diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index dca6aaaaf..2397c42eb 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -9,6 +9,16 @@ file(GLOB sources_Fortran ${src_home}/*.F90)
 #list(REMOVE_ITEM sources_Fortran ${src_home}/fesom_partition_init.F90)
 file(GLOB sources_C ${src_home}/*.c)
 
+# generate a custom file from fesom_version_info.F90 which includes the current git SHA
+set(FESOM_ORIGINAL_VERSION_FILE ${src_home}/fesom_version_info.F90)
+set(FESOM_GENERATED_VERSION_FILE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/fesom_version_info-generated.F90)
+list(REMOVE_ITEM sources_Fortran ${FESOM_ORIGINAL_VERSION_FILE}) # we want to compile the generated file instead
+list(APPEND sources_Fortran ${FESOM_GENERATED_VERSION_FILE})
+add_custom_command(OUTPUT ${FESOM_GENERATED_VERSION_FILE} 5303B6F4_E4F4_45B2_A6E5_8E2B9FB5CDC4 # the second arg to OUTPUT is a name for a file we never create to make sure this command will run on every re-build
+                   COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -DFESOM_ORIGINAL_VERSION_FILE=${FESOM_ORIGINAL_VERSION_FILE} -DFESOM_GENERATED_VERSION_FILE=${FESOM_GENERATED_VERSION_FILE} -P GitRepositoryInfo.cmake
+                   WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}
+                   COMMENT "determining ${PROJECT_NAME} git SHA ...")
+
 #if(${FESOM_STANDALONE})
 #   list(REMOVE_ITEM sources_Fortran ${src_home}/cpl_driver.F90)
 #endif()
diff --git a/src/GitRepositoryInfo.cmake b/src/GitRepositoryInfo.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e5eb37c26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/GitRepositoryInfo.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+find_package(Git QUIET)
+if(Git_FOUND)
+   execute_process(COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} rev-parse --short HEAD
+                   WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}
+                   OUTPUT_VARIABLE FESOM_GIT_SHA
+                   OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+else()
+   set(FESOM_GIT_SHA "unknown")
+   message("git not found, setting FESOM_GIT_SHA to: ${FESOM_GIT_SHA}")
+endif()
+
+configure_file(${FESOM_ORIGINAL_VERSION_FILE} ${FESOM_GENERATED_VERSION_FILE} @ONLY)
diff --git a/src/fesom_version_info.F90 b/src/fesom_version_info.F90
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5fe688b5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/fesom_version_info.F90
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+module fesom_version_info_module
+  private
+  public fesom_git_sha
+  
+contains
+
+  
+  pure function fesom_git_sha() result(x)
+    character(:), allocatable :: x
+    ! EO args
+    x = "@FESOM_GIT_SHA@"
+  end function
+
+end module
diff --git a/src/fvom_main.F90 b/src/fvom_main.F90
index a02a8fe68..42050c90d 100755
--- a/src/fvom_main.F90
+++ b/src/fvom_main.F90
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ program main
 use io_mesh_info
 use diagnostics
 use mo_tidal
+use fesom_version_info_module
 #if defined (__oasis)
 use cpl_driver
 #endif
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ program main
     call par_init 
     if(mype==0) then
         write(*,*)
+        print *,"FESOM2 git SHA: "//fesom_git_sha()
         print *, achar(27)//'[32m'  //'____________________________________________________________'//achar(27)//'[0m'
         print *, achar(27)//'[7;32m'//' --> FESOM BUILDS UP MODEL CONFIGURATION                    '//achar(27)//'[0m'
     end if