version string and configure

after doing a ./configure  the version string is always "cvs-", ( not
building from kannels cvs)
my usual procedure is to then edit gw-config.h and change the #define
GW_VERSION
to something descriptive to our version.

This is a real problem and pain in the ... when i am copying the same source
to different machines and doing
./configure -- the version string is again lost, this is getting
problematic;

Is there another procedure to do this ?
or can i suggest a change so that another file be used, eg gw-version.h
which configure does not overwrite?
then gw-config.h does a include of gw-version.h
something like

#undef GW_VERSION
#GW_VERSION "stable-1.4.0 mod A"

and gw-config.h.in

---last-line--
#include "gw-version.h"

I have looked at the autoconfig and writing config etc....looks like a real
messy language/script whatever,
something that can't be learned quickly anyway!!! so don't want to go
messing about in there meself;
its probably better to detect if a gw-version.h file exists.
Thanks