diff --git a/Visual Studio Projects/Pre-Build-Event.cmd b/Visual Studio Projects/Pre-Build-Event.cmd
index ff1d069b..143f17cf 100644
--- a/Visual Studio Projects/Pre-Build-Event.cmd	
+++ b/Visual Studio Projects/Pre-Build-Event.cmd	
@@ -21,15 +21,8 @@ rem             files are available in the directory ..\..\windows-build\
 rem
 rem  In addition to the optional activities mentioned above, other activities
 rem  are also performed.  These include:
-rem       - confirming that if the current source is a clone of the simh
-rem         git repository, then assuring that git hooks which manage making
-rem         the git commit hash available during builds are properly installed
-rem         in the repository hooks directory.  When the githooks are installed
-rem         the current commit id is generated if git.exe is available in the
-rem         current path.  If it isn't, then report that fact and suggest how
-rem         to make sure that it is.
-rem       - performing the activities which make the git repository commit id
-rem         available in an include file during compiles.
+rem       - performing the activities which make confirm or generate the git 
+rem         repository commit id available in an include file during compiles.
 rem
 rem
 
@@ -204,10 +197,10 @@ echo error: Review the Output Tab for more details.
 exit 1
 :_done_build
 
-:_GitHooks
-if not exist ..\.git goto _done_hooks
+:_CheckGit
+if not exist ..\.git goto _done_id
 call :FindGit _GIT_GIT
-if "%_GIT_GIT%" neq "" goto _check_hooks
+if "%_GIT_GIT%" neq "" goto _SetId
 echo ** ERROR ** ERROR ** ERROR ** ERROR ** ERROR ** ERROR **
 echo ** ERROR ** ERROR ** ERROR ** ERROR ** ERROR ** ERROR **
 echo **                                                    **
@@ -231,29 +224,7 @@ echo ** ERROR ** ERROR ** ERROR ** ERROR ** ERROR ** ERROR **
 echo ** ERROR ** ERROR ** ERROR ** ERROR ** ERROR ** ERROR **
 echo error: Review the Output Tab for more details.
 exit 1
-:_check_hooks
-if not exist ..\.git\hooks\post-commit goto _initial_hooks
-fc /b ..\.git\hooks\post-commit git-hooks\post-commit >nul
-if %ERRORLEVEL% equ 0 goto _done_hooks
-echo *****************************************************
-echo *****************************************************
-echo ** Installing updated git hooks in repository      **
-echo *****************************************************
-echo *****************************************************
-goto _install_hooks
-:_initial_hooks
-echo *****************************************************
-echo *****************************************************
-echo ** Installing git hooks in newly cloned repository **
-echo *****************************************************
-echo *****************************************************
-:_install_hooks
-copy /y git-hooks\post* ..\.git\hooks\
-:_do_hooks
-pushd ..
-"%_GIT_GIT%" log -1 --pretty="SIM_GIT_COMMIT_ID %%H%%nSIM_GIT_COMMIT_TIME %%aI" >.git-commit-id
-popd
-:_done_hooks
+:_done_git
 
 :_SetId
 rem
@@ -261,25 +232,23 @@ rem A race condition exists while creating the .git-commit-id.h file.
 rem This race can happen at the beginning of a parallel build where 
 rem several projects can start execution at almost the same time.
 rem
+SET ACTUAL_GIT_COMMIT_ID=
+SET ACTUAL_GIT_COMMIT_TIME=
 SET GIT_COMMIT_ID=
 SET GIT_COMMIT_TIME=
-if not exist ..\.git-commit-id goto _do_hooks
-for /F "usebackq tokens=2" %%i in (`findstr /C:SIM_GIT_COMMIT_ID ..\.git-commit-id`) do SET GIT_COMMIT_ID=%%i
-for /F "usebackq tokens=2" %%i in (`findstr /C:SIM_GIT_COMMIT_TIME ..\.git-commit-id`) do SET GIT_COMMIT_TIME=%%i
-rem
-rem Some 'git' environments don't honor the installed hooks (Visual 
-rem Studio 2015 for example), and in this case the initially generated
-rem .git-commit-id file won't get updated.  We can't be sure of this 
-rem detail, so perform a manual check now.
