diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..275b8a6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+commit_id.fmt   export-subst
+.gitattributes  export-ignore
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 887a0d86..6078634e 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -25,14 +25,22 @@ AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = parallel-tests
 
 CHECK_DEPS =
 
+# Has a value if building in a git tree
 GIT_COMMIT := $(shell git rev-parse HEAD 2>/dev/null)
 
+# Has a value if building in a git-archive(1)-generated tree
+# (see .gitattributes).
+GENERATED_COMMIT = $(shell cat commit_id.fmt 2>/dev/null \| grep \'^[a-f0-9][a-f0-9]*\$\')
+
 commit_id:
 	$(AM_V_GEN)if [ "x$(GIT_COMMIT)" != "x" ]; then \
-		echo "Writing commit id"; \
-		echo $(GIT_COMMIT) > commit_id; \
+		echo "Determining commit id from git"; \
+		echo "$(GIT_COMMIT)" > commit_id; \
+	elif [ "x$(GENERATED_COMMIT)" != "x" ]; then \
+		echo "Determining commit id from generated value"; \
+		echo "$(GENERATED_COMMIT)" > commit_id; \
 	else \
-		echo "WARNING: cannot commit id"; \
+		echo "WARNING: cannot determine actual commit id"; \
 		echo "0" > commit_id; \
 	fi
 
diff --git a/commit_id.fmt b/commit_id.fmt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6828f88d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/commit_id.fmt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+$Format:%H$