh, std::map<std::string,
 
 static bool write_build_h(const std::string &buildh, const std::string &git_version)
 {
-	std::fstream fd(buildh.c_str(), std::ios::in);
+	std::fstream fd;
 
 	std::string build = "#define BUILD	1";
+
+#if !REPRODUCIBLE_BUILD
+	fd.open(buildh.c_str(), std::ios::in);
+
 	if (fd.is_open())
 	{
 		for (std::string filebuf; getline(fd, filebuf);)
 		{
-			if (!filebuf.find("#define BUILD"))
+			if (!filebuf.find("#define BUILD\t"))
 			{
 				size_t tab = filebuf.find('	');
 
@@ -101,6 +107,8 @@ static bool write_build_h(const std::string &buildh, const std::string &git_vers
 	}
 
 	fd.clear();
+#endif
+
 	fd.open(buildh.c_str(), std::ios::out);
 	if (!fd.is_open())
 	{
@@ -111,6 +119,13 @@ static bool write_build_h(const std::string &buildh, const std::string &git_vers
 	fd << "/* This file is automatically generated by version.cpp - do not edit it! */" << std::endl
 		<< "#pragma once" << std::endl
 		<< build << std::endl;
+#if !REPRODUCIBLE_BUILD
+	auto time_now = time(NULL);
+	auto *local_tm = localtime(&time_now);
+	char buffer[100];
+	strftime(buffer, sizeof(buffer), "%a %b %e %Y %T %Z", local_tm);
+	fd << "#define BUILD_DATE \"" << buffer << "\"" << std::endl;
+#endif
 	if (!git_version.empty())
 		fd << "#define VERSION_GIT \"" << git_version << "\"" << std::endl;
 	fd.close();
diff --git a/src/misc.cpp b/src/misc.cpp
index 66831df3b..8067764f4 100644
--- a/src/misc.cpp
+++ b/src/misc.cpp
@@ -952,9 +952,9 @@ Anope::string Anope::VersionShort()
 Anope::string Anope::VersionBuildString()
 {
 #if REPRODUCIBLE_BUILD
-	Anope::string s = "build #" + Anope::ToString(BUILD);
+	auto s = Anope::Format("build #%u", BUILD);
 #else
-	Anope::string s = "build #" + Anope::ToString(BUILD) + ", compiled " + Anope::compiled;
+	auto s = Anope::Format("build #%u, compiled %s", BUILD, BUILD_DATE);
 #endif
 	Anope::string flags;