diff --git a/dtool/src/dtoolbase/verdate.cpp b/dtool/src/dtoolbase/verdate.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..95da135bc0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dtool/src/dtoolbase/verdate.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+// used by version.rc
+#define DEF #define
+#define BD(x,y) DEF VER_BUILD_DATE_STR x "  " y
+
+BD(__DATE__,__TIME__)