diff --git a/git-version.py b/git-version.py
index 1dee47591..0cec96c9f 100644
--- a/git-version.py
+++ b/git-version.py
@@ -50,8 +50,16 @@
     fp.write('const char* grbl_version = \"' + grbl_version + '\";\n')
     fp.write('const char* git_info     = \"' + git_info + '\";\n')
 
-if not (os.path.exists(final) and filecmp.cmp(provisional, final)):
+if not os.path.exists(final):
+    # No version.cpp so rename version.cxx to version.cpp
+    os.rename(provisional, final)
+elif not filecmp.cmp(provisional, final):
+    # version.cxx differs from version.cpp so get rid of the
+    # old .cpp and rename .cxx to .cpp
     os.remove(final)
     os.rename(provisional, final)
 else:
+    # The existing version.cpp is the same as the new version.cxx
+    # so we can just leave the old version.cpp in place and get
+    # rid of version.cxx
     os.remove(provisional)