diff --git a/uppsrc/ide/About.cpp b/uppsrc/ide/About.cpp
index 8d0a43e20..f426a8314 100644
--- a/uppsrc/ide/About.cpp
+++ b/uppsrc/ide/About.cpp
@@ -7,9 +7,17 @@
 #define TOPICFILE <ide/app.tpp/all.i>
 #include <Core/topic_group.h>
 
-#ifndef bmYEAR
-#include <build_info.h>
-#endif
+extern int bm_YEAR;
+extern int bm_MONTH;
+extern int bm_DAY;
+extern int bm_HOUR;
+extern int bm_MINUTE;
+extern int bm_SECOND;
+extern const char *bm_MACHINE;
+extern const char *bm_USER;
+extern const char *bm_GIT_REVCOUNT;
+extern const char *bm_GIT_BRANCH;
+extern const char *bm_GIT_HASH;
 
 String SplashCtrl::GenerateVersionInfo(bool qtf, bool about)
 {
@@ -17,24 +25,24 @@ String SplashCtrl::GenerateVersionInfo(bool qtf, bool about)
 	
 	char separator = qtf ? '\n' : ' ';
 
-#ifdef bmGIT_HASH
-	String rev = bmGIT_HASH;
-	String dr = rev;
-	if(dr.GetCount() > 8)
-		dr.Trim(8);
-	h << "Revision: ";
-	if(qtf && about)
-		h << "\1[^https://github.com/ultimatepp/ultimatepp/commit/" << rev << "^ ";
-	h << dr;
-	if(qtf && about)
-		h << "]\1";
-	h << separator;
-#endif
+	if(*bm_GIT_HASH) {
+		String rev = bm_GIT_HASH;
+		String dr = rev;
+		if(dr.GetCount() > 8)
+			dr.Trim(8);
+		h << "Revision: ";
+		if(qtf && about)
+			h << "\1[^https://github.com/ultimatepp/ultimatepp/commit/" << rev << "^ ";
+		h << dr;
+		if(qtf && about)
+			h << "]\1";
+		h << separator;
+	}
 
 	h << "Build: " << GenerateVersionNumber();
-#ifdef bmGIT_BRANCH
-	h << " " << bmGIT_BRANCH;
-#endif
+	
+	if(*bm_GIT_BRANCH)
+		h << " " << bm_GIT_BRANCH;
 	h << "\n";
 
 	if(sizeof(void *) == 8)
@@ -77,11 +85,9 @@ String SplashCtrl::GenerateVersionInfo(bool qtf, bool about)
 #endif
 	h << separator;
 
-#ifdef bmTIME
-	h << "Compiled: " << bmTIME;
-#endif
-
+	h << "Compiled: " << Time(bm_YEAR, bm_MONTH, bm_DAY, bm_HOUR, bm_MINUTE, bm_SECOND);
 	h << separator;
+
 	String p = GetExeFilePath();
 	if(p.GetCount() > 30)
 		p = ".." + p.Mid(max(p.GetCount() - 30, 0));
@@ -95,9 +101,8 @@ String SplashCtrl::GenerateVersionNumber()
 #ifdef bmSVN_REVISION
 	return bmSVN_REVISION;
 #endif
-#ifdef bmGIT_REVCOUNT
-	return AsString(atoi(bmGIT_REVCOUNT) + 2270);
-#endif
+	if(*bm_GIT_REVCOUNT)
+		return AsString(atoi(bm_GIT_REVCOUNT) + 2270);
 	return IDE_VERSION;
 }
 
diff --git a/uppsrc/ide/BuildInfo.cpp b/uppsrc/ide/BuildInfo.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6aed6d645
--- /dev/null
+++ b/uppsrc/ide/BuildInfo.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+// we place this in separate file to speedup compilation
+// otherwise About.cpp has to be compiled each time as build_info.h is always new
+// and compiling this minimal file is much faster
+
+#include <build_info.h>
+
+int bm_YEAR = bmYEAR;
+int bm_MONTH = bmMONTH;
+int bm_DAY = bmDAY;
+int bm_HOUR = bmHOUR;
+int bm_MINUTE = bmMINUTE;
+int bm_SECOND = bmSECOND;
+const char *bm_MACHINE = bmMACHINE;
+const char *bm_USER = bmUSER;
+const char *bm_GIT_BRANCH =
+#ifdef bmGIT_HASH
+	bmGIT_BRANCH
+#else
+	""
+#endif
+;
+const char *bm_GIT_REVCOUNT =
+#ifdef bmGIT_HASH
+	bmGIT_REVCOUNT
+#else
+	""
+#endif
+;
+const char *bm_GIT_HASH =
+#ifdef bmGIT_HASH
+	bmGIT_HASH
+#else
+	""
+#endif
+;
diff --git a/uppsrc/ide/ide.upp b/uppsrc/ide/ide.upp
index 16bd4de88..6c851d98a 100644
--- a/uppsrc/ide/ide.upp
+++ b/uppsrc/ide/ide.upp
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ file
 	CommandLineHandler.h,
 	CommandLineHandler.cpp,
 	About.h,
+	BuildInfo.cpp,
 	About.cpp,
 	Macro.cpp,
 	Help.cpp,