diff --git a/VERSION b/.version
similarity index 100%
rename from VERSION
rename to .version
diff --git a/modules/installer/cd-dvd/system-tarball-fuloong2f.nix b/modules/installer/cd-dvd/system-tarball-fuloong2f.nix
index 618f5ea96279..5a23a394f7f7 100644
--- a/modules/installer/cd-dvd/system-tarball-fuloong2f.nix
+++ b/modules/installer/cd-dvd/system-tarball-fuloong2f.nix
@@ -28,16 +28,6 @@ let
 
   pkgs2storeContents = l : map (x: { object = x; symlink = "none"; }) l;
 
-  options = {
-
-    system.nixosVersion = mkOption {
-      default = "${builtins.readFile ../../../VERSION}";
-      description = ''
-        NixOS version number.
-      '';
-    };
-  };
-
   # A clue for the kernel loading
   kernelParams = pkgs.writeText "kernel-params.txt" ''
     Kernel Parameters:
diff --git a/modules/installer/cd-dvd/system-tarball-sheevaplug.nix b/modules/installer/cd-dvd/system-tarball-sheevaplug.nix
index e49bcf3a66a8..9052badfe0eb 100644
--- a/modules/installer/cd-dvd/system-tarball-sheevaplug.nix
+++ b/modules/installer/cd-dvd/system-tarball-sheevaplug.nix
@@ -29,16 +29,6 @@ let
 
   pkgs2storeContents = l : map (x: { object = x; symlink = "none"; }) l;
 
-  options = {
-
-    system.nixosVersion = mkOption {
-      default = "${builtins.readFile ../../../VERSION}";
-      description = ''
-        NixOS version number.
-      '';
-    };
-  };
-
   # A clue for the kernel loading
   kernelParams = pkgs.writeText "kernel-params.txt" ''
     Kernel Parameters:
diff --git a/modules/installer/tools/tools.nix b/modules/installer/tools/tools.nix
index 930be55a0de2..ad9ea2d61dc4 100644
--- a/modules/installer/tools/tools.nix
+++ b/modules/installer/tools/tools.nix
@@ -51,6 +51,12 @@ let
     src = ./nixos-option.sh;
   };
 
+  nixosVersion = makeProg {
+    name = "nixos-version";
+    src = ./nixos-version.sh;
+    inherit (config.system) nixosVersion;
+  };
+
   nixosGui = pkgs.xulrunnerWrapper {
     launcher = "nixos-gui";
     application = pkgs.stdenv.mkDerivation {
@@ -116,6 +122,7 @@ in
         nixosHardwareScan
         nixosGenSeccureKeys
         nixosOption
+        nixosVersion
       ] ++ pkgs.lib.optional cfg.enableGraphicalTools nixosGui;
 
     system.build = {
diff --git a/modules/misc/version.nix b/modules/misc/version.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..32e2e1b1dc08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/misc/version.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+{ config, pkgs, ... }:
+
+with pkgs.lib;
+
+{
+
+  options = {
+  
+    system.nixosVersion = mkOption {
+      default =
+        builtins.readFile ../../.version
+        + (if builtins.pathExists ../../.version-suffix then builtins.readFile ../../.version-suffix else "pre-svn");
+      description = "NixOS version.";
+    };
+    
+  };
+
+}
diff --git a/modules/module-list.nix b/modules/module-list.nix
index 684d1ad516e9..48171f62150c 100644
--- a/modules/module-list.nix
+++ b/modules/module-list.nix
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
   ./misc/locate.nix
   ./misc/nixpkgs.nix
   ./misc/passthru.nix
+  ./misc/version.nix
   ./programs/bash/bash.nix
   ./programs/blcr.nix
   ./programs/info.nix
diff --git a/modules/profiles/installation-device.nix b/modules/profiles/installation-device.nix
index 40daa10c8cee..d56cec64a0c2 100644
--- a/modules/profiles/installation-device.nix
+++ b/modules/profiles/installation-device.nix
@@ -67,13 +67,7 @@ in
   ];
 
   options = {
-    system.nixosVersion = mkOption {
-      default = "${builtins.readFile ../../VERSION}";
-      description = ''
-        NixOS version number.
-      '';
-    };
-
+  
     installer.cloneConfig = mkOption {
       default = true;
       description = ''
@@ -101,6 +95,7 @@ in
         in live CDs.
       '';
     };
+    
   };
 
   config = {
diff --git a/release.nix b/release.nix
index 286e314ac1e3..9ec5f9c8761e 100644
--- a/release.nix
+++ b/release.nix
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ let
 
     let
 
-      version = builtins.readFile ./VERSION + (lib.optionalString (!officialRelease) versionSuffix);
+      version = builtins.readFile ./.version + (lib.optionalString (!officialRelease) versionSuffix);
 
       versionModule =
         { system.nixosVersion = version;
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ let
 
     with import <nixpkgs> {inherit system;};
     let
-      version = builtins.readFile ./VERSION + (lib.optionalString (!officialRelease) versionSuffix);
+      version = builtins.readFile ./.version + (lib.optionalString (!officialRelease) versionSuffix);
 
       versionModule = { system.nixosVersion = version; };
 
@@ -86,18 +86,20 @@ let
       releaseTools.makeSourceTarball {
         name = "nixos-tarball";
 
-        version = builtins.readFile ./VERSION;
+        version = builtins.readFile ./.version;
 
         src = nixosSrc;
 
         inherit officialRelease;
 
         distPhase = ''
+          echo -n $VERSION_SUFFIX > .version-suffix
           releaseName=nixos-$VERSION$VERSION_SUFFIX
           ensureDir "$out/tarballs"
           mkdir ../$releaseName
           cp -prd . ../$releaseName
           cd ..
+          chmod -R u+w $releaseName
           tar cfvj $out/tarballs/$releaseName.tar.bz2 $releaseName
         ''; # */
       };
@@ -111,7 +113,7 @@ let
       releaseTools.makeSourceTarball {
         name = "nixos-channel";
 
-        version = builtins.readFile ./VERSION;
+        version = builtins.readFile ./.version;
 
         src = nixosSrc;
 
@@ -126,6 +128,7 @@ let
           '';
 
         distPhase = ''
+          echo -n $VERSION_SUFFIX > .version-suffix
           releaseName=nixos-$VERSION$VERSION_SUFFIX
           ensureDir "$out/tarballs"
           mkdir ../$releaseName
@@ -134,6 +137,7 @@ let
           echo "$expr" > ../$releaseName/default.nix
           NIX_STATE_DIR=$TMPDIR nix-env -f ../$releaseName/default.nix -qaP --meta --xml \* > /dev/null
           cd ..
+          chmod -R u+w $releaseName
           tar cfj $out/tarballs/$releaseName.tar.bz2 $releaseName
         ''; # */
       };