diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 4cdae6f1e..8e5ab11f3 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -167,12 +167,29 @@
         <property name="scala.target" value="core"/>
     </target>
 
-    <!-- define some key locations that might change based on how the build is run -->
-    <target name="init">
-      <!-- define build version and timestamp -->
-      <exec executable="git" outputproperty="build.version" failonerror="true">
-        <arg line="rev-parse HEAD"/>
+    <target name="git.describe">
+      <exec executable="git" outputproperty="git.describe.output" resultproperty="git.describe.exit.value" failonerror="false">
+        <arg line="describe" />
       </exec>
+      <condition property="git.describe.succeeded">
+        <equals arg1="${git.describe.exit.value}" arg2="0" />
+      </condition>
+    </target>
+    
+    <target name="tagged.build.version" depends="git.describe" if="git.describe.succeeded">
+        <property name="build.version" value="${git.describe.output}" />
+    </target>
+    
+    <target name="untagged.build.version" depends="git.describe" unless="git.describe.succeeded">
+      <exec executable="git" outputproperty="build.version" failonerror="true">
+        <arg line="rev-parse HEAD" />
+      </exec>
+    </target>
+    
+    <target name="generate.build.version" depends="tagged.build.version, untagged.build.version" />
+
+    <!-- define some key locations that might change based on how the build is run -->
+    <target name="init" depends="generate.build.version">
       <tstamp>
         <format property="build.timestamp" pattern="yyyy/MM/dd HH:mm:ss"/>
       </tstamp>
@@ -394,7 +411,7 @@
                  docletpathref="doclet.classpath"
                  classpathref="external.dependencies"
                  classpath="${java.classes}"
-                 additionalparam="-build-timestamp &quot;${build.timestamp}&quot; -version-suffix .${build.version} -out ${basedir}/${resource.path} -quiet">
+                 additionalparam="-build-timestamp &quot;${build.timestamp}&quot; -absolute-version ${build.version} -out ${basedir}/${resource.path} -quiet">
             <sourcefiles>
                 <union>
                     <fileset refid="modified.source.files"/>
diff --git a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/help/ResourceBundleExtractorDoclet.java b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/help/ResourceBundleExtractorDoclet.java
index 84b0942e5..4afac69c3 100644
--- a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/help/ResourceBundleExtractorDoclet.java
+++ b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/help/ResourceBundleExtractorDoclet.java
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public class ResourceBundleExtractorDoclet {
      */
     public static boolean start(RootDoc rootDoc) throws IOException {
         PrintStream out = System.out;
-        String buildTimestamp = null, versionPrefix = null, versionSuffix = null;
+        String buildTimestamp = null, versionPrefix = null, versionSuffix = null, absoluteVersion = null;
 
         for(String[] options: rootDoc.options()) {
             if(options[0].equals("-out")) {
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ public class ResourceBundleExtractorDoclet {
                 versionPrefix = options[1];
             if(options[0].equals("-version-suffix"))
                 versionSuffix = options[1];
+            if (options[0].equals("-absolute-version"))
+                absoluteVersion = options[1];
         }
 
         resourceText.setProperty("build.timestamp",buildTimestamp);
@@ -93,11 +95,11 @@ public class ResourceBundleExtractorDoclet {
             if(isRequiredJavadocMissing(currentClass) && isWalker(currentClass))
                 undocumentedWalkers.add(currentClass.name());
 
-            renderHelpText(getClassName(currentClass),currentClass,versionPrefix,versionSuffix);
+            renderHelpText(getClassName(currentClass),currentClass,versionPrefix,versionSuffix,absoluteVersion);
         }
 
         for(PackageDoc currentPackage: packages)
-            renderHelpText(currentPackage.name(),currentPackage,versionPrefix,versionSuffix);
+            renderHelpText(currentPackage.name(),currentPackage,versionPrefix,versionSuffix,absoluteVersion);
 
         resourceText.store(out,"Strings displayed by the Sting help system");
 
@@ -117,7 +119,7 @@ public class ResourceBundleExtractorDoclet {
      * @return Number of potential parameters; 0 if not supported.
      */
     public static int optionLength(String option) {
-        if(option.equals("-build-timestamp") || option.equals("-version-prefix") || option.equals("-version-suffix") || option.equals("-out")) {
+        if(option.equals("-build-timestamp") || option.equals("-version-prefix") || option.equals("-version-suffix") || option.equals("-out") || option.equals("-absolute-version") ) {
             return 2;
         }
         return 0;
@@ -194,7 +196,7 @@ public class ResourceBundleExtractorDoclet {
      * @param versionPrefix Text to add to the start of the version string.
      * @param versionSuffix Text to add to the end of the version string.
      */
-    private static void renderHelpText(String elementName, Doc element, String versionPrefix, String versionSuffix) {
+    private static void renderHelpText(String elementName, Doc element, String versionPrefix, String versionSuffix, String absoluteVersion) {
         // Extract overrides from the doc tags.
         String name = null;
         String version = null;
@@ -210,10 +212,16 @@ public class ResourceBundleExtractorDoclet {
                     throw new ReviewedStingException("Only one display name tag can be used per package / walker.");
                 name = tag.text();
             }
-            else if(tag.name().equals("@"+VERSION_TAGLET_NAME))
-                version = String.format("%s%s%s", (versionPrefix != null) ? versionPrefix : "",
-                                                  tag.text(),
-                                                  (versionSuffix != null) ? versionSuffix : "");
+            else if(tag.name().equals("@"+VERSION_TAGLET_NAME)) {
+                if ( absoluteVersion != null ) {
+                    version = absoluteVersion;
+                }
+                else {
+                    version = String.format("%s%s%s", (versionPrefix != null) ? versionPrefix : "",
+                                                      tag.text(),
+                                                      (versionSuffix != null) ? versionSuffix : "");
+                }
+            }
             else if(tag.name().equals("@"+SummaryTaglet.NAME))
                 summary = tag.text();
             else if(tag.name().equals("@"+DescriptionTaglet.NAME))