diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a58bf032e6..8fd929bbcb 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 *.mod
 *.log
 *.out
-git_sha1.h
 
 # Compiler python objects
 *.pyc
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index dd0bcaaa05..4235e72cac 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -162,10 +162,7 @@ execute_process(COMMAND git rev-parse -q HEAD
                 OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_SHA1
                 ERROR_QUIET OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
 if(GIT_SHA1_SUCCESS EQUAL 0)
-  file(WRITE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/git_sha1.h
-    "#define GIT_SHA1 \"${GIT_SHA1}\"")
-else()
-  file(WRITE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/git_sha1.h "")
+  add_definitions(-DGIT_SHA1="${GIT_SHA1}")
 endif()
   
 #===============================================================================
diff --git a/src/output.F90 b/src/output.F90
index 061500734d..ee0a8391c2 100644
--- a/src/output.F90
+++ b/src/output.F90
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ contains
          '     License:        http://mit-crpg.github.io/openmc/license.html'
     write(UNIT=OUTPUT_UNIT, FMT='(6X,"Version:",8X,I1,".",I1,".",I1)') &
          VERSION_MAJOR, VERSION_MINOR, VERSION_RELEASE
-#include "git_sha1.h"
 #ifdef GIT_SHA1
     write(UNIT=OUTPUT_UNIT, FMT='(6X,"Git SHA1:",7X,A)') GIT_SHA1
 #endif