diff --git a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
index f54cf9d887..ec32049445 100644
--- a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1332,22 +1332,38 @@ execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy_if_different "${LAMMPS_STYLE_HE
 # Generate lmpgitversion.h
 ######################################
 set(temp "#ifndef LMP_GIT_VERSION_H\n#define LMP_GIT_VERSION_H\n")
-set(temp "${temp}const char LAMMPS_NS::LAMMPS::git_version[] =")
+set(temp_git_commit "(unknown)")
+set(temp_git_branch "(unknown)")
+set(temp_git_describe "(unknown)")
+set(temp_git_info "false")
 if(GIT_FOUND)
   execute_process(COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} describe HEAD
-    OUTPUT_VARIABLE temp_git_version
+    RESULT_VARIABLE temp_in_git_checkout
     ERROR_QUIET
     OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
-  execute_process(COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD
-    OUTPUT_VARIABLE temp_git_branch
-    ERROR_QUIET
-    OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
-  set(temp_git "${temp_git_branch} / ${temp_git_version}")
-else()
-  set(temp_git "")
+  if(temp_in_git_checkout EQUAL 0)
+    set(temp_git_info "true")
+    execute_process(COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} rev-parse HEAD
+      OUTPUT_VARIABLE temp_git_commit
+      ERROR_QUIET
+      OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+    execute_process(COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD
+      OUTPUT_VARIABLE temp_git_branch
+      ERROR_QUIET
+      OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+    execute_process(COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} describe --dirty=-modified
+      OUTPUT_VARIABLE temp_git_describe
+      ERROR_QUIET
+      OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+  endif()
 endif()
 
-set(temp "${temp} \"${temp_git}\";\n#endif\n\n")
+set(temp "${temp}const bool LAMMPS_NS::LAMMPS::has_git_info = ${temp_git_info};\n")
+set(temp "${temp}const char LAMMPS_NS::LAMMPS::git_commit[] = \"${temp_git_commit}\";\n")
+set(temp "${temp}const char LAMMPS_NS::LAMMPS::git_branch[] = \"${temp_git_branch}\";\n")
+set(temp "${temp}const char LAMMPS_NS::LAMMPS::git_descriptor[] = \"${temp_git_describe}\";\n")
+set(temp "${temp}#endif\n\n")
+
 message(STATUS "Generating lmpgitversion.h...")
 file(WRITE "${LAMMPS_STYLE_HEADERS_DIR}/lmpgitversion.h.tmp" "${temp}" )
 execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy_if_different "${LAMMPS_STYLE_HEADERS_DIR}/lmpgitversion.h.tmp" "${LAMMPS_STYLE_HEADERS_DIR}/lmpgitversion.h")
diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index 058a415238..f720abe6ec 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -171,13 +171,21 @@ gitversion:
 	@echo 'Gathering git version information'
 	@echo '#ifndef LMP_GIT_VERSION_H' >  ${TMPNAME}.lmpgitversion
 	@echo '#define LMP_GIT_VERSION_H' >> ${TMPNAME}.lmpgitversion
-	@echo 'const char LAMMPS_NS::LAMMPS::git_version[] = ' >> ${TMPNAME}.lmpgitversion
 	@if (type git && git describe HEAD ) >> /dev/null 2>> /dev/null ; then \
-	  export v1=$$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD); export v2=$$(git describe HEAD); \
-	  echo "\"$${v1} / $${v2}\";" >> ${TMPNAME}.lmpgitversion ; \
+	  git='true';					\
+	  commit=$$(git rev-parse HEAD);		\
+	  branch=$$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD);	\
+	  describe=$$(git describe --dirty=-modified);	\
 	else \
-	  echo '"";' >> ${TMPNAME}.lmpgitversion ; \
-	fi
+	  git='false' ;					\
+	  commit='(unknown)' ;				\
+	  branch='(unknown)' ;				\
+	  describe='(unknown)' ;			\
+	fi ; \
+	echo "const bool LAMMPS_NS::LAMMPS::has_git_info = $${git};"        >> ${TMPNAME}.lmpgitversion ; \
+	echo "const char LAMMPS_NS::LAMMPS::git_commit[] = \"$${commit}\";" >> ${TMPNAME}.lmpgitversion ; \
+	echo "const char LAMMPS_NS::LAMMPS::git_branch[] = \"$${branch}\";" >> ${TMPNAME}.lmpgitversion ; \
+	echo "const char LAMMPS_NS::LAMMPS::git_descriptor[] = \"$${describe}\";" >> ${TMPNAME}.lmpgitversion
 	@echo '#endif' >> ${TMPNAME}.lmpgitversion
 	@if [ -f lmpgitversion.h ]; \
           then test "`diff --brief ${TMPNAME}.lmpgitversion lmpgitversion.h`" != "" && \
diff --git a/src/info.cpp b/src/info.cpp
index f17a00b8d2..3d8a8d7b9e 100644
--- a/src/info.cpp
+++ b/src/info.cpp
@@ -260,9 +260,10 @@ void Info::command(int narg, char **arg)
   fprintf(out,"Printed on %s\n",ctime(&now));
 
