diff --git a/artiq/firmware/Cargo.lock b/artiq/firmware/Cargo.lock
index 71e478a2b..af2449dc6 100644
--- a/artiq/firmware/Cargo.lock
+++ b/artiq/firmware/Cargo.lock
@@ -17,6 +17,13 @@ dependencies = [
  "log 0.3.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "build_artiq"
+version = "0.0.0"
+dependencies = [
+ "walkdir 1.0.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "byteorder"
 version = "1.0.0"
@@ -75,13 +82,13 @@ version = "0.0.0"
 dependencies = [
  "alloc_artiq 0.0.0",
  "board 0.0.0",
+ "build_artiq 0.0.0",
  "byteorder 1.0.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "fringe 1.1.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "log 0.3.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "log_buffer 1.1.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "smoltcp 0.2.0 (git+https://github.com/m-labs/smoltcp?rev=b90495f)",
  "std_artiq 0.0.0",
- "walkdir 1.0.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -90,10 +97,10 @@ version = "0.0.0"
 dependencies = [
  "alloc_artiq 0.0.0",
  "board 0.0.0",
+ "build_artiq 0.0.0",
  "log 0.3.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "log_buffer 1.1.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "std_artiq 0.0.0",
- "walkdir 1.0.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
diff --git a/artiq/firmware/libbuild_artiq/Cargo.toml b/artiq/firmware/libbuild_artiq/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..19e810e99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/artiq/firmware/libbuild_artiq/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+[package]
+authors = ["M-Labs"]
+name = "build_artiq"
+version = "0.0.0"
+
+[lib]
+name = "build_artiq"
+path = "lib.rs"
+
+[dependencies]
+walkdir = "1.0"
diff --git a/artiq/firmware/libbuild_artiq/lib.rs b/artiq/firmware/libbuild_artiq/lib.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e47374610
--- /dev/null
+++ b/artiq/firmware/libbuild_artiq/lib.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+extern crate walkdir;
+
+use std::env;
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader};
+use std::path::Path;
+use std::process::Command;
+
+use walkdir::WalkDir;
+
+pub fn git_describe() {
+    let id =
+        Command::new("git")
+                .arg("describe")
+                .arg("--tags")
+                .arg("--dirty")
+                .arg("--always")
+                .arg("--long")
+                .output()
+                .ok()
+                .and_then(|o| String::from_utf8(o.stdout).ok())
+                .map(|mut s| {
+                    let len = s.trim_right().len();
+                    s.truncate(len);
+                    s
+                })
+                .unwrap();
+    let id = id.split("-").collect::<Vec<_>>();
+    let id = format!("{}+{}.{}", id[0], id[1], id[2]);
+    println!("cargo:rust-cfg=git_describe={:?}", id);
+
+    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=../../../.git/HEAD");
+    for entry in WalkDir::new("../../../.git/refs") {
+        let entry = entry.unwrap();
+        println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", entry.path().display());
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn misoc_registers() {
+    let out_dir = env::var("BUILDINC_DIRECTORY").unwrap();
+    let cfg_path = Path::new(&out_dir).join("generated").join("rust-cfg");
+    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", cfg_path.to_str().unwrap());
+
+    let f = BufReader::new(File::open(&cfg_path).unwrap());
+    for line in f.lines() {
+        println!("cargo:rustc-cfg={}", line.unwrap());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/artiq/firmware/runtime/Cargo.toml b/artiq/firmware/runtime/Cargo.toml
index efd43c5cf..16ad8e8b5 100644
--- a/artiq/firmware/runtime/Cargo.toml
+++ b/artiq/firmware/runtime/Cargo.toml
@@ -4,14 +4,14 @@ name = "runtime"
 version = "0.0.0"
 build = "build.rs"
 
-[build-dependencies]
-walkdir = "1.0"
-
 [lib]
 name = "runtime"
 crate-type = ["staticlib"]
 path = "lib.rs"
 
+[build-dependencies]
+build_artiq = { path = "../libbuild_artiq" }
+
 [dependencies]
 alloc_artiq = { path = "../liballoc_artiq" }
 std_artiq = { path = "../libstd_artiq", features = ["alloc"] }
diff --git a/artiq/firmware/runtime/build.rs b/artiq/firmware/runtime/build.rs
index 5ab08cdd6..f6ab9cf8a 100644
--- a/artiq/firmware/runtime/build.rs
+++ b/artiq/firmware/runtime/build.rs
@@ -1,53 +1,6 @@
-extern crate walkdir;
-
-use std::env;
-use std::fs::File;
-use std::io::{Write, BufRead, BufReader};
-use std::path::Path;
-use std::process::Command;
-
-use walkdir::WalkDir;
+extern crate build_artiq;
 
