diff --git a/config/initializers/version_header.rb b/config/initializers/version_header.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..588c83cd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/initializers/version_header.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#original from https://github.com/jopper/diaspora
+#modified by David Morley
+require 'time'
+
+  def last_modified
+    git_last='git log -1 --pretty=format:"%cd"'
+    filepath = Rails.root.join('tmp', '.last_pull')
+    time_min = 60
+    @header_name = "X-Git-Update"
+    if File.writable?(filepath)
+      begin
+        mtime = File.mtime(filepath)
+        last = IO.readlines(filepath).at(0)
+      rescue Exception => e
+        Rails.logger.info("Failed to read git status #{filepath}: #{e}")
+      end
+    end
+    if (mtime.nil? || mtime < Time.now-time_min)
+      last = `#{git_last}`
+      begin
+        f = File.open(filepath, 'w')
+        f.puts(last)
+        f.close
+      rescue Exception => e
+        Rails.logger.info("Failed to log git status #{filepath}: #{e}")
+      end
+    end
+    last
+      headers[@header_name] = "#{last}"
+    end
+