diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 01c3fab29..6d6118c65 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -171,6 +171,8 @@ set(DFHACK_VERSION "${DF_VERSION}-${DFHACK_RELEASE}")
 
 set(DFHACK_ABI_VERSION 1)
 
+set(DFHACK_BUILD_ID "" CACHE STRING "Build ID (should be specified on command line)")
+
 ## where to install things (after the build is done, classic 'make install' or package structure)
 # the dfhack libraries will be installed here:
 IF(UNIX)
@@ -477,7 +479,13 @@ IF(APPLE)
 ELSE()
     set(DFHACK_PACKAGE_PLATFORM_NAME ${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME})
 ENDIF()
-set(CPACK_PACKAGE_FILE_NAME "dfhack-${DFHACK_VERSION}-${DFHACK_PACKAGE_PLATFORM_NAME}-${DFHACK_BUILD_ARCH}${DFHACK_PACKAGE_SUFFIX}")
+# set on command line
+if(DFHACK_BUILD_ID STREQUAL "")
+  set(DFHACK_BUILD_ID_PACKAGE "")
+else()
+  set(DFHACK_BUILD_ID_PACKAGE "${DFHACK_BUILD_ID}-")
+endif()
+set(CPACK_PACKAGE_FILE_NAME "dfhack-${DFHACK_VERSION}-${DFHACK_BUILD_ID_PACKAGE}${DFHACK_PACKAGE_PLATFORM_NAME}-${DFHACK_BUILD_ARCH}${DFHACK_PACKAGE_SUFFIX}")
 INCLUDE(CPack)
 
 #INCLUDE(FindSphinx.cmake)
diff --git a/docs/Lua API.rst b/docs/Lua API.rst
index 9a06e2250..3eb053e73 100644
--- a/docs/Lua API.rst	
+++ b/docs/Lua API.rst	
@@ -822,6 +822,7 @@ can be omitted.
 
 * ``dfhack.getDFHackVersion()``
 * ``dfhack.getDFHackRelease()``
+* ``dfhack.getDFHackBuildID()``
 * ``dfhack.getCompiledDFVersion()``
 * ``dfhack.getGitDescription()``
 * ``dfhack.getGitCommit()``
diff --git a/docs/changelog.txt b/docs/changelog.txt
index 39b959d63..5629ef7f4 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.txt
+++ b/docs/changelog.txt
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ changelog.txt uses a syntax similar to RST, with a few special sequences:
 
 ## Internals
 - Added documentation for all RPC functions and a build-time check
+- Added support for build IDs to development builds
 - Use ``dlsym(3)`` to find vtables from libgraphics.so
 
 ## Structures
diff --git a/library/CMakeLists.txt b/library/CMakeLists.txt
index 390efdcfe..22ed67711 100644
--- a/library/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/library/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -310,10 +310,13 @@ IF(DFHACK_PRERELEASE)
     )
 ENDIF()
 
+# always re-run git-describe if cmake is re-run (e.g. if build ID or version changes)
+EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E touch ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/git-describe.cmake)
 ADD_CUSTOM_TARGET(git-describe
     COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND}
         -D dfhack_SOURCE_DIR:STRING=${dfhack_SOURCE_DIR}
         -D GIT_EXECUTABLE:STRING=${GIT_EXECUTABLE}
+        -D DFHACK_BUILD_ID:STRING=${DFHACK_BUILD_ID}
         -P ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/git-describe.cmake
     COMMENT "Obtaining git commit information"
 )
diff --git a/library/Core.cpp b/library/Core.cpp
index 5bb8b0244..69ef5a132 100644
--- a/library/Core.cpp
+++ b/library/Core.cpp
@@ -263,6 +263,8 @@ static string dfhack_version_desc()
     else
         s << "(development build " << Version::git_description() << ")";
     s << " on " << (sizeof(void*) == 8 ? "x86_64" : "x86");
+    if (strlen(Version::dfhack_build_id()))
+        s << " [build ID: " << Version::dfhack_build_id() << "]";
     return s.str();
 }
 
