diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 7fcc294004d2226df3c0b65daac097228be8fd9c..71f03d3ad65ed14d6e37cfb471ba601adf355b4b 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -16,3 +16,5 @@ doc/_build
 .cache
 .DS_Store
 .ipynb_checkpoints
+
+sumpy/_git_rev.py
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 400d1b9fc1d135b4a4a75dda113cf0af25d7c5cc..8d0850540362ddfc3ecedf453f2ccc53bba21a1c 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
+import os
 from setuptools import setup
 
 ver_dic = {}
@@ -10,8 +11,59 @@ try:
 finally:
     version_file.close()
 
+os.environ["AKPYTHON_EXEC_FROM_WITHIN_WITHIN_SETUP_PY"] = "1"
 exec(compile(version_file_contents, "sumpy/version.py", 'exec'), ver_dic)
 
+
+# {{{ capture git revision at install time
+
+# authoritative version in pytools/__init__.py
+def find_git_revision(tree_root):
+    # Keep this routine self-contained so that it can be copy-pasted into
+    # setup.py.
+
+    from os.path import join, exists, abspath
+    tree_root = abspath(tree_root)
+
+    if not exists(join(tree_root, ".git")):
+        return None
+
+    from subprocess import Popen, PIPE, STDOUT
+    p = Popen(["git", "rev-parse", "HEAD"], shell=False,
+              stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE, stderr=STDOUT, close_fds=True,
+              cwd=tree_root)
+    (git_rev, _) = p.communicate()
+
+    import sys
+    if sys.version_info >= (3,):
+        git_rev = git_rev.decode()
+
+    git_rev = git_rev.rstrip()
+
+    retcode = p.returncode
+    assert retcode is not None
+    if retcode != 0:
+        from warnings import warn
+        warn("unable to find git revision")
+        return None
+
+    return git_rev
+
+
+def write_git_revision(package_name):
+    from os.path import dirname, join
+    dn = dirname(__file__)
+    git_rev = find_git_revision(dn)
+
+    with open(join(dn, package_name, "_git_rev.py"), "w") as outf:
+        outf.write("GIT_REVISION = %s\n" % repr(git_rev))
+
+
+write_git_revision("sumpy")
+
+# }}}
+
+
 setup(name="sumpy",
       version=ver_dic["VERSION_TEXT"],
       description="Fast summation in Python",
@@ -40,8 +92,8 @@ setup(name="sumpy",
       packages=["sumpy", "sumpy.expansion"],
 
       install_requires=[
+          "pytools>=2018.2",
           "loo.py>=2017.2",
-          "pytools>=2017.6",
           "boxtree>=2013.1",
           "pytest>=2.3",
           "six",
diff --git a/sumpy/version.py b/sumpy/version.py
index 1e16d5d5f92586486f5f114e393e9e1e8e534830..f42335928e7fcb0cf6f93e8461714fb436691f8d 100644
--- a/sumpy/version.py
+++ b/sumpy/version.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from __future__ import division, absolute_import
+
 __copyright__ = "Copyright (C) 2014 Andreas Kloeckner"
 
 __license__ = """
@@ -20,13 +22,29 @@ OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
 THE SOFTWARE.
 """
 
+# {{{ find install- or run-time git revision
+
+import os
+if os.environ.get("AKPYTHON_EXEC_FROM_WITHIN_WITHIN_SETUP_PY") is not None:
+    # We're just being exec'd by setup.py. We can't import anything.
+    _git_rev = None
+
+else:
+    import sumpy._git_rev as _git_rev_mod
+    _git_rev = _git_rev_mod.GIT_REVISION
+
+    # If we're running from a dev tree, the last install (and hence the most
+    # recent update of the above git rev) could have taken place very long ago.
+    from pytools import find_module_git_revision
+    _runtime_git_rev = find_module_git_revision(__file__, n_levels_up=1)
+    if _runtime_git_rev is not None:
+        _git_rev = _runtime_git_rev
+
+# }}}
+
 
 VERSION = (2016, 1)
 VERSION_STATUS = "beta1"
 VERSION_TEXT = ".".join(str(x) for x in VERSION) + VERSION_STATUS
 
-# When developing on a branch, set the first element of this tuple to your
-# branch name, so as to avoid conflicts with the master branch. Make sure
-# to reset this to the next number up with "master" before merging into
-# master.
-KERNEL_VERSION = ("master", 31)
+KERNEL_VERSION = (VERSION, _git_rev, 0)