diff --git a/artiq/runtime.rs/Cargo.lock b/artiq/runtime.rs/Cargo.lock
index 5114170b2..1f5913d15 100644
--- a/artiq/runtime.rs/Cargo.lock
+++ b/artiq/runtime.rs/Cargo.lock
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "log_buffer 1.0.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "lwip 0.0.0",
  "std_artiq 0.0.0",
+ "walkdir 0.1.8 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -27,6 +28,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "libc 0.2.15 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "kernel32-sys"
+version = "0.2.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+dependencies = [
+ "winapi 0.2.8 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "winapi-build 0.1.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "libc"
 version = "0.2.15"
@@ -61,9 +71,32 @@ dependencies = [
  "alloc_artiq 0.0.0",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "walkdir"
+version = "0.1.8"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+dependencies = [
+ "kernel32-sys 0.2.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "winapi 0.2.8 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "winapi"
+version = "0.2.8"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "winapi-build"
+version = "0.1.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+
 [metadata]
 "checksum byteorder 0.5.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "0fc10e8cc6b2580fda3f36eb6dc5316657f812a3df879a44a66fc9f0fdbc4855"
 "checksum fringe 1.1.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "987689dcfad85eee8d76b477865641ec483e63fb86d52966bfc350c4a647d78a"
+"checksum kernel32-sys 0.2.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "7507624b29483431c0ba2d82aece8ca6cdba9382bff4ddd0f7490560c056098d"
 "checksum libc 0.2.15 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "23e3757828fa702a20072c37ff47938e9dd331b92fac6e223d26d4b7a55f7ee2"
 "checksum log 0.3.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "ab83497bf8bf4ed2a74259c1c802351fcd67a65baa86394b6ba73c36f4838054"
 "checksum log_buffer 1.0.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "f8beb5ba24eca52f9958874445c4de5e086a7e82a1ec6b7ab81e5fcfb134f25a"
+"checksum walkdir 0.1.8 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "c66c0b9792f0a765345452775f3adbd28dde9d33f30d13e5dcc5ae17cf6f3780"
+"checksum winapi 0.2.8 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "167dc9d6949a9b857f3451275e911c3f44255842c1f7a76f33c55103a909087a"
+"checksum winapi-build 0.1.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "2d315eee3b34aca4797b2da6b13ed88266e6d612562a0c46390af8299fc699bc"
diff --git a/artiq/runtime.rs/Cargo.toml b/artiq/runtime.rs/Cargo.toml
index fe5770958..eb8c3f2c9 100644
--- a/artiq/runtime.rs/Cargo.toml
+++ b/artiq/runtime.rs/Cargo.toml
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 authors = ["The ARTIQ Project Developers"]
 name = "runtime"
 version = "0.0.0"
+build = "build.rs"
+
+[build-dependencies]
+walkdir = "0.1"
 
 [lib]
 name = "artiq_rust"
diff --git a/artiq/runtime.rs/build.rs b/artiq/runtime.rs/build.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e545ea3d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/artiq/runtime.rs/build.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+extern crate walkdir;
+
+use std::env;
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::io::Write;
+use std::path::Path;
+use std::process::Command;
+
+use walkdir::WalkDir;
+
+fn main() {
+    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();
+
+    writeln!(f, "const GIT_COMMIT: &'static str = {:?};",
+                git_describe().unwrap()).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
+        })
+}
diff --git a/artiq/runtime.rs/src/lib.rs b/artiq/runtime.rs/src/lib.rs
index d9664c588..b0520b629 100644
--- a/artiq/runtime.rs/src/lib.rs
+++ b/artiq/runtime.rs/src/lib.rs
@@ -27,11 +27,15 @@ extern {
     fn lwip_service();
 }
 
+include!(concat!(env!("OUT_DIR"), "/git_info.rs"));
+
 #[no_mangle]
 pub unsafe extern fn rust_main() {
     static mut log_buffer: [u8; 4096] = [0; 4096];
     BufferLogger::new(&mut log_buffer[..])
                  .register(move |logger| {
+        info!("booting ARTIQ runtime ({})", GIT_COMMIT);
+
         clock::init();
         rtio_crg::init();
         network_init();
diff --git a/artiq/runtime/main.c b/artiq/runtime/main.c
index 70451bb73..c2460b32a 100644
--- a/artiq/runtime/main.c
+++ b/artiq/runtime/main.c
@@ -206,6 +206,8 @@ static struct net_server_instance analyzer_inst = {
 
 static void regular_main(void)
 {
+    puts("ARTIQ runtime built "__DATE__" "__TIME__"\n");
+
     clock_init();
     rtiocrg_init();
     session_startup_kernel();
@@ -241,8 +243,6 @@ int main(void)
     irq_setie(1);
     uart_init();
 
-    puts("ARTIQ runtime built "__DATE__" "__TIME__"\n");
-
     alloc_give(&_fheap, &_eheap - &_fheap);
 
     // rust_main();