diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 60fa310..5d79c2a 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,6 +13,6 @@ execute_process(COMMAND
   OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_DATE
   ERROR_QUIET OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
 
-configure_file(verbena.in verbena)
+configure_file(verbena.in verbena @ONLY)
 INSTALL(PROGRAMS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/verbena DESTINATION bin)
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 61b3eda..8716ded 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ all: ${SCRIPTS}
 .PHONY: FORCE
 
 $(SCRIPTS): %: %.in FORCE
-	sed -e "s/\$${GIT_SHA1}/${GIT_SHA1}/" -e "s/\$${GIT_DATE}/${GIT_DATE}/" $< >$@
+	sed -e "s/@GIT_SHA1@/${GIT_SHA1}/" -e "s/@GIT_DATE@/${GIT_DATE}/" $< >$@
 
 clean:
 	rm ${SCRIPTS}
diff --git a/verbena.in b/verbena.in
index bbe859e..cbfc273 100644
--- a/verbena.in
+++ b/verbena.in
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@
 # to be used, possibly with bundled dependencies
 PATH=`dirname $0`:${FSLDIR}/bin:${PATH}
 
-echo "VERBENA version tag '${GIT_SHA1}'"
-echo "last commit '${GIT_DATE}'"
+echo "VERBENA version tag '@GIT_SHA1@'"
+echo "last commit '@GIT_DATE@'"
 echo
 
 Usage() {