diff --git a/code/Makefile b/code/Makefile
index 03e764a9e..a9054310d 100644
--- a/code/Makefile
+++ b/code/Makefile
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ SHELL = /bin/sh
 # STANDARD_CHECK = checking for Fortran 2008, compiler dependend
 ########################################################################################
 # including PETSc files. PETSC_ARCH is loaded from these files. 
-DAMASKVERSION :="$(shell cat ../VERSION)"
+DAMASKVERSION :=$(shell cat ../VERSION)
 
 include ${PETSC_DIR}/lib/petsc/conf/variables
 include ${PETSC_DIR}/lib/petsc/conf/rules
diff --git a/installation/compile_CoreModule.py b/installation/compile_CoreModule.py
index 3ea9e4b7d..0d85c3b0f 100755
--- a/installation/compile_CoreModule.py
+++ b/installation/compile_CoreModule.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 import os,sys,glob,string,subprocess,shlex
 from damask import Environment
+from damask import version as DAMASKVERSION
 
 # compiles fortran code for Python
 scriptID = '$Id$'
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ compiler = {
             }[options['F90']]
 
 #--- option not depending on compiler -------------------------------------------------------------
-compileOptions = ' -DSpectral -DFLOAT=8 -DINT=4 -I%s/lib'%damaskEnv.rootDir()
+compileOptions = ' -DSpectral -DFLOAT=8 -DINT=4 -I%s/lib -DDAMASKVERSION=\\\\\"\\\"%s\\\\\"\\\"'%(damaskEnv.rootDir(),DAMASKVERSION)
 
 #--- this saves the path of libraries to core.so, hence it is known during runtime ----------------
 if options['F90'] == 'gfortran':