diff --git a/components/engine/.gitignore b/components/engine/.gitignore
index 2a86e41caf..21df574df6 100644
--- a/components/engine/.gitignore
+++ b/components/engine/.gitignore
@@ -27,3 +27,6 @@ docs/AWS_S3_BUCKET
 docs/GIT_BRANCH
 docs/VERSION
 docs/GITCOMMIT
+dockerversion/static.go
+dockerversion/details.go
+dockerversion/init.go
diff --git a/components/engine/hack/make.sh b/components/engine/hack/make.sh
index d6da3057fa..a841c13424 100755
--- a/components/engine/hack/make.sh
+++ b/components/engine/hack/make.sh
@@ -94,12 +94,19 @@ if [ -z "$DOCKER_CLIENTONLY" ]; then
 	DOCKER_BUILDTAGS+=" daemon"
 fi
 
+rm -f dockerversion/static.go dockerversion/details.go dockerversion/init.go
+cat > dockerversion/details.go <<EOF
+// AUTOGENERATED FILE; see hack/make.sh
+package dockerversion
+
+func init() {
+	GITCOMMIT = "$GITCOMMIT"
+	VERSION = "$VERSION"
+}
+EOF
+
 # Use these flags when compiling the tests and final binary
-LDFLAGS='
-	-w
-	-X '$DOCKER_PKG'/dockerversion.GITCOMMIT "'$GITCOMMIT'"
-	-X '$DOCKER_PKG'/dockerversion.VERSION "'$VERSION'"
-'
+LDFLAGS='-w'
 LDFLAGS_STATIC='-linkmode external'
 EXTLDFLAGS_STATIC='-static'
 # ORIG_BUILDFLAGS is necessary for the cross target which cannot always build
@@ -115,7 +122,6 @@ TESTFLAGS+=" -test.timeout=${TIMEOUT}"
 EXTLDFLAGS_STATIC_DOCKER="$EXTLDFLAGS_STATIC -lpthread -Wl,--unresolved-symbols=ignore-in-object-files"
 LDFLAGS_STATIC_DOCKER="
 	$LDFLAGS_STATIC
-	-X $DOCKER_PKG/dockerversion.IAMSTATIC true
 	-extldflags \"$EXTLDFLAGS_STATIC_DOCKER\"
 "
 
diff --git a/components/engine/hack/make/binary b/components/engine/hack/make/binary
index b97069a856..2c71f201b9 100755
--- a/components/engine/hack/make/binary
+++ b/components/engine/hack/make/binary
@@ -3,6 +3,17 @@ set -e
 
 DEST=$1
 
+: ${IAMSTATIC:=true}
+
+cat > dockerversion/static.go <<EOF
+// AUTOGENERATED FILE; see hack/make/binary and hack/make/dynbinary
+package dockerversion
+
+func init() {
+	IAMSTATIC = $IAMSTATIC
+}
+EOF
+
 go build \
 	-o "$DEST/docker-$VERSION" \
 	"${BUILDFLAGS[@]}" \
diff --git a/components/engine/hack/make/dynbinary b/components/engine/hack/make/dynbinary
index 5064a799bd..171dd16ba3 100644
--- a/components/engine/hack/make/dynbinary
+++ b/components/engine/hack/make/dynbinary
@@ -5,6 +5,14 @@ DEST=$1
 
 if [ -z "$DOCKER_CLIENTONLY" ]; then
 	# dockerinit still needs to be a static binary, even if docker is dynamic
+	cat > dockerversion/static.go <<EOF
+// AUTOGENERATED FILE; see hack/make/binary and hack/make/dynbinary
+package dockerversion
+
+func init() {
+	IAMSTATIC = true
+}
+EOF
 	go build \
 		-o "$DEST/dockerinit-$VERSION" \
 		"${BUILDFLAGS[@]}" \
@@ -39,7 +47,17 @@ fi
 # exported so that "dyntest" can easily access it later without recalculating it
 
 (
-	export LDFLAGS_STATIC_DOCKER="-X $DOCKER_PKG/dockerversion.INITSHA1 \"$DOCKER_INITSHA1\" -X $DOCKER_PKG/dockerversion.INITPATH \"$DOCKER_INITPATH\""
+	export LDFLAGS_STATIC_DOCKER=""
+	cat > dockerversion/init.go <<EOF
+// AUTOGENERATED FILE; see hack/make/dynbinary, hack/make/dyntest-integration and dyntest-unit
+package dockerversion
+
+func init() {
+	INITSHA1 = "$DOCKER_INITSHA1"
+	INITPATH = "$DOCKER_INITPATH"
+}
+EOF
+	export IAMSTATIC=false
 	export BUILDFLAGS=( "${BUILDFLAGS[@]/netgo /}" ) # disable netgo, since we don't need it for a dynamic binary
 	source "$(dirname "$BASH_SOURCE")/binary"
 )
diff --git a/components/engine/hack/make/dyntest-integration b/components/engine/hack/make/dyntest-integration
index 1cc7349aba..5015c10969 100644
--- a/components/engine/hack/make/dyntest-integration
+++ b/components/engine/hack/make/dyntest-integration
@@ -11,8 +11,14 @@ fi
 
 (
 	export TEST_DOCKERINIT_PATH="$INIT"
-	export LDFLAGS_STATIC_DOCKER="
-		-X $DOCKER_PKG/dockerversion.INITSHA1 \"$DOCKER_INITSHA1\"
-	"
+	export LDFLAGS_STATIC_DOCKER=""
+	cat > dockerversion/init.go <<EOF
+// AUTOGENERATED FILE; see hack/make/dynbinary, hack/make/dyntest-integration and dyntest-unit
+package dockerversion
+
+func init() {
+	INITSHA1 = "$DOCKER_INITSHA1"
+}
+EOF
 	source "$(dirname "$BASH_SOURCE")/test-integration"
 )
diff --git a/components/engine/hack/make/dyntest-unit b/components/engine/hack/make/dyntest-unit
index cffef98512..32cd8136bc 100644
--- a/components/engine/hack/make/dyntest-unit
+++ b/components/engine/hack/make/dyntest-unit
@@ -11,8 +11,14 @@ fi
 
 (
 	export TEST_DOCKERINIT_PATH="$INIT"
-	export LDFLAGS_STATIC_DOCKER="
-		-X $DOCKER_PKG/dockerversion.INITSHA1 \"$DOCKER_INITSHA1\"
-	"
+	export LDFLAGS_STATIC_DOCKER=""
+	cat > dockerversion/init.go <<EOF
+// AUTOGENERATED FILE; see hack/make/dynbinary, hack/make/dyntest-integration and dyntest-unit
+package dockerversion
+
+func init() {
+	INITSHA1 = "$DOCKER_INITSHA1"
+}
+EOF
 	source "$(dirname "$BASH_SOURCE")/test-unit"
 )