diff --git a/src/Composer/Compiler.php b/src/Composer/Compiler.php
index 94f1a15ff..fa86d7f21 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Compiler.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Compiler.php
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ use Symfony\Component\Process\Process;
 class Compiler
 {
     private $version;
+    private $versionDate;
 
     /**
      * Compiles composer into a single phar file
@@ -43,6 +44,14 @@ class Compiler
         }
         $this->version = trim($process->getOutput());
 
+        $process = new Process('git log -n1 --pretty=%ci HEAD', __DIR__);
+        if ($process->run() != 0) {
+            throw new \RuntimeException('Can\'t run git log. You must ensure to run compile from composer git repository clone and that git binary is available.');
+        }
+        $date = new \DateTime(trim($process->getOutput()));
+        $date->setTimezone(new \DateTimeZone('UTC'));
+        $this->versionDate = $date->format('Y-m-d H:i:s');
+
         $process = new Process('git describe --tags HEAD');
         if ($process->run() == 0) {
             $this->version = trim($process->getOutput());
@@ -127,6 +136,7 @@ class Compiler
         }
 
         $content = str_replace('@package_version@', $this->version, $content);
+        $content = str_replace('@release_date@', $this->versionDate, $content);
 
         $phar->addFromString($path, $content);
     }
diff --git a/src/Composer/Composer.php b/src/Composer/Composer.php
index 20279b5ac..0d1e0aa89 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Composer.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Composer.php
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ use Composer\Autoload\AutoloadGenerator;
 class Composer
 {
     const VERSION = '@package_version@';
+    const RELEASE_DATE = '@release_date@';
 
     /**
      * @var Package\RootPackageInterface
diff --git a/src/Composer/Console/Application.php b/src/Composer/Console/Application.php
index 63bb59124..9d622cf67 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Console/Application.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Console/Application.php
@@ -235,6 +235,14 @@ class Application extends BaseApplication
         return $commands;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     */
+    public function getLongVersion()
+    {
+        return parent::getLongVersion() . ' ' . Composer::RELEASE_DATE;
+    }
+
     /**
      * {@inheritDoc}
      */