diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1cc793ff42d4..b36aeb617bd2 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -812,8 +812,8 @@ endif
 # prepare2 creates a makefile if using a separate output directory
 prepare2: prepare3 outputmakefile
 
-prepare1: prepare2 include/linux/version.h include/asm \
-                   include/config/auto.conf
+prepare1: prepare2 include/linux/version.h include/linux/utsrelease.h \
+                   include/asm include/config/auto.conf
 ifneq ($(KBUILD_MODULES),)
 	$(Q)mkdir -p $(MODVERDIR)
 	$(Q)rm -f $(MODVERDIR)/*
@@ -848,21 +848,26 @@ include/asm:
 # needs to be updated, so this check is forced on all builds
 
 uts_len := 64
-
-define filechk_version.h
+define filechk_utsrelease.h
 	if [ `echo -n "$(KERNELRELEASE)" | wc -c ` -gt $(uts_len) ]; then \
-	  echo '"$(KERNELRELEASE)" exceeds $(uts_len) characters' >&2; \
-	  exit 1; \
-	fi; \
-	(echo \#define UTS_RELEASE \"$(KERNELRELEASE)\"; \
-	  echo \#define LINUX_VERSION_CODE `expr $(VERSION) \\* 65536 + $(PATCHLEVEL) \\* 256 + $(SUBLEVEL)`; \
-	 echo '#define KERNEL_VERSION(a,b,c) (((a) << 16) + ((b) << 8) + (c))'; \
-	)
+	  echo '"$(KERNELRELEASE)" exceeds $(uts_len) characters' >&2;    \
+	  exit 1;                                                         \
+	fi;                                                               \
+	(echo \#define UTS_RELEASE \"$(KERNELRELEASE)\";)
 endef
 
-include/linux/version.h: $(srctree)/Makefile include/config/kernel.release FORCE
+define filechk_version.h
+	(echo \#define LINUX_VERSION_CODE $(shell                             \
+	expr $(VERSION) \* 65536 + $(PATCHLEVEL) \* 256 + $(SUBLEVEL));     \
+	echo '#define KERNEL_VERSION(a,b,c) (((a) << 16) + ((b) << 8) + (c))';)
+endef
+
+include/linux/version.h: $(srctree)/Makefile FORCE
 	$(call filechk,version.h)
 
+include/linux/utsrelease.h: include/config/kernel.release FORCE
+	$(call filechk,utsrelease.h)
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 PHONY += depend dep
@@ -955,7 +960,8 @@ CLEAN_FILES +=	vmlinux System.map \
 # Directories & files removed with 'make mrproper'
 MRPROPER_DIRS  += include/config include2
 MRPROPER_FILES += .config .config.old include/asm .version .old_version \
-                  include/linux/autoconf.h include/linux/version.h \
+                  include/linux/autoconf.h include/linux/version.h      \
+                  include/linux/utsrelease.h                            \
 		  Module.symvers tags TAGS cscope*
 
 # clean - Delete most, but leave enough to build external modules
diff --git a/arch/alpha/boot/bootp.c b/arch/alpha/boot/bootp.c
index ec53c28e33de..3af21c789339 100644
--- a/arch/alpha/boot/bootp.c
+++ b/arch/alpha/boot/bootp.c
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
  */
 #include <linux/kernel.h>
 #include <linux/string.h>
-#include <linux/version.h>
+#include <linux/utsrelease.h>
 #include <linux/mm.h>
 
 #include <asm/system.h>
diff --git a/arch/alpha/boot/bootpz.c b/arch/alpha/boot/bootpz.c
index a6657f2cf9bd..4307bde80a35 100644
--- a/arch/alpha/boot/bootpz.c
+++ b/arch/alpha/boot/bootpz.c
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
  */
 #include <linux/kernel.h>
 #include <linux/string.h>
-#include <linux/version.h>
+#include <linux/utsrelease.h>
 #include <linux/mm.h>
 
 #include <asm/system.h>
diff --git a/arch/alpha/boot/main.c b/arch/alpha/boot/main.c
index 78c9b0b6eea7..90ed55b662a8 100644
--- a/arch/alpha/boot/main.c
+++ b/arch/alpha/boot/main.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  */
 #include <linux/kernel.h>
 #include <linux/string.h>
-#include <linux/version.h>
+#include <linux/utsrelease.h>
 #include <linux/mm.h>
 
 #include <asm/system.h>
diff --git a/arch/frv/kernel/setup.c b/arch/frv/kernel/setup.c
index 5db3d4eff909..af08ccd4ed6e 100644
--- a/arch/frv/kernel/setup.c
+++ b/arch/frv/kernel/setup.c
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
  * 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
  */
 
