diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8a6ff9e54..149d0a958 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -334,8 +334,16 @@ gen_version.h: FORCE
 	@(echo "#define VERSION \"$(VERSION)\"" && echo "#define BUILD_FEATURES \"$(FEATURES)\"") > $@.new
 	@if cmp $@.new $@ >/dev/null 2>&2; then rm -f $@.new; else mv $@.new $@; echo Version updated; fi
 
-# All binaries require the external libs, ccan
-$(ALL_PROGRAMS) $(ALL_TEST_PROGRAMS): $(EXTERNAL_LIBS) $(CCAN_OBJS)
+# We force make to relink this every time, to detect version changes.
+tools/headerversions: FORCE tools/headerversions.o $(CCAN_OBJS)
+	@$(LINK.o) tools/headerversions.o $(CCAN_OBJS) $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS) -o $@
+
+# That forces this rule to be run every time, too.
+gen_header_versions.h: tools/headerversions
+	@tools/headerversions $@
+
+# All binaries require the external libs, ccan and external library versions.
+$(ALL_PROGRAMS) $(ALL_TEST_PROGRAMS): $(EXTERNAL_LIBS) $(CCAN_OBJS) gen_header_versions.h
 
 # Each test program depends on its own object.
 $(ALL_TEST_PROGRAMS): %: %.o
diff --git a/tools/headerversions.c b/tools/headerversions.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4091dd508
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/headerversions.c
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+/* Updates the given file if any library versions have changed.  This
+ * is important for systemwide updates, such as sqlite3. */
+#include <ccan/err/err.h>
+#include <ccan/read_write_all/read_write_all.h>
+#include <ccan/tal/grab_file/grab_file.h>
+#include <ccan/tal/str/str.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <gmp.h>
+#include <sqlite3.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <zlib.h>
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+	char *file, *new;
+
+	err_set_progname(argv[0]);
+
+	if (argc != 2)
+		errx(1, "Usage: %s <versionheader>", argv[0]);
+
+	file = grab_file(NULL, argv[1]);
+	if (!file && errno != ENOENT)
+		err(1, "Reading %s", argv[1]);
+
+	new = tal_fmt(NULL,
+		      "/* Generated file by tools/headerversions, do not edit! */\n"
+		      "/* GMP version: %s */\n"
+		      "/* SQLITE3 version: %u */\n"
+		      "/* ZLIB version: %s */\n",
+		      gmp_version,
+		      sqlite3_libversion_number(),
+		      zlibVersion());
+	if (!file || !streq(new, file)) {
+		int fd = open(argv[1], O_TRUNC|O_WRONLY|O_CREAT, 0666);
+		if (fd < 0)
+			err(1, "Writing %s", argv[1]);
+		if (!write_all(fd, new, strlen(new)))
+			err(1, "Writing to %s", argv[1]);
+		close(fd);
+	}
+	tal_free(new);
+	tal_free(file);
+	return 0;
+}