   if (flags & CONFIG) {
-    if (strlen(lmp->git_version) > 0) {
-      fprintf(out,"\nLAMMPS version: %s / %s\nGit revision: %s\n\n",
-              universe->version, universe->num_ver,lmp->git_version);
+    if (lmp->has_git_info) {
+      fprintf(out,"\nLAMMPS version: %s / %s\nGit info: %s / %s / %s\n\n",
+              universe->version, universe->num_ver,lmp->git_branch,
+              lmp->git_descriptor,lmp->git_commit);
     } else {
       fprintf(out,"\nLAMMPS version: %s / %s\n\n",
               universe->version, universe->num_ver);
diff --git a/src/lammps.cpp b/src/lammps.cpp
index 126a88b3e1..2b3f001b09 100644
--- a/src/lammps.cpp
+++ b/src/lammps.cpp
@@ -419,10 +419,6 @@ LAMMPS::LAMMPS(int narg, char **arg, MPI_Comm communicator) :
     if ((universe->me == 0) && !helpflag) {
       if (screen) fprintf(screen,"LAMMPS (%s)\n",universe->version);
       if (logfile) fprintf(logfile,"LAMMPS (%s)\n",universe->version);
-      if (strlen(git_version) > 0) {
-        if (screen) fprintf(screen,"Git revision (%s)\n",git_version);
-        if (logfile) fprintf(logfile,"Git revision (%s)\n",git_version);
-      }
     }
 
   // universe is one or more worlds, as setup by partition switch
@@ -497,15 +493,11 @@ LAMMPS::LAMMPS(int narg, char **arg, MPI_Comm communicator) :
     if ((universe->me == 0) && (!helpflag)) {
       if (universe->uscreen) {
         fprintf(universe->uscreen,"LAMMPS (%s)\n",universe->version);
-        if (strlen(git_version) > 0)
-           fprintf(universe->uscreen,"Git revision (%s)\n",git_version);
         fprintf(universe->uscreen,"Running on %d partitions of processors\n",
                 universe->nworlds);
       }
       if (universe->ulogfile) {
         fprintf(universe->ulogfile,"LAMMPS (%s)\n",universe->version);
-        if (strlen(git_version) > 0)
-           fprintf(universe->ulogfile,"Git revision (%s)\n",git_version);
         fprintf(universe->ulogfile,"Running on %d partitions of processors\n",
                 universe->nworlds);
       }
@@ -514,14 +506,10 @@ LAMMPS::LAMMPS(int narg, char **arg, MPI_Comm communicator) :
     if ((me == 0) && (!helpflag)) {
       if (screen) {
         fprintf(screen,"LAMMPS (%s)\n",universe->version);
-        if (strlen(git_version) > 0)
-           fprintf(screen,"Git revision (%s)\n",git_version);
         fprintf(screen,"Processor partition = %d\n",universe->iworld);
       }
       if (logfile) {
         fprintf(logfile,"LAMMPS (%s)\n",universe->version);
-        if (strlen(git_version) > 0)
-           fprintf(logfile,"Git revision (%s)\n",git_version);
         fprintf(logfile,"Processor partition = %d\n",universe->iworld);
       }
     }
@@ -911,13 +899,11 @@ void LAMMPS::help()
 
   // general help message about command line and flags
 
-  if (strlen(git_version) > 0) {
-    fprintf(fp,
-            "\nLarge-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator - "
-            LAMMPS_VERSION "\nGit revision (%s)\n\n",git_version);
+  if (has_git_info) {
+    fprintf(fp,"\nLarge-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator - "
+            LAMMPS_VERSION "\nGit info (%s / %s)\n\n",git_branch, git_descriptor);
   } else {
-    fprintf(fp,
-            "\nLarge-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator - "
+    fprintf(fp,"\nLarge-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator - "
             LAMMPS_VERSION "\n\n");
   }
   fprintf(fp,
diff --git a/src/lammps.h b/src/lammps.h
index 7ae7ab7ecb..2e052e5ed2 100644
--- a/src/lammps.h
+++ b/src/lammps.h
@@ -64,7 +64,11 @@ class LAMMPS {
   class CiteMe *citeme;          // citation info
 
   static const char * installed_packages[];
-  static const char git_version[];
+
+  static const bool has_git_info;
+  static const char git_commit[];
+  static const char git_branch[];
+  static const char git_descriptor[];
 
   LAMMPS(int, char **, MPI_Comm);
   ~LAMMPS();