diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 096527a9..304e6015 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -28,15 +28,13 @@ scripts/shairport-sync.service
 scripts/shairport-sync.service-avahi
 scripts/shairport-sync
 shairport-sync.core
-gitversion.h
+gitversion.*
 plist_xml_strings.*
 
-
 #Some dbus files that are automatically generated
 /org.gnome.ShairportSync.service
 /dbus-interface.*
 /mpris-interface.*
-/plist_xml_strings.*
 /lib_*.*
 
 # Some eclipse project files
@@ -47,9 +45,6 @@ plist_xml_strings.*
 .DS_Store
 shairport-sync.xcodeproj
 
-# version string generation
-gitversion.h
-
 # separate build directory
 build
 
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index bc1393d4..e1aa43f6 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -40,14 +40,19 @@ endif
 
 # include information generated by 'git describe --tags --dirty' if requested
 if USE_GIT_VERSION
-common.c: gitversion.h
+shairport_sync_SOURCES += gitversion.c
 gitversion.h: .git/index
 	printf "// Do not edit!\n" > gitversion.h
 	printf "// This file is automatically generated by 'git describe --tags --dirty', if available.\n" >> gitversion.h
 	printf "  char git_version_string[] = \"" >> gitversion.h
 	git describe --tags --dirty | tr -d '[[:space:]]' >> gitversion.h
 	printf "\";\n" >> gitversion.h
-CLEANFILES += gitversion.h
+gitversion.c: gitversion.h
+	touch gitversion.c
+BUILT_SOURCES += gitversion.c gitversion.h
+noinst_HEADERS += $(BUILT_SOURCES)
+# Correctly clean the generated headers, but keep the xml description
+CLEANFILES += $(BUILT_SOURCES)
 endif
 
 if USE_APPLE_ALAC