diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 52ff946cd4..f5609a231f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ src/dmd.exe
 src/impcnvgen.exe
 src/optabgen.exe
 src/verstr.h
-src/vergen.exe
-src/vergen
 *.map
 .DS_Store
 trace.def
diff --git a/src/posix.mak b/src/posix.mak
index 82111537b2..946e21a0d3 100644
--- a/src/posix.mak
+++ b/src/posix.mak
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ SRC = win32.mak posix.mak \
 	libmscoff.c \
 	aliasthis.h aliasthis.c json.h json.c unittests.c imphint.c \
 	argtypes.c apply.c sideeffect.c \
-	intrange.h intrange.c canthrow.c vergen.c \
+	intrange.h intrange.c canthrow.c \
 	scanmscoff.c ctfe.h ctfeexpr.c \
 	$C/cdef.h $C/cc.h $C/oper.h $C/ty.h $C/optabgen.c \
 	$C/global.h $C/code.h $C/type.h $C/dt.h $C/cgcv.h \
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ dmd: $(DMD_OBJS)
 clean:
 	rm -f $(DMD_OBJS) dmd optab.o id.o impcnvgen idgen id.c id.h \
 	impcnvtab.c optabgen debtab.c optab.c cdxxx.c elxxx.c fltables.c \
-	tytab.c vergen verstr.h core \
+	tytab.c verstr.h core \
 	*.cov *.gcda *.gcno
 
 ######## optabgen generates some source
@@ -207,11 +207,10 @@ impcnvgen : mtype.h impcnvgen.c
 	$(ENVP) $(CC) $(CFLAGS) impcnvgen.c -o impcnvgen
 	./impcnvgen
 
-######### vergen generates some source
+#########
 
-verstr.h : vergen.c ../VERSION
-	$(ENVP) $(CC) vergen.c -o vergen
-	cat ../VERSION | ./vergen > verstr.h
+verstr.h : ../VERSION
+	echo -n \"`cat ../VERSION`\" > verstr.h
 
 #########
 
diff --git a/src/vergen.c b/src/vergen.c
deleted file mode 100644
index 96cb3c5ead..0000000000
--- a/src/vergen.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
-#include <string.h>
-#include <assert.h>
-
-int main() {
-    int c;
-
-    printf("\"", c);
-    while ((c = fgetc(stdin)) != EOF) {
-        if (c == '\n') break;
-        printf("%c", c);
-    }
-    printf("\"");
-
-    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
-}
diff --git a/src/win32.mak b/src/win32.mak
index 996e6eaf7f..4f0e17a6c4 100644
--- a/src/win32.mak
+++ b/src/win32.mak
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ SRCS= mars.c enum.c struct.c dsymbol.c import.c idgen.c impcnvgen.c utf.h \
 	clone.c lib.h libomf.c libelf.c libmach.c arrayop.c \
 	aliasthis.h aliasthis.c json.h json.c unittests.c imphint.c argtypes.c \
 	apply.c sideeffect.c libmscoff.c scanmscoff.c ctfe.h \
-	intrange.h intrange.c canthrow.c vergen.c
+	intrange.h intrange.c canthrow.c
 
 
 # D back end