 SET _GIT_COMMIT_ID_TEMP=.git-commit-id-temp-%RANDOM%
 "%_GIT_GIT%" log -1 --pretty="SIM_GIT_COMMIT_ID %%H%%nSIM_GIT_COMMIT_TIME %%aI" >%_GIT_COMMIT_ID_TEMP%
-for /F "usebackq tokens=2" %%i in (`findstr /C:SIM_GIT_COMMIT_ID %_GIT_COMMIT_ID_TEMP%`) do SET CURRENT_GIT_COMMIT_ID=%%i
-for /F "usebackq tokens=2" %%i in (`findstr /C:SIM_GIT_COMMIT_TIME %_GIT_COMMIT_ID_TEMP%`) do SET CURRENT_GIT_COMMIT_TIME=%%i
-if "%CURRENT_GIT_COMMIT_ID%" neq "%GIT_COMMIT_ID%" move /Y %_GIT_COMMIT_ID_TEMP% ..\.git-commit-id
-if "%CURRENT_GIT_COMMIT_ID%" equ "%GIT_COMMIT_ID%" del %_GIT_COMMIT_ID_TEMP%
+for /F "usebackq tokens=2" %%i in (`findstr /C:SIM_GIT_COMMIT_ID %_GIT_COMMIT_ID_TEMP%`) do SET ACTUAL_GIT_COMMIT_ID=%%i
+for /F "usebackq tokens=2" %%i in (`findstr /C:SIM_GIT_COMMIT_TIME %_GIT_COMMIT_ID_TEMP%`) do SET ACTUAL_GIT_COMMIT_TIME=%%i
+if exist ..\.git-commit-id for /F "usebackq tokens=2" %%i in (`findstr /C:SIM_GIT_COMMIT_ID ..\.git-commit-id`) do SET GIT_COMMIT_ID=%%i
+if exist ..\.git-commit-id for /F "usebackq tokens=2" %%i in (`findstr /C:SIM_GIT_COMMIT_TIME ..\.git-commit-id`) do SET GIT_COMMIT_TIME=%%i
+if "%ACTUAL_GIT_COMMIT_ID%" neq "%GIT_COMMIT_ID%" move /Y %_GIT_COMMIT_ID_TEMP% ..\.git-commit-id
+if "%ACTUAL_GIT_COMMIT_ID%" equ "%GIT_COMMIT_ID%" del %_GIT_COMMIT_ID_TEMP%
+SET GIT_COMMIT_ID=%ACTUAL_GIT_COMMIT_ID%
+SET SIM_GIT_COMMIT_TIME=%ACTUAL_SIM_GIT_COMMIT_TIME%
 SET _GIT_COMMIT_ID_TEMP=
-SET CURRENT_GIT_COMMIT_ID=
-SET CURRENT_GIT_COMMIT_TIME=
+SET ACTUAL_GIT_COMMIT_ID=
+SET ACTUAL_GIT_COMMIT_TIME=
 :_VerifyGitCommitId.h
 SET OLD_GIT_COMMIT_ID=
 if not exist .git-commit-id.h echo.>.git-commit-id.h
@@ -292,8 +261,10 @@ if errorlevel 1 echo Retrying...
 if errorlevel 1 goto _SetId
 :_IdGood
 :_done_id
+if not exist .git-commit-id.h echo. >.git-commit-id.h
 goto :EOF
 
+
 :WhereInPath
 if "%~$PATH:1" NEQ "" exit /B 0
 exit /B 1
diff --git a/Visual Studio Projects/git-hooks/0ReadMe_git-hooks.txt b/Visual Studio Projects/git-hooks/0ReadMe_git-hooks.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 3240f0e2..00000000
--- a/Visual Studio Projects/git-hooks/0ReadMe_git-hooks.txt	
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-This dirctory contains a set of git hook scripts which are useful when 
-working with this repository to make the git commit id available when 
-building simulators to uniquely identify the inputs to that build.  
