diff --git a/Avara.msvc/Avara.vcxproj b/Avara.msvc/Avara.vcxproj
index 65cd22e9..b022293d 100644
--- a/Avara.msvc/Avara.vcxproj
+++ b/Avara.msvc/Avara.vcxproj
@@ -73,9 +73,21 @@
   <PropertyGroup Label="UserMacros" />
   <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'">
     <LibraryPath>$(VC_LibraryPath_x64);$(WindowsSDK_LibraryPath_x64);$(VCPKG_ROOT)\installed\x64-windows\debug\lib\manual-link</LibraryPath>
+    <PreBuildEventUseInBuild>
+    </PreBuildEventUseInBuild>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'">
     <LibraryPath>$(VC_LibraryPath_x64);$(WindowsSDK_LibraryPath_x64);$(VCPKG_ROOT)\installed\x64-windows\lib\manual-link</LibraryPath>
+    <PreBuildEventUseInBuild>
+    </PreBuildEventUseInBuild>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|Win32'">
+    <PreBuildEventUseInBuild>
+    </PreBuildEventUseInBuild>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|Win32'">
+    <PreBuildEventUseInBuild>
+    </PreBuildEventUseInBuild>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <PropertyGroup Label="Vcpkg">
     <VcpkgEnableManifest>true</VcpkgEnableManifest>
@@ -91,6 +103,14 @@
       <SubSystem>Console</SubSystem>
       <GenerateDebugInformation>true</GenerateDebugInformation>
     </Link>
+    <PreBuildEvent>
+      <Command>
+      </Command>
+    </PreBuildEvent>
+    <PreBuildEvent>
+      <Message>
+      </Message>
+    </PreBuildEvent>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
   <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|Win32'">
     <ClCompile>
@@ -107,6 +127,14 @@
       <OptimizeReferences>true</OptimizeReferences>
       <GenerateDebugInformation>true</GenerateDebugInformation>
     </Link>
+    <PreBuildEvent>
+      <Command>
+      </Command>
+    </PreBuildEvent>
+    <PreBuildEvent>
+      <Message>
+      </Message>
+    </PreBuildEvent>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
   <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'">
     <ClCompile>
@@ -128,6 +156,8 @@
     <PreBuildEvent>
       <Command>
       </Command>
+      <Message>
+      </Message>
     </PreBuildEvent>
     <PostBuildEvent>
       <Command>xcopy /E /Y "$(SolutionDir)..\rsrc\" "$(TargetDir)rsrc\" &amp;&amp; xcopy /E /Y "$(SolutionDir)..\levels\" "$(TargetDir)levels\"</Command>
@@ -156,6 +186,12 @@
     <PostBuildEvent>
       <Command>xcopy /E /Y "$(SolutionDir)..\rsrc\" "$(TargetDir)rsrc\" &amp;&amp; xcopy /E /Y "$(SolutionDir)..\levels\" "$(TargetDir)levels\"</Command>
     </PostBuildEvent>
+    <PreBuildEvent>
+      <Command>
+      </Command>
+      <Message>
+      </Message>
+    </PreBuildEvent>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <ClCompile Include="..\src\Avara.cpp" />
diff --git a/Avara.msvc/AvaraCore.vcxproj b/Avara.msvc/AvaraCore.vcxproj
index 7d37fbb1..41b1a85a 100644
--- a/Avara.msvc/AvaraCore.vcxproj
+++ b/Avara.msvc/AvaraCore.vcxproj
@@ -91,6 +91,10 @@
       <SubSystem>Console</SubSystem>
       <GenerateDebugInformation>true</GenerateDebugInformation>
     </Link>
+    <PreBuildEvent>
+      <Command>powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -nologo -NoProfile -NonInteractive -File $(SolutionDir)..\bin\git_version.ps1</Command>
+      <Message>Specify Git commit for ersatz version tracking.</Message>
+    </PreBuildEvent>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
   <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|Win32'">
     <ClCompile>
@@ -107,6 +111,10 @@
       <OptimizeReferences>true</OptimizeReferences>
       <GenerateDebugInformation>true</GenerateDebugInformation>
     </Link>
+    <PreBuildEvent>
+      <Command>powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -nologo -NoProfile -NonInteractive -File $(SolutionDir)..\bin\git_version.ps1</Command>
+      <Message>Specify Git commit for ersatz version tracking.</Message>
+    </PreBuildEvent>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
   <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'">
     <ClCompile>
@@ -125,8 +133,8 @@
       <AdditionalDependencies>shell32.lib;$(CoreLibraryDependencies);%(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>
     </Link>
     <PreBuildEvent>
-      <Command>
-      </Command>
+      <Command>powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -nologo -NoProfile -NonInteractive -File $(SolutionDir)..\bin\git_version.ps1</Command>
+      <Message>Specify Git commit for ersatz version tracking.</Message>
     </PreBuildEvent>
     <PostBuildEvent>
       <Command>xcopy /E /Y "$(SolutionDir)..\rsrc\" "$(TargetDir)rsrc\" &amp;&amp; xcopy /E /Y "$(SolutionDir)..\levels\" "$(TargetDir)levels\"</Command>
@@ -152,6 +160,10 @@
       <GenerateDebugInformation>true</GenerateDebugInformation>
       <AdditionalDependencies>$(CoreLibraryDependencies);%(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>
     </Link>
+    <PreBuildEvent>
+      <Command>powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -nologo -NoProfile -NonInteractive -File $(SolutionDir)..\bin\git_version.ps1</Command>
+      <Message>Specify Git commit for ersatz version tracking.</Message>
+    </PreBuildEvent>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <ClInclude Include="..\platform\windows\resource.h" />
diff --git a/bin/git_version.ps1 b/bin/git_version.ps1
index 63f5bce5..318d2fd8 100644
--- a/bin/git_version.ps1
+++ b/bin/git_version.ps1
@@ -1 +1 @@
-'#define GIT_VERSION "{0}"' -f (git describe --always --dirty) | Out-File -FilePath .\src\util\GitVersion.h
\ No newline at end of file
+'#define GIT_VERSION "{0}"' -f (git describe --always --dirty) | Out-File -FilePath  "$PSScriptRoot\..\src\util\GitVersion.h" -Encoding utf8