diff --git a/config/alfresco/bootstrap/descriptor.xml b/config/alfresco/bootstrap/descriptor.xml
index f7836a4e8f..c4923a7c56 100644
--- a/config/alfresco/bootstrap/descriptor.xml
+++ b/config/alfresco/bootstrap/descriptor.xml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 		<sys:versionMajor>${version.major}</sys:versionMajor>
 		<sys:versionMinor>${version.minor}</sys:versionMinor>
 		<sys:versionRevision>${version.revision}</sys:versionRevision>
+      <sys:versionBuild>${version.build}</sys:versionBuild>
 		<sys:versionLabel>${version.label}</sys:versionLabel>
 		<sys:versionSchema>${version.schema}</sys:versionSchema>
 	</sys:descriptor>
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@
 		<sys:versionMajor>${version.major}</sys:versionMajor>
 		<sys:versionMinor>${version.minor}</sys:versionMinor>
 		<sys:versionRevision>${version.revision}</sys:versionRevision>
+      <sys:versionBuild>${version.build}</sys:versionBuild>
 		<sys:versionEdition><view:values><view:value>${version.edition}</view:value></view:values></sys:versionEdition>
 		<sys:versionLabel>${version.label}</sys:versionLabel>
 		<sys:versionSchema>${version.schema}</sys:versionSchema>
diff --git a/config/alfresco/import-export-context.xml b/config/alfresco/import-export-context.xml
index 80e746bd7e..d2b6b474d7 100644
--- a/config/alfresco/import-export-context.xml
+++ b/config/alfresco/import-export-context.xml
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@
                 <prop key="version.major">${version.major}</prop>
                 <prop key="version.minor">${version.minor}</prop>
                 <prop key="version.revision">${version.revision}</prop>
+                <prop key="version.build">${version.build}</prop>
                 <prop key="version.label">${version.label}</prop>
                 <prop key="version.schema">${version.schema}</prop>
                 <prop key="version.edition">${version.edition}</prop>
diff --git a/config/alfresco/model/systemModel.xml b/config/alfresco/model/systemModel.xml
index 80ee14b5d2..be70ff601e 100644
--- a/config/alfresco/model/systemModel.xml
+++ b/config/alfresco/model/systemModel.xml
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@
 				<property name="sys:versionLabel">
 					<type>d:text</type>
 				</property>
+            <property name="sys:versionBuild">
+               <type>d:text</type>
+            </property>
 				<property name="sys:versionSchema">
 					<type>d:int</type>
 					<mandatory enforced="true">true</mandatory>
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/model/ContentModel.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/model/ContentModel.java
index 14ed3ebed0..1513509af7 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/model/ContentModel.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/model/ContentModel.java
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ public interface ContentModel
     static final QName PROP_SYS_VERSION_MINOR = QName.createQName(NamespaceService.SYSTEM_MODEL_1_0_URI, "versionMinor");
     static final QName PROP_SYS_VERSION_REVISION = QName.createQName(NamespaceService.SYSTEM_MODEL_1_0_URI, "versionRevision");
     static final QName PROP_SYS_VERSION_LABEL = QName.createQName(NamespaceService.SYSTEM_MODEL_1_0_URI, "versionLabel");
+    static final QName PROP_SYS_VERSION_BUILD = QName.createQName(NamespaceService.SYSTEM_MODEL_1_0_URI, "versionBuild");
     static final QName PROP_SYS_VERSION_SCHEMA = QName.createQName(NamespaceService.SYSTEM_MODEL_1_0_URI, "versionSchema");
     static final QName PROP_SYS_VERSION_EDITION = QName.createQName(NamespaceService.SYSTEM_MODEL_1_0_URI, "versionEdition"); 
 
