diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 953854c40..e9decf94c 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
   <!-- =================================================================== -->
   <target name="prepare">
     <mkdir dir="${build.dir}"/>
+    <tstamp />
   </target>
 
   <!-- =================================================================== -->
@@ -66,12 +67,20 @@
       <exclude name="**/NetRexxC.java" unless="netrexx.present" />
       <exclude name="**/XslpLiaison.java" unless="xslp.present" />
       <exclude name="**/XalanLiaison.java" unless="xalan.present" />
+      <exclude name="**/version.txt" />
     </javac>
  
     <copydir src="${src.dir}" dest="${build.classes}">
       <include name="**/defaultManifest.mf" />
       <include name="**/*.properties" />
     </copydir>
+
+    <filter token="VERSION" value="${version}" />
+    <filter token="DATE" value="${TODAY}" />
+    <filter token="TIME" value="${TSTAMP}" />
+    <copydir src="${src.dir}" dest="${build.classes}" filtering="on">
+      <include name="**/version.txt" />
+    </copydir>
   </target>
 
   <!-- =================================================================== -->
diff --git a/docs/index.html b/docs/index.html
index 21f80611b..b1fec3093 100644
--- a/docs/index.html
+++ b/docs/index.html
@@ -479,10 +479,10 @@ If you do not want these default excludes applied, you may disable them with the
   <li><a href="#exec">Exec</a></li>
   <li><a href="#expand">Expand</a></li>
   <li><a href="#filter">Filter</a></li>
+  <li><a href="#fixcrlf">FixCRLF</a></li>
   <li><a href="#get">Get</a></li>
   <li><a href="#gunzip">GUnzip</a></li>
   <li><a href="#gzip">GZip</a></li>
-  <li><a href="#fixcrlf">FixCRLF</a></li>
   <li><a href="#jar">Jar</a></li>
   <li><a href="#java">Java</a></li>
   <li><a href="#javac">Javac</a></li>
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Main.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Main.java
index 730176148..2eb4b1da4 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Main.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Main.java
@@ -116,6 +116,9 @@ public class Main {
             if (arg.equals("-help") || arg.equals("help")) {
                 printUsage();
                 return;
+            } else if (arg.equals("-version")) {
+                printVersion();
+                return;
             } else if (arg.equals("-quiet") || arg.equals("-q") || arg.equals("q")) {
                 msgOutputLevel = Project.MSG_WARN;
             } else if (arg.equals("-verbose") || arg.equals("-v") || arg.equals("v")) {
@@ -328,6 +331,7 @@ public class Main {
         msg.append("ant [options] [target]" + lSep);
         msg.append("Options: " + lSep);
         msg.append("  -help                  print this message" + lSep);
+        msg.append("  -version               print the version information and exit" + lSep);
         msg.append("  -quiet                 be extra quiet" + lSep);
         msg.append("  -verbose               be extra verbose" + lSep);
         msg.append("  -logfile <file>        use given file for log" + lSep);
@@ -336,4 +340,28 @@ public class Main {
         msg.append("  -D<property>=<value>   use value for given property" + lSep);
         System.out.println(msg.toString());
     }
+
+    private static void printVersion() {
+        try {
+            Properties props = new Properties();
+            InputStream in = 
+                Main.class.getResourceAsStream("/org/apache/tools/ant/version.txt");
+            props.load(in);
+            in.close();
+            
+            String lSep = System.getProperty("line.separator");
+            StringBuffer msg = new StringBuffer();
+            msg.append("Ant version ");
+            msg.append(props.getProperty("VERSION"));
+            msg.append(" compiled on ");
+            msg.append(props.getProperty("DATE"));
+            msg.append(lSep);
+            System.out.println(msg.toString());
+        } catch (IOException ioe) {
+            System.err.println("Could not load the version information.");
+            System.err.println(ioe.getMessage());
+        } catch (NullPointerException npe) {
+            System.err.println("Could not load the version information.");
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/version.txt b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/version.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b6b2f8db9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/version.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+VERSION=@VERSION@
+DATE=@DATE@