 fn main() {
-    let out_dir = env::var("BUILDINC_DIRECTORY").unwrap();
-    let cfg_path = Path::new(&out_dir).join("generated").join("rust-cfg");
-    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", cfg_path.to_str().unwrap());
-
-    let f = BufReader::new(File::open(&cfg_path).unwrap());
-    for line in f.lines() {
-        println!("cargo:rustc-cfg={}", line.unwrap());
-    }
-
-    let out_dir = env::var("OUT_DIR").unwrap();
-    let dest_path = Path::new(&out_dir).join("git_info.rs");
-    let mut f = File::create(&dest_path).unwrap();
-
-    let id = git_describe().unwrap();
-    let id = id.split("-").collect::<Vec<_>>();
-    let id = format!("{}+{}.{}", id[0], id[1], id[2]);
-    writeln!(f, "const GIT_COMMIT: &'static str = {:?};", id).unwrap();
-
-    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=../../../.git/HEAD");
-    for entry in WalkDir::new("../../../.git/refs") {
-        let entry = entry.unwrap();
-        println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", entry.path().display());
-    }
-}
-
-// Returns `None` if git is not available.
-fn git_describe() -> Option<String> {
-    Command::new("git")
-        .arg("describe")
-        .arg("--tags")
-        .arg("--dirty")
-        .arg("--always")
-        .arg("--long")
-        .output()
-        .ok()
-        .and_then(|o| String::from_utf8(o.stdout).ok())
-        .map(|mut s| {
-            let len = s.trim_right().len();
-            s.truncate(len);
-            s
-        })
+    build_artiq::git_describe();
+    build_artiq::misoc_registers();
 }
diff --git a/artiq/firmware/runtime/lib.rs b/artiq/firmware/runtime/lib.rs
index 9a99fb599..497353318 100644
--- a/artiq/firmware/runtime/lib.rs
+++ b/artiq/firmware/runtime/lib.rs
@@ -93,13 +93,11 @@ mod moninj;
 #[cfg(has_rtio_analyzer)]
 mod analyzer;
 
-include!(concat!(env!("OUT_DIR"), "/git_info.rs"));
-
 fn startup() {
     board::uart::set_speed(921600);
     board::clock::init();
     info!("booting ARTIQ");
-    info!("software version {}", GIT_COMMIT);
+    info!("software version {}", cfg!(git_describe));
     info!("gateware version {}", board::ident(&mut [0; 64]));
 
     let t = board::clock::get_ms();
diff --git a/artiq/firmware/satman/Cargo.toml b/artiq/firmware/satman/Cargo.toml
index c35a67e13..1ff6e1bf5 100644
--- a/artiq/firmware/satman/Cargo.toml
+++ b/artiq/firmware/satman/Cargo.toml
@@ -4,14 +4,14 @@ name = "satman"
 version = "0.0.0"
 build = "build.rs"
 
-[build-dependencies]
-walkdir = "1.0"
-
 [lib]
 name = "satman"
 crate-type = ["staticlib"]
 path = "lib.rs"
 
+[build-dependencies]
+build_artiq = { path = "../libbuild_artiq" }
+
 [dependencies]
 alloc_artiq = { path = "../liballoc_artiq" }
 std_artiq = { path = "../libstd_artiq", features = ["alloc"] }
diff --git a/artiq/firmware/satman/build.rs b/artiq/firmware/satman/build.rs
index 5ab08cdd6..d4537b9b3 100644
--- a/artiq/firmware/satman/build.rs
+++ b/artiq/firmware/satman/build.rs
@@ -1,53 +1,6 @@
-extern crate walkdir;
-
-use std::env;
-use std::fs::File;
-use std::io::{Write, BufRead, BufReader};
-use std::path::Path;
-use std::process::Command;
-
-use walkdir::WalkDir;
+extern crate artiq_build;
 
 fn main() {
-    let out_dir = env::var("BUILDINC_DIRECTORY").unwrap();
-    let cfg_path = Path::new(&out_dir).join("generated").join("rust-cfg");
-    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", cfg_path.to_str().unwrap());
-
-    let f = BufReader::new(File::open(&cfg_path).unwrap());
-    for line in f.lines() {
-        println!("cargo:rustc-cfg={}", line.unwrap());
-    }
-
-    let out_dir = env::var("OUT_DIR").unwrap();
-    let dest_path = Path::new(&out_dir).join("git_info.rs");
-    let mut f = File::create(&dest_path).unwrap();
-
-    let id = git_describe().unwrap();
-    let id = id.split("-").collect::<Vec<_>>();
-    let id = format!("{}+{}.{}", id[0], id[1], id[2]);
-    writeln!(f, "const GIT_COMMIT: &'static str = {:?};", id).unwrap();
-
-    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=../../../.git/HEAD");
-    for entry in WalkDir::new("../../../.git/refs") {
-        let entry = entry.unwrap();
-        println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", entry.path().display());
-    }
-}
-
-// Returns `None` if git is not available.
-fn git_describe() -> Option<String> {
-    Command::new("git")
-        .arg("describe")
-        .arg("--tags")
-        .arg("--dirty")
-        .arg("--always")
-        .arg("--long")
-        .output()
-        .ok()
-        .and_then(|o| String::from_utf8(o.stdout).ok())
-        .map(|mut s| {
-            let len = s.trim_right().len();
-            s.truncate(len);
-            s
-        })
+    artiq_build::git_describe();
+    artiq_build::misoc_registers();
 }
diff --git a/artiq/firmware/satman/lib.rs b/artiq/firmware/satman/lib.rs
index b8cd5f7b7..09118cf58 100644
--- a/artiq/firmware/satman/lib.rs
+++ b/artiq/firmware/satman/lib.rs
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@ pub extern fn panic_fmt(args: self::core::fmt::Arguments, file: &'static str, li
 
 mod logger;
 
-include!(concat!(env!("OUT_DIR"), "/git_info.rs"));
-
 // Allow linking with crates that are built as -Cpanic=unwind even if we use -Cpanic=abort.
 // This is never called.
 #[allow(non_snake_case)]
@@ -73,7 +71,7 @@ pub unsafe extern fn rust_main() {
                  .register(move || {
         board::clock::init();
         info!("ARTIQ satellite manager starting...");
-        info!("software version {}", GIT_COMMIT);
+        info!("software version {}", cfg!(git_describe));
         info!("gateware version {}", board::ident(&mut [0; 64]));
 
         loop {