-#include <linux/version.h>
+#include <linux/utsrelease.h>
 #include <linux/kernel.h>
 #include <linux/sched.h>
 #include <linux/delay.h>
diff --git a/arch/i386/boot/setup.S b/arch/i386/boot/setup.S
index 0a5a3be6d69c..d2b684cd620a 100644
--- a/arch/i386/boot/setup.S
+++ b/arch/i386/boot/setup.S
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <asm/segment.h>
-#include <linux/version.h>
+#include <linux/utsrelease.h>
 #include <linux/compile.h>
 #include <asm/boot.h>
 #include <asm/e820.h>
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/platforms/chrp/setup.c b/arch/powerpc/platforms/chrp/setup.c
index 1f1771b212b4..9df9f2079e9b 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/platforms/chrp/setup.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/platforms/chrp/setup.c
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #include <linux/reboot.h>
 #include <linux/init.h>
 #include <linux/pci.h>
-#include <linux/version.h>
+#include <linux/utsrelease.h>
 #include <linux/adb.h>
 #include <linux/module.h>
 #include <linux/delay.h>
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/platforms/powermac/bootx_init.c b/arch/powerpc/platforms/powermac/bootx_init.c
index cb257aeb91f6..24f09e2a5775 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/platforms/powermac/bootx_init.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/platforms/powermac/bootx_init.c
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 #include <linux/kernel.h>
 #include <linux/string.h>
 #include <linux/init.h>
-#include <linux/version.h>
+#include <linux/utsrelease.h>
 #include <asm/sections.h>
 #include <asm/prom.h>
 #include <asm/page.h>
diff --git a/arch/ppc/syslib/btext.c b/arch/ppc/syslib/btext.c
index 51ab6e90fe25..d11667046f21 100644
--- a/arch/ppc/syslib/btext.c
+++ b/arch/ppc/syslib/btext.c
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #include <linux/kernel.h>
 #include <linux/string.h>
 #include <linux/init.h>
-#include <linux/version.h>
+#include <linux/utsrelease.h>
 
 #include <asm/sections.h>
 #include <asm/bootx.h>
diff --git a/arch/x86_64/boot/setup.S b/arch/x86_64/boot/setup.S
index 7de8b8fd1685..a50b631f4d2b 100644
--- a/arch/x86_64/boot/setup.S
+++ b/arch/x86_64/boot/setup.S
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <asm/segment.h>
-#include <linux/version.h>
+#include <linux/utsrelease.h>
 #include <linux/compile.h>
 #include <asm/boot.h>
 #include <asm/e820.h>
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/bcm43xx/bcm43xx_ethtool.c b/drivers/net/wireless/bcm43xx/bcm43xx_ethtool.c
index b3ffcf501311..e386dcc32e8c 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/bcm43xx/bcm43xx_ethtool.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/bcm43xx/bcm43xx_ethtool.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 #include <linux/netdevice.h>
 #include <linux/pci.h>
 #include <linux/string.h>
-#include <linux/version.h>
+#include <linux/utsrelease.h>
 
 
 static void bcm43xx_get_drvinfo(struct net_device *dev, struct ethtool_drvinfo *info)
diff --git a/include/linux/vermagic.h b/include/linux/vermagic.h
index dc7c621e4647..46919f9f5eb3 100644
--- a/include/linux/vermagic.h
+++ b/include/linux/vermagic.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#include <linux/version.h>
+#include <linux/utsrelease.h>
 #include <linux/module.h>
 
 /* Simply sanity version stamp for modules. */
diff --git a/init/version.c b/init/version.c
index 3ddc3ceec2fe..e290802c6bd2 100644
--- a/init/version.c
+++ b/init/version.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include <linux/module.h>
 #include <linux/uts.h>
 #include <linux/utsname.h>
+#include <linux/utsrelease.h>
 #include <linux/version.h>
 
 #define version(a) Version_ ## a
diff --git a/scripts/checkversion.pl b/scripts/checkversion.pl
index 9f84e562318d..ec7d21161bdc 100755
--- a/scripts/checkversion.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkversion.pl
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #! /usr/bin/perl
 #
-# checkversion find uses of LINUX_VERSION_CODE, KERNEL_VERSION, or
-# UTS_RELEASE without including <linux/version.h>, or cases of
+# checkversion find uses of LINUX_VERSION_CODE or KERNEL_VERSION
+# without including <linux/version.h>, or cases of
 # including <linux/version.h> that don't need it.
 # Copyright (C) 2003, Randy Dunlap <rdunlap@xenotime.net>
 
@@ -41,8 +41,7 @@ foreach $file (@ARGV)
 	}
 
 	# Look for uses: LINUX_VERSION_CODE, KERNEL_VERSION, UTS_RELEASE
-	if (($_ =~ /LINUX_VERSION_CODE/) || ($_ =~ /\WKERNEL_VERSION/) ||
-		($_ =~ /UTS_RELEASE/)) {
+	if (($_ =~ /LINUX_VERSION_CODE/) || ($_ =~ /\WKERNEL_VERSION/)) {
 	    $fUseVersion = 1;
 	    last LINE if $iLinuxVersion;
 	}