diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index e10b67e7b4a..2ca8617f42e 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ if distBuild:
 commonFiles = Split( "pch.cpp buildinfo.cpp db/common.cpp db/jsobj.cpp db/json.cpp db/lasterror.cpp db/nonce.cpp db/queryutil.cpp shell/mongo.cpp" )
 commonFiles += [ "util/background.cpp" , "util/mmap.cpp" , "util/ramstore.cpp", "util/sock.cpp" ,  "util/util.cpp" , "util/message.cpp" , 
                  "util/assert_util.cpp" , "util/httpclient.cpp" , "util/md5main.cpp" , "util/base64.cpp", "util/concurrency/vars.cpp", "util/concurrency/task.cpp", "util/debug_util.cpp",
-                 "util/concurrency/thread_pool.cpp", "util/password.cpp" ]
+                 "util/concurrency/thread_pool.cpp", "util/password.cpp", "util/version.cpp" ]
 commonFiles += Glob( "util/*.c" )
 commonFiles += Split( "client/connpool.cpp client/dbclient.cpp client/dbclientcursor.cpp client/model.cpp client/syncclusterconnection.cpp s/shardconnection.cpp" )
 
@@ -1461,7 +1461,7 @@ def getSystemInstallName():
     return n
 
 def getCodeVersion():
-    fullSource = open( "pch.cpp" , "r" ).read()
+    fullSource = open( "util/version.cpp" , "r" ).read()
     allMatches = re.findall( r"versionString.. = \"(.*?)\"" , fullSource );
     if len(allMatches) != 1:
         print( "can't find version # in code" )
diff --git a/db/db.cpp b/db/db.cpp
index 60e491d2886..b5eeea16b73 100644
--- a/db/db.cpp
+++ b/db/db.cpp
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include "cmdline.h"
 #include "stats/snapshots.h"
 #include "../util/concurrency/task.h"
+#include "../util/version.h"
 
 namespace mongo {
 
@@ -438,30 +439,6 @@ namespace mongo {
         double _sleepsecs; // default value controlled by program options
     } dataFileSync;
 
-    void show_32_warning(){
-#if BOOST_VERSION < 103500
-        cout << "\nwarning: built with boost version <= 1.34, limited concurrency" << endl;
-#endif
-
-        {
-            const char * foo = strchr( versionString , '.' ) + 1;
-            int bar = atoi( foo );
-            if ( ( 2 * ( bar / 2 ) ) != bar ){
-                log() << "****\n";
-                log() << "WARNING: This is development a version (" << versionString << ") of MongoDB.  Not recommended for production.\n";
-                log() << "****" << endl;
-            }
-                
-        }
-
-        if ( sizeof(int*) != 4 )
-            return;
-        cout << endl;
-        cout << "** NOTE: when using MongoDB 32 bit, you are limited to about 2 gigabytes of data" << endl;
-        cout << "**       see http://blog.mongodb.org/post/137788967/32-bit-limitations for more" << endl;
-        cout << endl;
-    }
-
     Timer startupSrandTimer;
 
     void _initAndListen(int listenPort, const char *appserverLoc = NULL) {
diff --git a/db/dbcommands.cpp b/db/dbcommands.cpp
index bbb0f2f3cde..fe72bcf4c24 100644
--- a/db/dbcommands.cpp
+++ b/db/dbcommands.cpp
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include "../scripting/engine.h"
 #include "stats/counters.h"
 #include "background.h"
+#include "../util/version.h"
 
 namespace mongo {
 
diff --git a/db/dbcommands_generic.cpp b/db/dbcommands_generic.cpp
index fb2e630607a..ff3e99af156 100644
--- a/db/dbcommands_generic.cpp
+++ b/db/dbcommands_generic.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #include "../scripting/engine.h"
 #include "stats/counters.h"
 #include "background.h"
+#include "../util/version.h"
 
 namespace mongo {
 
diff --git a/db/dbwebserver.cpp b/db/dbwebserver.cpp
index dff6b265a8a..7376af18e6d 100644
--- a/db/dbwebserver.cpp
+++ b/db/dbwebserver.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include "stats/snapshots.h"
 #include "background.h"
 #include "commands.h"
+#include "../util/version.h"
 #include <pcrecpp.h>
 #include <boost/date_time/posix_time/posix_time.hpp>
 #undef assert
diff --git a/dbtests/framework.cpp b/dbtests/framework.cpp
index f85e2c0f783..f0b8bc2b72d 100644
--- a/dbtests/framework.cpp
+++ b/dbtests/framework.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 */
 
 #include "pch.h"
+#include "../util/version.h"
 #include <boost/program_options.hpp>
 
 #undef assert
diff --git a/pch.cpp b/pch.cpp
index b1887edcda7..7202a90bc44 100644
--- a/pch.cpp
+++ b/pch.cpp
@@ -28,9 +28,3 @@
 #else
 // unknown compiler
 #endif 
-
-namespace mongo {
-
-    const char versionString[] = "1.5.3-pre-";
-
-} // namespace mongo
diff --git a/pch.h b/pch.h
index 80528b4270c..08de1a2e764 100644
--- a/pch.h
+++ b/pch.h
@@ -81,10 +81,7 @@ namespace mongo {
     // pdfile versions
     const int VERSION = 4;
     const int VERSION_MINOR = 5;
-    
-    // mongo version
-    extern const char versionString[];
-    
+
     enum ExitCode {
         EXIT_CLEAN = 0 , 
         EXIT_BADOPTIONS = 2 , 
@@ -138,12 +135,6 @@ namespace mongo {
 
 namespace mongo {
 
-    const char * gitVersion();
-    string sysInfo();
-    string mongodVersion();
-    
-    void printGitVersion();
-    void printSysInfo();
-
     typedef char _TCHAR;
+
 } // namespace mongo
diff --git a/s/server.cpp b/s/server.cpp
index 59bca879f90..af387fb0348 100644
--- a/s/server.cpp
+++ b/s/server.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "../util/unittest.h"
 #include "../client/connpool.h"
 #include "../util/message_server.h"
+#include "../util/version.h"
 
