diff --git a/configure b/configure
index e9bc517..1c438b1 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -82,6 +82,22 @@ assert()
 	fi
 }
 
+get_git_sha()
+{
+    # return a short SHA for the current HEAD
+    GIT_SHA=""
+    GIT_MSG="success"
+    gitcmd=`which git`
+    if test -n "$gitcmd"; then
+	GIT_SHA=`git rev-parse --short HEAD  2>/dev/null`
+	if ! test -n "$GIT_SHA"; then
+	    GIT_MSG="not within a git repo"
+	fi
+    else
+	GIT_MSG="git not installed or executable"
+    fi
+}
+
 generate()
 {
 	sed -e "s#@PROFILE@#$PROFILE#g"				\
@@ -111,7 +127,8 @@ generate()
 	    -e "s#@LDNAME@#$LDNAME#g"				\
 	    -e "s#@LDNAME_MAJOR@#$LDNAME_MAJOR#g"		\
 	    -e "s#@LDNAME_VERSION@#$LDNAME_VERSION#g"		\
-	    -e "s#@PC_CFLAGS#$PC_CFLAGS#g"			\
+	    -e "s#@PC_CFLAGS@#$PC_CFLAGS#g"			\
+	    -e "s#@GIT_SHA@#$GIT_SHA#g"			        \
 		$1 > $2
 }
 
@@ -120,6 +137,7 @@ generate_stdout()
 
 	echo
 	echo "           VERSION = $VERSION"
+	echo "           GIT_SHA = $GIT_SHA"
 	echo "         BUILD_DIR = $P_PWD"
 	echo "           SRC_DIR = $BUILD_DIR"
 	echo "            SYSTEM = $SYSTEM"
@@ -685,6 +703,10 @@ EOF
 	fi
 done
 
+printf "Detecting git SHA................"
+get_git_sha
+echo "$GIT_MSG [$GIT_SHA]"
+
 if test "$PROFILE"; then
     printf "Using user-specified profile....."
 
diff --git a/include/ck_md.h.in b/include/ck_md.h.in
index 7817aa4..07dd384 100644
--- a/include/ck_md.h.in
+++ b/include/ck_md.h.in
@@ -51,4 +51,7 @@
 #define @MM@
 #endif /* @MM@ */
 
+#define CK_VERSION "@VERSION@"
+#define CK_GIT_SHA "@GIT_SHA@"
+
 #endif /* CK_MD_H */
diff --git a/regressions/ck_cohort/validate/validate.c b/regressions/ck_cohort/validate/validate.c
index c2453c4..cffbf77 100644
--- a/regressions/ck_cohort/validate/validate.c
+++ b/regressions/ck_cohort/validate/validate.c
@@ -160,7 +160,8 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	n_cohorts = atoi(argv[1]);
 	if (n_cohorts <= 0) {
-		ck_error("ERROR: Number of cohorts must be greater than 0\n");
+		fprintf(stderr, "setting number of cohorts per thread to 1\n");
+		n_cohorts = 1;
 	}
 
 	threads_per_cohort = atoi(argv[2]);