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/descriptor/DescriptorServiceImpl.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/descriptor/DescriptorServiceImpl.java
index 833885bda5..158b3fae5b 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/descriptor/DescriptorServiceImpl.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/descriptor/DescriptorServiceImpl.java
@@ -270,6 +270,7 @@ public class DescriptorServiceImpl implements DescriptorService, ApplicationList
         nodeService.setProperty(currentDescriptorNodeRef, ContentModel.PROP_SYS_VERSION_MINOR, serverDescriptor.getVersionMinor());
         nodeService.setProperty(currentDescriptorNodeRef, ContentModel.PROP_SYS_VERSION_REVISION, serverDescriptor.getVersionRevision());
         nodeService.setProperty(currentDescriptorNodeRef, ContentModel.PROP_SYS_VERSION_LABEL, serverDescriptor.getVersionLabel());
+        nodeService.setProperty(currentDescriptorNodeRef, ContentModel.PROP_SYS_VERSION_BUILD, serverDescriptor.getVersionBuild());
         nodeService.setProperty(currentDescriptorNodeRef, ContentModel.PROP_SYS_VERSION_SCHEMA, serverDescriptor.getSchema());
         
         // done
@@ -449,6 +450,14 @@ public class DescriptorServiceImpl implements DescriptorService, ApplicationList
             return "Unknown";
         }
 
+        /* (non-Javadoc)
+         * @see org.alfresco.service.descriptor.Descriptor#getVersionBuild()
+         */
+        public String getVersionBuild()
+        {
+            return "Unknown";
+        }
+        
         /* (non-Javadoc)
          * @see org.alfresco.service.descriptor.Descriptor#getVersion()
          */
@@ -491,14 +500,99 @@ public class DescriptorServiceImpl implements DescriptorService, ApplicationList
         }
     }
     
+    /**
+     * Base class for Descriptor implementations, provides a 
+     * default getVersion() implementation.
+     * 
+     * @author gavinc
+     */
+    public abstract class BaseDescriptor implements Descriptor
+    {
+        /* (non-Javadoc)
+         * @see org.alfresco.service.descriptor.Descriptor#getVersion()
+         */
+        public String getVersion()
+        {
+            StringBuilder version = new StringBuilder(getVersionMajor());
+            version.append(".");
+            version.append(getVersionMinor());
+            version.append(".");
+            version.append(getVersionRevision());
+            
+            String label = getVersionLabel();
+            String build = getVersionBuild();
+            
+            boolean hasLabel = (label != null && label.length() > 0);
+            boolean hasBuild = (build != null && build.length() > 0);
+            
+            // add opening bracket if either a label or build number is present
+            if (hasLabel || hasBuild)
+            {
+               version.append(" (");
+            }
+            
+            // add label if present
+            if (hasLabel)
+            {
+               version.append(label);
+            }
+            
+            // add build number is present
+            if (hasBuild)
+            {
+               // if there is also a label we need a separating space
+               if (hasLabel)
+               {
+                  version.append(" ");
+               }
+               
+               version.append(build);
+            }
+            
+            // add closing bracket if either a label or build number is present
+            if (hasLabel || hasBuild)
+            {
+               version.append(")");
+            }
+            
+            return version.toString();
+        }
+        
+        /**
+         * Returns the int representation of the given schema string
+         * 
+         * @param schemaStr The schema number as a string
+         * @return The schema number as an int
+         */
+        protected int getSchema(String schemaStr)
+        {
+            if (schemaStr == null)
+            {
+                return 0;
+            }
+            try
+            {
+                int schema = Integer.parseInt(schemaStr);
+                if (schema < 0)
+                {
+                    throw new NumberFormatException();
+                }
+                return schema;
+            }
+            catch (NumberFormatException e)
+            {
+                throw new AlfrescoRuntimeException("Schema must be a positive integer '" + schemaStr + "' is not!");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    
     /**
      * Repository Descriptor whose meta-data is retrieved from the repository store
      */
-    private class RepositoryDescriptor implements Descriptor
+    private class RepositoryDescriptor extends BaseDescriptor
     {
         private Map<QName, Serializable> properties;
         