 #include "server.h"
 #include "request.h"
diff --git a/scripting/utils.cpp b/scripting/utils.cpp
index 3bb4bc93a40..ee01bb28fa9 100644
--- a/scripting/utils.cpp
+++ b/scripting/utils.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include "pch.h"
 #include "engine.h"
 #include "../util/md5.hpp"
+#include "../util/version.h"
 
 namespace mongo {
 
diff --git a/shell/dbshell.cpp b/shell/dbshell.cpp
index b91d517c17a..f7168c78fc7 100644
--- a/shell/dbshell.cpp
+++ b/shell/dbshell.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ jmp_buf jbuf;
 #include "../db/cmdline.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "../util/password.h"
+#include "../util/version.h"
 
 using namespace std;
 using namespace boost::filesystem;
diff --git a/util/util.cpp b/util/util.cpp
index cba3da4fdd1..922ca679fe4 100644
--- a/util/util.cpp
+++ b/util/util.cpp
@@ -151,34 +151,6 @@ void setThreadName(const char *name)
 #endif
     }
 
-#ifndef _SCONS
-    // only works in scons
-    const char * gitVersion(){ return "not-scons"; }
-#if defined(_WIN32)
-    string sysInfo(){ 
-        stringstream ss;
-        ss << "not-scons win";
-        ss << " mscver:" << _MSC_FULL_VER << " built:" << __DATE__;
-        ss << " boostver:" << BOOST_VERSION;
-#if( !defined(_MT) )
-#error _MT is not defined
-#endif
-        ss << (sizeof(char *) == 8) ? " 64bit" : " 32bit";
-        return ss.str();
-    }
-#else
-    string sysInfo(){ return ""; }
-#endif
-#endif
-
-    void printGitVersion() { log() << "git version: " << gitVersion() << endl; }
-    void printSysInfo() { log() << "sys info: " << sysInfo() << endl; }
-    string mongodVersion() {
-        stringstream ss;
-        ss << "db version v" << versionString << ", pdfile version " << VERSION << "." << VERSION_MINOR;
-        return ss.str();
-    }
-
     ostream& operator<<( ostream &s, const ThreadSafeString &o ){
         s << (string)o;
         return s;
diff --git a/util/version.cpp b/util/version.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..db9eefce951
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/version.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+#include <cstdlib>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <iomanip>
+#include <sstream>
+#include <string>
+
+#include "pch.h"
+
+#include "version.h"
+
+namespace mongo {
+
+    //
+    // mongo processes version support
+    //
+
+    const char versionString[] = "1.5.3-pre-";
+
+    string mongodVersion() {
+        stringstream ss;
+        ss << "db version v" << versionString << ", pdfile version " << VERSION << "." << VERSION_MINOR;
+        return ss.str();
+    }
+
+    //
+    // git version support
+    //
+
+#ifndef _SCONS
+    // only works in scons
+    const char * gitVersion(){ return "not-scons"; }
+#endif
+
+    void printGitVersion() { log() << "git version: " << gitVersion() << endl; }
+
+    //
+    // sys info support
+    //
+
+#ifndef _SCONS
+#if defined(_WIN32)
+    string sysInfo(){ 
+        stringstream ss;
+        ss << "not-scons win";
+        ss << " mscver:" << _MSC_FULL_VER << " built:" << __DATE__;
+        ss << " boostver:" << BOOST_VERSION;
+#if( !defined(_MT) )
+#error _MT is not defined
+#endif
+        ss << (sizeof(char *) == 8) ? " 64bit" : " 32bit";
+        return ss.str();
+    }
+#else
+    string sysInfo(){ return ""; }
+#endif
+#endif
+
+    void printSysInfo() { log() << "sys info: " << sysInfo() << endl; }
+
+    //
+    // 32 bit systems warning
+    //
+
+    void show_32_warning(){
+#if BOOST_VERSION < 103500
+        cout << "\nwarning: built with boost version <= 1.34, limited concurrency" << endl;
+#endif
+
+        {
+            const char * foo = strchr( versionString , '.' ) + 1;
+            int bar = atoi( foo );
+            if ( ( 2 * ( bar / 2 ) ) != bar ){
+                log() << "****\n";
+                log() << "WARNING: This is development a version (" << versionString << ") of MongoDB.  Not recommended for production.\n";
+                log() << "****" << endl;
+            }
+                
+        }
+
+        if ( sizeof(int*) != 4 )
+            return;
+        cout << endl;
+        cout << "** NOTE: when using MongoDB 32 bit, you are limited to about 2 gigabytes of data" << endl;
+        cout << "**       see http://blog.mongodb.org/post/137788967/32-bit-limitations for more" << endl;
+        cout << endl;
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/util/version.h b/util/version.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..70ddeb87af7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/version.h
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#ifndef UTIL_VERSION_HEADER
+#define UTIL_VERSION_HEADER
+
+#include <string>
+
+namespace mongo {
+
+    using std::string;
+
+    // mongo version
+    extern const char versionString[];
+    string mongodVersion();    
+
+    const char * gitVersion();
+    void printGitVersion();
+
+    string sysInfo();
+    void printSysInfo();
+
+    void show_32_warning();
+
+}  // namespace mongo
+
+#endif  // UTIL_VERSION_HEADER