diff --git a/libguile/Makefile.am b/libguile/Makefile.am
index f4b3c655a..9bd87fb73 100644
--- a/libguile/Makefile.am
+++ b/libguile/Makefile.am
@@ -87,24 +87,48 @@ EXTRA_DIST = ChangeLog-gh ChangeLog-scm ChangeLog-threads dynl-dl.c \
 
 ## FIXME: Consider using timestamp file, to avoid unnecessary rebuilds.
 libpath.h: Makefile
-	rm -f libpath.tmp
-	echo '/* generated by Makefile */' > libpath.tmp
-	echo '#define SCM_PKGDATA_DIR "$(pkgdatadir)"' >> libpath.tmp
-	echo '#define SCM_LIBRARY_DIR "$(pkgdatadir)/$(VERSION)"' >>libpath.tmp
-	echo '#define SCM_SITE_DIR "$(pkgdatadir)/site"' >> libpath.tmp
-	mv libpath.tmp libpath.h
+	@echo "Generating libpath.h..." 
+	@rm -f libpath.tmp
+	@echo '/* generated by Makefile */' > libpath.tmp
+	@echo '#define SCM_PKGDATA_DIR "$(pkgdatadir)"' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '#define SCM_LIBRARY_DIR "$(pkgdatadir)/$(VERSION)"'>>libpath.tmp
+	@echo '#define SCM_SITE_DIR "$(pkgdatadir)/site"' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '#define SCM_BUILD_INFO { \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "srcdir", "'"`cd @srcdir@; pwd`"'" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "top_srcdir", "'"`cd @top_srcdir@; pwd`"'" }, \' \
+		>> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "prefix",	   "@prefix@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "exec_prefix",   "@exec_prefix@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "bindir",	   "@bindir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "sbindir",	   "@sbindir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "libexecdir",	   "@libexecdir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "datadir",	   "@datadir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "sysconfdir",	   "@sysconfdir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "sharedstatedir", "@sharedstatedir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "localstatedir", "@localstatedir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "libdir",	   "@libdir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "infodir",	   "@infodir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "mandir",	   "@mandir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "includedir",	   "@includedir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "pkgdatadir",	   "$(datadir)/@PACKAGE@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "pkglibdir",	   "$(libdir)/@PACKAGE@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "pkgincludedir", "$(includedir)/@PACKAGE@" }, \' \
+		>> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '}' >> libpath.tmp
+	@mv libpath.tmp libpath.h
 
 ## FIXME: Consider using timestamp file, to avoid unnecessary rebuilds.
 versiondat.h: Makefile
-	rm -f versiondat.tmp
-	echo '/* generated by Makefile */' > versiondat.tmp
-	echo '#define GUILE_VERSION "$(GUILE_VERSION)"' >> versiondat.tmp
-	echo '#define GUILE_MAJOR_VERSION "$(GUILE_MAJOR_VERSION)"' \
+	@echo "Generating versiondat.h..."
+	@rm -f versiondat.tmp
+	@echo '/* generated by Makefile */' > versiondat.tmp
+	@echo '#define GUILE_VERSION "$(GUILE_VERSION)"' >> versiondat.tmp
+	@echo '#define GUILE_MAJOR_VERSION "$(GUILE_MAJOR_VERSION)"' \
 		>> versiondat.tmp
-	echo '#define GUILE_MINOR_VERSION "$(GUILE_MINOR_VERSION)"' \
+	@echo '#define GUILE_MINOR_VERSION "$(GUILE_MINOR_VERSION)"' \
 		>> versiondat.tmp
-	echo '#define GUILE_STAMP   "$(GUILE_STAMP)"' >> versiondat.tmp
-	mv versiondat.tmp versiondat.h
+	@echo '#define GUILE_STAMP   "$(GUILE_STAMP)"' >> versiondat.tmp
+	@mv versiondat.tmp versiondat.h
 
 SUFFIXES = .x
 .c.x:
diff --git a/libguile/Makefile.in b/libguile/Makefile.in
index 3261e3f57..87e118cdf 100644
--- a/libguile/Makefile.in
+++ b/libguile/Makefile.in
@@ -594,23 +594,47 @@ check-local:
 	echo '(+ 1 2 3)' | ./gh_test_repl; echo
 
