diff --git a/core/arch/arm/include/kernel/generic_boot.h b/core/arch/arm/include/kernel/generic_boot.h
index fc0e7e05236..fc568bb421b 100644
--- a/core/arch/arm/include/kernel/generic_boot.h
+++ b/core/arch/arm/include/kernel/generic_boot.h
@@ -58,4 +58,7 @@ extern uint8_t __pageable_part_end[];
 extern uint8_t __pageable_start[];
 extern uint8_t __pageable_end[];
 
+/* Generated by core/arch/arm/kernel/link.mk */
+extern const char core_v_str[];
+
 #endif /* KERNEL_GENERIC_BOOT_H */
diff --git a/core/arch/arm/kernel/generic_boot.c b/core/arch/arm/kernel/generic_boot.c
index 84db4f4f563..b50065811fb 100644
--- a/core/arch/arm/kernel/generic_boot.c
+++ b/core/arch/arm/kernel/generic_boot.c
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ static void init_primary_helper(uint32_t pageable_part, uint32_t nsec_entry)
 
 	init_runtime(pageable_part);
 
-	DMSG("TEE initializing\n");
+	IMSG("Initializing (%s)\n", core_v_str);
 
 	thread_init_primary(generic_boot_get_handlers());
 	thread_init_per_cpu();
diff --git a/core/arch/arm/kernel/link.mk b/core/arch/arm/kernel/link.mk
index 333a067dbc1..e97310bc34a 100644
--- a/core/arch/arm/kernel/link.mk
+++ b/core/arch/arm/kernel/link.mk
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ link-ldflags += --print-gc-sections
 link-ldadd  = $(LDADD)
 link-ldadd += $(addprefix -L,$(libdirs))
 link-ldadd += $(addprefix -l,$(libnames))
-ldargs-tee.elf := $(link-ldflags) $(objs) $(link-ldadd) $(libgcccore)
+ldargs-tee.elf := $(link-ldflags) $(objs) $(link-out-dir)/version.o \
+	$(link-ldadd) $(libgcccore)
 
 link-script-cppflags := -DASM=1 \
 	$(filter-out $(CPPFLAGS_REMOVE) $(cppflags-remove), \
@@ -92,9 +93,37 @@ $(link-script-pp): $(link-script) $(link-script-extra-deps)
 	$(q)$(CPPcore) -Wp,-P,-MT,$@,-MD,$(link-script-dep) \
 		$(link-script-cppflags) $< > $@
 
+define update-buildcount
+	@$(cmd-echo-silent) '  UPD     $(1)'
+	$(q)if [ ! -f $(1) ]; then \
+		mkdir -p $(dir $(1)); \
+		echo 1 >$(1); \
+	else \
+		expr 0`cat $(1)` + 1 >$(1); \
+	fi
+endef
+
+define gen-version-o
+	$(call update-buildcount,$(link-out-dir)/.buildcount)
+	@$(cmd-echo-silent) '  GEN     $(link-out-dir)/version.o'
+	$(q)echo -e "const char core_v_str[] =" \
+		"\"`git describe --dirty` \"" \
+		"\"#`cat $(link-out-dir)/.buildcount` \"" \
+		"\"`date -u` \"" \
+		"\"$(CFG_KERN_LINKER_ARCH)\";\n" \
+		| $(CCcore) $(core-platform-cflags) \
+			-xc - -c -o $(link-out-dir)/version.o
+endef
+
+$(link-out-dir)/version.o:
+	$(call gen-version-o)
+
 all: $(link-out-dir)/tee.elf
 cleanfiles += $(link-out-dir)/tee.elf $(link-out-dir)/tee.map
+cleanfiles += $(link-out-dir)/version.o
+cleanfiles += $(link-out-dir)/.buildcount
 $(link-out-dir)/tee.elf: $(objs) $(libdeps) $(link-script-pp)
+	$(call gen-version-o)
 	@$(cmd-echo-silent) '  LD      $@'
 	$(q)$(LDcore) $(ldargs-tee.elf) -o $@