diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 8ec14379c..9cf33a4bd 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -600,6 +600,7 @@ vpath_build
 PATH
 PG_CONFIG
 FLEX
+AWK
 SED
 target_alias
 host_alias
@@ -1750,39 +1751,7 @@ ac_compiler_gnu=$ac_cv_c_compiler_gnu
 
 
 
-# CITUS_MAJORVERSION definition
-CITUS_MAJORVERSION=`expr "$PACKAGE_VERSION" : '\([0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\)'`
-
-cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
-#define CITUS_MAJORVERSION "$CITUS_MAJORVERSION"
-_ACEOF
-
-
-# CITUS_VERSION definition
-
-cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
-#define CITUS_VERSION "$PACKAGE_VERSION"
-_ACEOF
-
-
-# CITUS_VERSION_NUM definition
-CITUS_VERSION_NUM="`echo "$PACKAGE_VERSION" | sed 's/[A-Za-z].*$//' |
-tr '.' '	' |
-$AWK '{printf "%d%02d%02d", $1, $2, (NF >= 3) ? $3 : 0}'`"
-
-cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
-#define CITUS_VERSION_NUM $CITUS_VERSION_NUM
-_ACEOF
-
-
-# CITUS_EXTENSIONVERSION definition
-citus_extensionversion=$(grep "^default_version" src/backend/distributed/citus.control | cut -d\' -f2)
-
-cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
-#define CITUS_EXTENSIONVERSION "$citus_extensionversion"
-_ACEOF
-
-
+# we'll need sed and awk for some of the version commands
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for a sed that does not truncate output" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for a sed that does not truncate output... " >&6; }
 if ${ac_cv_path_SED+:} false; then :
@@ -1852,6 +1821,82 @@ $as_echo "$ac_cv_path_SED" >&6; }
  SED="$ac_cv_path_SED"
   rm -f conftest.sed
 
+for ac_prog in gawk mawk nawk awk
+do
+  # Extract the first word of "$ac_prog", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy $ac_prog; ac_word=$2
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
+if ${ac_cv_prog_AWK+:} false; then :
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  if test -n "$AWK"; then
+  ac_cv_prog_AWK="$AWK" # Let the user override the test.
+else
+as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in $PATH
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  test -z "$as_dir" && as_dir=.
+    for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+  if as_fn_executable_p "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; then
+    ac_cv_prog_AWK="$ac_prog"
+    $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: found $as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
+    break 2
+  fi
+done
+  done
+IFS=$as_save_IFS
+
+fi
+fi
+AWK=$ac_cv_prog_AWK
+if test -n "$AWK"; then
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $AWK" >&5
+$as_echo "$AWK" >&6; }
+else
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+fi
+
+
+  test -n "$AWK" && break
+done
+
+
+# CITUS_VERSION definition
+
+cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
+#define CITUS_VERSION "$PACKAGE_VERSION"
+_ACEOF
+
+
+# CITUS_MAJORVERSION definition
+CITUS_MAJORVERSION=`expr "$PACKAGE_VERSION" : '\([0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\)'`
+
+cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
+#define CITUS_MAJORVERSION "$CITUS_MAJORVERSION"
+_ACEOF
+
+
+# CITUS_VERSION_NUM definition
+# awk -F is a regex on some platforms, and not on others, so make "." a tab
+CITUS_VERSION_NUM="`echo "$PACKAGE_VERSION" | sed 's/[A-Za-z].*$//' |
+tr '.' '	' |
+$AWK '{printf "%d%02d%02d", $1, $2, (NF >= 3) ? $3 : 0}'`"
+
+cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
+#define CITUS_VERSION_NUM $CITUS_VERSION_NUM
+_ACEOF
+
+
+# CITUS_EXTENSIONVERSION definition
+CITUS_EXTENSIONVERSION="`grep '^default_version' $srcdir/src/backend/distributed/citus.control | cut -d\' -f2`"
+
+cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
+#define CITUS_EXTENSIONVERSION "$CITUS_EXTENSIONVERSION"
+_ACEOF
+
 
