diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c0a007dcde35cc..dd1ad259167be8 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1889,7 +1889,9 @@ builtin/help.sp builtin/help.s builtin/help.o: EXTRA_CPPFLAGS = \
 version.sp version.s version.o: GIT-VERSION-FILE GIT-USER-AGENT
 version.sp version.s version.o: EXTRA_CPPFLAGS = \
 	'-DGIT_VERSION="$(GIT_VERSION)"' \
-	'-DGIT_USER_AGENT=$(GIT_USER_AGENT_CQ_SQ)'
+	'-DGIT_USER_AGENT=$(GIT_USER_AGENT_CQ_SQ)' \
+	'-DGIT_BUILT_FROM_COMMIT="$(shell git rev-parse -q --verify HEAD || \
+		echo "(unknown)")"'
 
 $(BUILT_INS): git$X
 	$(QUIET_BUILT_IN)$(RM) $@ && \
diff --git a/help.c b/help.c
index 88a3aeaeb9f0b3..6ebea665780b7e 100644
--- a/help.c
+++ b/help.c
@@ -390,6 +390,7 @@ const char *help_unknown_cmd(const char *cmd)
 
 int cmd_version(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
+	static char build_platform[] = GIT_BUILD_PLATFORM;
 	int build_options = 0;
 	const char * const usage[] = {
 		N_("git version [<options>]"),
@@ -412,7 +413,10 @@ int cmd_version(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	printf("git version %s\n", git_version_string);
 
 	if (build_options) {
+		printf("built from commit: %s\n",
+		       git_built_from_commit_string);
 		printf("sizeof-long: %d\n", (int)sizeof(long));
+		printf("machine: %s\n", build_platform);
 		/* NEEDSWORK: also save and output GIT-BUILD_OPTIONS? */
 	}
 	return 0;
diff --git a/help.h b/help.h
index b21d7c94e8ce42..42dd98521946dc 100644
--- a/help.h
+++ b/help.h
@@ -33,3 +33,16 @@ extern void list_commands(unsigned int colopts, struct cmdnames *main_cmds, stru
  */
 extern void help_unknown_ref(const char *ref, const char *cmd, const char *error);
 #endif /* HELP_H */
+
+/*
+ * identify build platform
+ */
+#ifndef GIT_BUILD_PLATFORM
+	#if defined __x86__ || defined __i386__ || defined __i586__ || defined __i686__
+		#define GIT_BUILD_PLATFORM "x86"
+	#elif defined __x86_64__
+		#define GIT_BUILD_PLATFORM "x86_64"
+	#else
+		#define GIT_BUILD_PLATFORM "unknown"
+	#endif
+#endif
diff --git a/version.c b/version.c
index 6106a8098c8a46..41b718c29e1b9f 100644
--- a/version.c
+++ b/version.c
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include "strbuf.h"
 
 const char git_version_string[] = GIT_VERSION;
+const char git_built_from_commit_string[] = GIT_BUILT_FROM_COMMIT;
 
 const char *git_user_agent(void)
 {
diff --git a/version.h b/version.h
index 6911a4f1558de0..7c62e80577154d 100644
--- a/version.h
+++ b/version.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #define VERSION_H
 
 extern const char git_version_string[];
+extern const char git_built_from_commit_string[];
 
 const char *git_user_agent(void);
 const char *git_user_agent_sanitized(void);