-        
         /**
          * Construct
          * 
@@ -542,17 +636,11 @@ public class DescriptorServiceImpl implements DescriptorService, ApplicationList
         }
 
         /* (non-Javadoc)
-         * @see org.alfresco.service.descriptor.Descriptor#getVersion()
+         * @see org.alfresco.service.descriptor.Descriptor#getVersionBuild()
          */
-        public String getVersion()
+        public String getVersionBuild()
         {
-            String version = getVersionMajor() + "." + getVersionMinor() + "." + getVersionRevision();
-            String label = getVersionLabel();
-            if (label != null && label.length() > 0)
-            {
-                version += " (" + label + ")";
-            }
-            return version;
+            return getDescriptor("sys:versionBuild");
         }
 
         /* (non-Javadoc)
@@ -569,24 +657,7 @@ public class DescriptorServiceImpl implements DescriptorService, ApplicationList
          */
         public int getSchema()
         {
-            String schemaStr = getDescriptor("sys:versionSchema");
-            if (schemaStr == null)
-            {
-                return 0;
-            }
-            try
-            {
-                int schema = Integer.parseInt(schemaStr);
-                if (schema < 0)
-                {
-                    throw new NumberFormatException();
-                }
-                return schema;
-            }
-            catch (NumberFormatException e)
-            {
-                throw new AlfrescoRuntimeException("'version.schema' must be a positive integer");
-            }
+            return getSchema(getDescriptor("sys:versionSchema"));
         }
 
         /* (non-Javadoc)
@@ -618,7 +689,7 @@ public class DescriptorServiceImpl implements DescriptorService, ApplicationList
     /**
      * Server Descriptor whose meta-data is retrieved from run-time environment 
      */
-    private class ServerDescriptor implements Descriptor
+    private class ServerDescriptor extends BaseDescriptor
     {
         /* (non-Javadoc)
          * @see org.alfresco.service.descriptor.Descriptor#getVersionMajor()
@@ -651,19 +722,13 @@ public class DescriptorServiceImpl implements DescriptorService, ApplicationList
         {
             return serverProperties.getProperty("version.label");
         }
-
+        
         /* (non-Javadoc)
-         * @see org.alfresco.service.descriptor.Descriptor#getVersion()
+         * @see org.alfresco.service.descriptor.Descriptor#getVersionBuild()
          */
-        public String getVersion()
+        public String getVersionBuild()
         {
-            String version = getVersionMajor() + "." + getVersionMinor() + "." + getVersionRevision();
-            String label = getVersionLabel();
-            if (label != null && label.length() > 0)
-            {
-                version += " (" + label + ")";
-            }
-            return version;
+            return serverProperties.getProperty("version.build");
         }
 
         /* (non-Javadoc)
@@ -680,24 +745,7 @@ public class DescriptorServiceImpl implements DescriptorService, ApplicationList
          */
         public int getSchema()
         {
-            String schemaStr = serverProperties.getProperty("version.schema");
-            if (schemaStr == null)
-            {
-                return 0;
-            }
-            try
-            {
-                int schema = Integer.parseInt(schemaStr);
-                if (schema < 0)
-                {
-                    throw new NumberFormatException();
-                }
-                return schema;
-            }
-            catch (NumberFormatException e)
-            {
-                throw new AlfrescoRuntimeException("'version.schema' must be a positive integer");
-            }
+            return getSchema(serverProperties.getProperty("version.schema"));
         }
 
         /* (non-Javadoc)
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/service/descriptor/Descriptor.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/service/descriptor/Descriptor.java
index 254aaf18d2..61be552fb1 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/service/descriptor/Descriptor.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/service/descriptor/Descriptor.java
@@ -52,6 +52,13 @@ public interface Descriptor
      */
     public String getVersionLabel();
     
+    /**
+     * Gets the build number 
+     * 
+     * @return  the build number i.e. build-1
+     */
+    public String getVersionBuild();
+    
     /**
      * Gets the full version number
      *