 # Re-check for flex. That allows to compile citus against a postgres
 # which was built without flex available (possible because generated
@@ -3588,6 +3633,7 @@ gives unlimited permission to copy, distribute and modify it."
 
 ac_pwd='$ac_pwd'
 srcdir='$srcdir'
+AWK='$AWK'
 test -n "\$AWK" || AWK=awk
 _ACEOF
 
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index fb261d08b..1bc1a6ee3 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -8,24 +8,27 @@
 AC_INIT([Citus], [6.2devel])
 AC_COPYRIGHT([Copyright (c) 2012-2017, Citus Data, Inc.])
 
-# CITUS_MAJORVERSION definition
-[CITUS_MAJORVERSION=`expr "$PACKAGE_VERSION" : '\([0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\)'`]
-AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(CITUS_MAJORVERSION, "$CITUS_MAJORVERSION", [Citus major version as a string])
+# we'll need sed and awk for some of the version commands
+AC_PROG_SED
+AC_PROG_AWK
 
 # CITUS_VERSION definition
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(CITUS_VERSION, "$PACKAGE_VERSION", [Citus version as a string])
 
+# CITUS_MAJORVERSION definition
+[CITUS_MAJORVERSION=`expr "$PACKAGE_VERSION" : '\([0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\)'`]
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(CITUS_MAJORVERSION, "$CITUS_MAJORVERSION", [Citus major version as a string])
+
 # CITUS_VERSION_NUM definition
+# awk -F is a regex on some platforms, and not on others, so make "." a tab
 [CITUS_VERSION_NUM="`echo "$PACKAGE_VERSION" | sed 's/[A-Za-z].*$//' |
 tr '.' '	' |
 $AWK '{printf "%d%02d%02d", $1, $2, (NF >= 3) ? $3 : 0}'`"]
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(CITUS_VERSION_NUM, $CITUS_VERSION_NUM, [Citus version as a number])
 
 # CITUS_EXTENSIONVERSION definition
-citus_extensionversion=$(grep "^default_version" src/backend/distributed/citus.control | cut -d\' -f2)
-AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([CITUS_EXTENSIONVERSION], "$citus_extensionversion", [so the shared-library knows its own version])
-
-AC_PROG_SED
+[CITUS_EXTENSIONVERSION="`grep '^default_version' $srcdir/src/backend/distributed/citus.control | cut -d\' -f2`"]
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([CITUS_EXTENSIONVERSION], "$CITUS_EXTENSIONVERSION", [Extension version expected by this Citus build])
 
 # Re-check for flex. That allows to compile citus against a postgres
 # which was built without flex available (possible because generated
diff --git a/src/include/.gitignore b/src/include/.gitignore
index 5207873bf..e97125f70 100644
--- a/src/include/.gitignore
+++ b/src/include/.gitignore
@@ -2,3 +2,5 @@
 /stamp-ext-h
 /citus_config.h
 /citus_config.h.in~
+/citus_version.h
+/citus_version.h.in~
diff --git a/src/include/citus_config.h.in b/src/include/citus_config.h.in
index 97ad673aa..364d22d47 100644
--- a/src/include/citus_config.h.in
+++ b/src/include/citus_config.h.in
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
  */
 
 
-/* so the shared-library knows its own version */
+/* Extension version expected by this Citus build */
 #undef CITUS_EXTENSIONVERSION
 
 /* Citus major version as a string */
diff --git a/src/include/citus_version.h.in b/src/include/citus_version.h.in
index b576c29aa..2367b86fa 100644
--- a/src/include/citus_version.h.in
+++ b/src/include/citus_version.h.in
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* This file is created manually */
 
-/* so the shared-library knows its own version */
+/* Extension version expected by this Citus build */
 #undef CITUS_EXTENSIONVERSION
 
 /* Citus major version as a string */