diff --git a/library/DFHackVersion.cpp b/library/DFHackVersion.cpp
index f4f0cf242..7746ebece 100644
--- a/library/DFHackVersion.cpp
+++ b/library/DFHackVersion.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ namespace DFHack {
         {
             return DFHACK_RELEASE;
         }
+        const char *dfhack_build_id()
+        {
+            return DFHACK_BUILD_ID;
+        }
         const char *git_description()
         {
             return DFHACK_GIT_DESCRIPTION;
diff --git a/library/LuaApi.cpp b/library/LuaApi.cpp
index 0f6c06d77..a435c7a8e 100644
--- a/library/LuaApi.cpp
+++ b/library/LuaApi.cpp
@@ -1436,6 +1436,7 @@ static const LuaWrapper::FunctionReg dfhack_module[] = {
     WRAP(df2console),
     WRAP_VERSION_FUNC(getDFHackVersion, dfhack_version),
     WRAP_VERSION_FUNC(getDFHackRelease, dfhack_release),
+    WRAP_VERSION_FUNC(getDFHackBuildID, dfhack_build_id),
     WRAP_VERSION_FUNC(getCompiledDFVersion, df_version),
     WRAP_VERSION_FUNC(getGitDescription, git_description),
     WRAP_VERSION_FUNC(getGitCommit, git_commit),
diff --git a/library/git-describe.cmake b/library/git-describe.cmake
index f19b556d2..6650dbde4 100644
--- a/library/git-describe.cmake
+++ b/library/git-describe.cmake
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ git_describe_definition(DFHACK_GIT_DESCRIPTION)
 git_describe_definition(DFHACK_GIT_COMMIT)
 git_describe_definition(DFHACK_GIT_XML_EXPECTED_COMMIT)
 git_describe_definition(DFHACK_GIT_XML_COMMIT)
+git_describe_definition(DFHACK_BUILD_ID)
 if(${DFHACK_GIT_TAGGED_RESULT} EQUAL 0)
     file(APPEND ${git_describe_tmp_h} "#define DFHACK_GIT_TAGGED\n")
 endif()
diff --git a/library/include/DFHackVersion.h b/library/include/DFHackVersion.h
index c89b94ba5..1b69dfe55 100644
--- a/library/include/DFHackVersion.h
+++ b/library/include/DFHackVersion.h
@@ -1,15 +1,18 @@
 #pragma once
 namespace DFHack {
     namespace Version {
-        const char *dfhack_version();
         const char *df_version();
+        const char *dfhack_version();
         const char *dfhack_release();
+        const char *dfhack_build_id();
         int dfhack_abi_version();
+
         const char *git_description();
         const char *git_commit();
         const char *git_xml_commit();
         const char *git_xml_expected_commit();
         bool git_xml_match();
+
         bool is_release();
         bool is_prerelease();
     }
@@ -17,14 +20,17 @@ namespace DFHack {
 
 #ifndef NO_DFHACK_VERSION_MACROS
     #define DF_VERSION (DFHack::Version::df_version())
-    #define DFHACK_RELEASE (DFHack::Version::dfhack_release())
     #define DFHACK_VERSION (DFHack::Version::dfhack_version())
+    #define DFHACK_RELEASE (DFHack::Version::dfhack_release())
+    #define DFHACK_BUILD_ID (DFHack::Version::dfhack_build_id())
     #define DFHACK_ABI_VERSION (DFHack::Version::dfhack_abi_version())
+
     #define DFHACK_GIT_DESCRIPTION (DFHack::Version::git_description())
     #define DFHACK_GIT_COMMIT (DFHack::Version::git_commit())
     #define DFHACK_GIT_XML_COMMIT (DFHack::Version::git_xml_commit())
     #define DFHACK_GIT_XML_EXPECTED_COMMIT (DFHack::Version::git_xml_expected_commit())
     #define DFHACK_GIT_XML_MATCH (DFHack::Version::git_xml_match())
+
     #define DFHACK_IS_RELEASE (DFHack::Version::is_release())
     #define DFHACK_IS_PRERELEASE (DFHack::Version::is_prerelease())
 #endif
diff --git a/plugins/title-version.cpp b/plugins/title-version.cpp
index 10df9d35a..66bb159ad 100644
--- a/plugins/title-version.cpp
+++ b/plugins/title-version.cpp
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-#include <vector>
+#include <cmath>
 #include <cstdio>
+#include <cstring>
 #include <stack>
 #include <string>
-#include <cmath>
+#include <vector>
 
 #include "Core.h"
 #include "Console.h"
@@ -38,6 +39,12 @@ void draw_version(int start_x, int start_y) {
         OutputString(COLOR_WHITE, x, y, "Git: ");
         OutputString(COLOR_WHITE, x, y, DFHACK_GIT_DESCRIPTION);
     }
+    if (strlen(DFHACK_BUILD_ID))
+    {
+        x = start_x; y++;
+        OutputString(COLOR_WHITE, x, y, "Build ID: ");
+        OutputString(COLOR_WHITE, x, y, DFHACK_BUILD_ID);
+    }
     if (DFHACK_IS_PRERELEASE)
     {
         x = start_x; y++;
@@ -66,7 +73,7 @@ struct options_version_hook : df::viewscreen_optionst {
         INTERPOSE_NEXT(render)();
         if (!msg_quit && !in_retire_adv && !msg_peasant &&
             !in_retire_dwf_abandon_adv && !in_abandon_dwf && !ending_game)
-            draw_version(2, gps->dimy - 5);
+            draw_version(2, gps->dimy - 6);
     }
 };