diff --git a/sql/jdbc/build.gradle b/sql/jdbc/build.gradle
index 894851e2ceb..66d077bdb08 100644
--- a/sql/jdbc/build.gradle
+++ b/sql/jdbc/build.gradle
@@ -7,39 +7,11 @@ description = 'JDBC driver for Elasticsearch'
 
 def generatedResources = "$buildDir/generated-resources/main"
 
-sourceSets {
-  main {
-    output.dir(generatedResources, builtBy: "generateGitHash")
-  }
-}
-
 forbiddenApisMain {
   // does not depend on core, so only jdk and http signatures should be checked
   signaturesURLs = [this.class.getResource('/forbidden/jdk-signatures.txt')]
 }
 
-task generateGitHash {
-  // TODO use the manifest file automatically built by elasticsearch.build
-  doLast {
-    Version current = Version.fromString(versions.elasticsearch)
-    String revHash = '123123123123123'
-    Properties props = new Properties()
-    props.put("version", versions.elasticsearch)
-    props.put("hash", revHash)
-    props.put("version.major", current.major as String)
-    props.put("version.minor", current.minor as String)
-    File output = new File(generatedResources, "jdbc-build.properties")
-    new File(generatedResources).mkdirs()
-    output.createNewFile()
-    def writer = output.newWriter("UTF-8")
-    try {
-      props.store(writer, null)
-    } finally {
-      writer.close()
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 dependencies {
   compile project(':x-pack-elasticsearch:sql:net-client')
   compile project(':x-pack-elasticsearch:sql:jdbc-proto')
@@ -116,3 +88,7 @@ forbiddenApisTest {
   bundledSignatures -= 'jdk-non-portable'
   bundledSignatures += 'jdk-internal'
 }
+
+test.configure {
+  systemProperty 'tests.version.available', 'true'
+}
diff --git a/sql/jdbc/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/jdbc/util/Version.java b/sql/jdbc/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/jdbc/util/Version.java
index 58b9895c97c..c226a98ed01 100644
--- a/sql/jdbc/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/jdbc/util/Version.java
+++ b/sql/jdbc/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/jdbc/util/Version.java
@@ -5,22 +5,20 @@
  */
 package org.elasticsearch.xpack.sql.jdbc.util;
 
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.sql.net.client.util.StringUtils;
+
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Enumeration;
 import java.util.LinkedHashSet;
 import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Properties;
 import java.util.Set;
-
-import org.elasticsearch.xpack.sql.net.client.util.StringUtils;
+import java.util.jar.JarInputStream;
+import java.util.jar.Manifest;
 
 public abstract class Version {
-
-    private static final String UNKNOWN = "Unknown";
     private static final String VER;
-    private static final String HASH;
     private static final String SHORT_HASH;
 
     private static final int VER_MAJ, VER_MIN;
@@ -64,17 +62,26 @@ public abstract class Version {
             }
         }
 
-        Properties build = new Properties();
-        try {
-            build = IOUtils.propsFromString(IOUtils.asString(Version.class.getResourceAsStream("/jdbc-build.properties")));
-        } catch (Exception ex) {
-            // ignore if no build info was found
+        // This is similar to how Elasticsearch's Build class digs up its build information.
+        URL url = Version.class.getProtectionDomain().getCodeSource().getLocation();
+        String urlStr = url.toString();
+        if (urlStr.startsWith("file:/") && (urlStr.endsWith(".jar") || urlStr.endsWith("-SNAPSHOT.jar"))) {
+            try (JarInputStream jar = new JarInputStream(url.openStream())) {
+                Manifest manifest = jar.getManifest();
+                VER = manifest.getMainAttributes().getValue("X-Compile-Elasticsearch-Version");
+                int sep = VER.indexOf('.');
+                VER_MAJ = Integer.parseInt(VER.substring(0, sep - 1));
+                VER_MIN = Integer.parseInt(VER.substring(sep, VER.indexOf(sep, '.') - 1));
+                SHORT_HASH = manifest.getMainAttributes().getValue("Change");
+            } catch (IOException e) {
+                throw new RuntimeException("error finding version of driver", e);
+            }
+        } else {
+            VER_MAJ = 0;
+            VER_MIN = 0;
+            VER = "Unknown";
+            SHORT_HASH = "Unknown";
         }
-        VER_MAJ = Integer.parseInt(build.getProperty("version.major", "1"));
-        VER_MIN = Integer.parseInt(build.getProperty("version.minor", "0"));
-        VER = build.getProperty("version", UNKNOWN);
-        HASH = build.getProperty("hash", UNKNOWN);
-        SHORT_HASH = HASH.length() > 10 ? HASH.substring(0, 10) : HASH;
     }
 
     public static int versionMajor() {
@@ -93,10 +100,6 @@ public abstract class Version {
         return VER;
     }
 
-    public static String versionHash() {
-        return HASH;
-    }
-
     public static String versionHashShort() {
         return SHORT_HASH;
     }
diff --git a/sql/jdbc/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/jdbc/VersionTests.java b/sql/jdbc/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/jdbc/VersionTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e08cf6ee7f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sql/jdbc/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/jdbc/VersionTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
+ */
+package org.elasticsearch.xpack.sql.jdbc;
+
+import org.elasticsearch.test.ESTestCase;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.sql.jdbc.util.Version;
+
+public class VersionTests extends ESTestCase {
+    public void testVersionIsUnknownWithoutAJar() {
+        // We aren't running in a jar so we have a bunch of "Unknown"
+        assertEquals("Unknown", Version.versionNumber());
+        assertEquals("Unknown", Version.versionHashShort());
+        assertEquals(0, Version.versionMajor());
+        assertEquals(0, Version.versionMinor());
+    }
+}