 libpath.h: Makefile
-	rm -f libpath.tmp
-	echo '/* generated by Makefile */' > libpath.tmp
-	echo '#define SCM_PKGDATA_DIR "$(pkgdatadir)"' >> libpath.tmp
-	echo '#define SCM_LIBRARY_DIR "$(pkgdatadir)/$(VERSION)"' >>libpath.tmp
-	echo '#define SCM_SITE_DIR "$(pkgdatadir)/site"' >> libpath.tmp
-	mv libpath.tmp libpath.h
+	@echo "Generating libpath.h..." 
+	@rm -f libpath.tmp
+	@echo '/* generated by Makefile */' > libpath.tmp
+	@echo '#define SCM_PKGDATA_DIR "$(pkgdatadir)"' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '#define SCM_LIBRARY_DIR "$(pkgdatadir)/$(VERSION)"'>>libpath.tmp
+	@echo '#define SCM_SITE_DIR "$(pkgdatadir)/site"' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '#define SCM_BUILD_INFO { \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "srcdir", "'"`cd @srcdir@; pwd`"'" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "top_srcdir", "'"`cd @top_srcdir@; pwd`"'" }, \' \
+		>> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "prefix",	   "@prefix@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "exec_prefix",   "@exec_prefix@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "bindir",	   "@bindir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "sbindir",	   "@sbindir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "libexecdir",	   "@libexecdir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "datadir",	   "@datadir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "sysconfdir",	   "@sysconfdir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "sharedstatedir", "@sharedstatedir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "localstatedir", "@localstatedir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "libdir",	   "@libdir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "infodir",	   "@infodir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "mandir",	   "@mandir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "includedir",	   "@includedir@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "pkgdatadir",	   "$(datadir)/@PACKAGE@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "pkglibdir",	   "$(libdir)/@PACKAGE@" }, \' >> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '	{ "pkgincludedir", "$(includedir)/@PACKAGE@" }, \' \
+		>> libpath.tmp
+	@echo '}' >> libpath.tmp
+	@mv libpath.tmp libpath.h
 
 versiondat.h: Makefile
-	rm -f versiondat.tmp
-	echo '/* generated by Makefile */' > versiondat.tmp
-	echo '#define GUILE_VERSION "$(GUILE_VERSION)"' >> versiondat.tmp
-	echo '#define GUILE_MAJOR_VERSION "$(GUILE_MAJOR_VERSION)"' \
+	@echo "Generating versiondat.h..."
+	@rm -f versiondat.tmp
+	@echo '/* generated by Makefile */' > versiondat.tmp
+	@echo '#define GUILE_VERSION "$(GUILE_VERSION)"' >> versiondat.tmp
+	@echo '#define GUILE_MAJOR_VERSION "$(GUILE_MAJOR_VERSION)"' \
 		>> versiondat.tmp
-	echo '#define GUILE_MINOR_VERSION "$(GUILE_MINOR_VERSION)"' \
+	@echo '#define GUILE_MINOR_VERSION "$(GUILE_MINOR_VERSION)"' \
 		>> versiondat.tmp
-	echo '#define GUILE_STAMP   "$(GUILE_STAMP)"' >> versiondat.tmp
-	mv versiondat.tmp versiondat.h
+	@echo '#define GUILE_STAMP   "$(GUILE_STAMP)"' >> versiondat.tmp
+	@mv versiondat.tmp versiondat.h
 .c.x:
 	./guile-snarf $(DEFS) $(INCLUDES) $(CPPFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $< > $@
 
diff --git a/libguile/load.c b/libguile/load.c
index 90a4488e0..379107151 100644
--- a/libguile/load.c
+++ b/libguile/load.c
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 #include "read.h"
 #include "eval.h"
 #include "throw.h"
+#include "alist.h"
 
 #include "load.h"
 
@@ -322,7 +323,25 @@ scm_read_and_eval_x (port)
 }
 
 
+/* Information about the build environment.  */
 
+/* Initialize the scheme variable %guile-build-info, based on data
+   provided by the Makefile, via libpath.h.  */
+static void
+init_build_info ()
+{
+  static struct { char *name; char *value; } info[] = SCM_BUILD_INFO;
+  SCM *loc = SCM_CDRLOC (scm_sysintern ("%guile-build-info", SCM_EOL));
+  int i;
+
+  for (i = 0; i < (sizeof (info) / sizeof (info[0])); i++)
+    *loc = scm_acons (SCM_CAR (scm_intern0 (info[i].name)),
+		      scm_makfrom0str (info[i].value),
+		      *loc);
+}
+
+
+
 void
 scm_init_load ()
 {
@@ -334,5 +353,7 @@ scm_init_load ()
 					    SCM_UNDEFINED)));
   scm_loc_load_hook = SCM_CDRLOC(scm_sysintern("%load-hook", SCM_BOOL_F));
 
+  init_build_info ();
+
 #include "load.x"
 }