diff --git a/tycho-spi/pom.xml b/tycho-spi/pom.xml
index e00b74c824..84b4b1b62c 100644
--- a/tycho-spi/pom.xml
+++ b/tycho-spi/pom.xml
@@ -57,6 +57,23 @@
 				<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 				<artifactId>maven-plugin-plugin</artifactId>
 			</plugin>
+			<plugin>
+				<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
+				<artifactId>buildnumber-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+				<version>3.1.0</version>
+				<executions>
+					<execution>
+						<phase>validate</phase>
+						<goals>
+							<goal>create</goal>
+						</goals>
+					</execution>
+				</executions>
+				<configuration>
+					<doCheck>false</doCheck>
+					<doUpdate>false</doUpdate>
+				</configuration>
+			</plugin>
 		</plugins>
 	</build>
 </project>
diff --git a/tycho-spi/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tycho/version/TychoVersion.java b/tycho-spi/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tycho/version/TychoVersion.java
index 71eb106006..482b420c53 100644
--- a/tycho-spi/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tycho/version/TychoVersion.java
+++ b/tycho-spi/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tycho/version/TychoVersion.java
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ public class TychoVersion {
 
     private static final String TYCHO_SCM = readVersion("scm");
 
+    private static final String TYCHO_BUILDNUMBER = readVersion("buildNumber");
+
     private static final String BND_VERSION = readVersion("bnd");
 
     private static Properties PROPERTIES;
@@ -36,7 +38,11 @@ public static String getBndVersion() {
 
     public static String getSCMInfo() {
         if ("${env.GIT_COMMIT}".equals(TYCHO_SCM)) {
-            return "local build";
+            if ("${buildNumber}".equals(TYCHO_BUILDNUMBER)) {
+                //no way then...
+                return "local build";
+            }
+            return TYCHO_BUILDNUMBER;
         }
         return TYCHO_SCM;
     }
diff --git a/tycho-spi/src/main/resources/org/eclipse/tycho/version/version.properties b/tycho-spi/src/main/resources/org/eclipse/tycho/version/version.properties
index 0d5dc6ade2..fcb02b3da4 100644
--- a/tycho-spi/src/main/resources/org/eclipse/tycho/version/version.properties
+++ b/tycho-spi/src/main/resources/org/eclipse/tycho/version/version.properties
@@ -2,4 +2,6 @@ version=${project.version}
 bnd=${bnd.version}
 scm=${env.GIT_COMMIT}
 url=${env.GIT_URL}
-branch=${env.GIT_BRANCH}
\ No newline at end of file
+branch=${env.GIT_BRANCH}
+scmBranch=${scmBranch}
+buildNumber=${buildNumber}