diff --git a/configure b/configure
index c1778658c..c1e9aced6 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -377,6 +377,7 @@ process_targets() {
     if [ -f "${source_path}/build/make/version.sh" ]; then
         local ver=`"$source_path/build/make/version.sh" --bare $source_path`
         DIST_DIR="${DIST_DIR}-${ver}"
+        VERSION_STRING=${ver}
         ver=${ver%%-*}
         VERSION_PATCH=${ver##*.}
         ver=${ver%.*}
@@ -392,6 +393,8 @@ DIST_DIR?=\$(DESTDIR)${prefix}
 endif
 LIBSUBDIR=${libdir##${prefix}/}
 
+VERSION_STRING=${VERSION_STRING}
+
 VERSION_MAJOR=${VERSION_MAJOR}
 VERSION_MINOR=${VERSION_MINOR}
 VERSION_PATCH=${VERSION_PATCH}