-
-It is ONLY useful for folks who clone this as a repository and build
-in the working directory of that repository.
-
-Folks who download zip or tarball archives of the repository have the 
-git commit-id automatically inserted into the sim_rev.h file when the
-archive is created due to a substitution performed via this repository's
-.gitattributes.
-
-To use these scripts automatically, copy these files to the .git/hooks 
-directory of the current repository.  This can be done with the 
-following commands:
-
-    $ cd Visual\ Studio\ Projects/git-hooks
-    $ chmod +x post*
-    $ cp post* ../../.git/hooks/
-
-Note:  The makefile AND the Visual Studio Projects automatically
-       will install these git hooks in the ../../.git/hooks/ directory
-       if they're not already there and execute them as needed.
diff --git a/Visual Studio Projects/git-hooks/post-checkout b/Visual Studio Projects/git-hooks/post-checkout
deleted file mode 100755
index 6b0fdb62..00000000
--- a/Visual Studio Projects/git-hooks/post-checkout	
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-#
-# A hook script that is called after a successful
-# checkout to record the commit-id in the working directory.
-isodate=$(git log -1 --pretty="%ai"|sed -e 's/ /T/'|sed -e 's/ //')
-git log -1 --pretty="SIM_GIT_COMMIT_ID %H%nSIM_GIT_COMMIT_TIME $isodate" >.git-commit-id
-
diff --git a/Visual Studio Projects/git-hooks/post-commit b/Visual Studio Projects/git-hooks/post-commit
deleted file mode 100755
index b3ee1268..00000000
--- a/Visual Studio Projects/git-hooks/post-commit	
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-#
-# A hook script that is called after a successful
-# commit is made to record the commit-id in the working directory.
-isodate=$(git log -1 --pretty="%ai"|sed -e 's/ /T/'|sed -e 's/ //')
-git log -1 --pretty="SIM_GIT_COMMIT_ID %H%nSIM_GIT_COMMIT_TIME $isodate" >.git-commit-id
diff --git a/Visual Studio Projects/git-hooks/post-merge b/Visual Studio Projects/git-hooks/post-merge
deleted file mode 100755
index 3a383810..00000000
--- a/Visual Studio Projects/git-hooks/post-merge	
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-#
-# A hook script that is called after a successful merge
-# to record the commit-id in the working directory.
-isodate=$(git log -1 --pretty="%ai"|sed -e 's/ /T/'|sed -e 's/ //')
-git log -1 --pretty="SIM_GIT_COMMIT_ID %H%nSIM_GIT_COMMIT_TIME $isodate" >.git-commit-id
-
diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 99000565..1e4fa582 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ ifneq ($(findstring Windows,$(OS)),)
   else # Msys or cygwin
     ifeq (MINGW,$(findstring MINGW,$(shell uname)))
       $(info *** This makefile can not be used with the Msys bash shell)
-      $(error *** Use build_mingw.bat $(MAKECMDGOALS) from a Windows command prompt)
+      $(error Use build_mingw.bat $(MAKECMDGOALS) from a Windows command prompt)
     endif
   endif
 endif
@@ -197,31 +197,22 @@ ifeq ($(WIN32),)  #*nix Environments (&& cygwin)
     endif
   endif
   ifeq (git-repo,$(shell if $(TEST) -d ./.git; then echo git-repo; fi))
-    NEED_HOOKS = $(shell if $(TEST) ! -e ./.git/hooks/post-checkout; then echo need-hooks; fi)
-    ifeq (,$(NEED_HOOKS))
-      NEED_HOOKS = $(shell if ! `diff ./.git/hooks/post-checkout ./Visual\ Studio\ Projects/git-hooks/post-checkout >/dev/null`; then echo need-hooks; fi)
+    GIT_PATH=$(strip $(shell which git))
+    ifeq (,$(GIT_PATH))
+      $(error building using a git repository, but git is not available)
     endif
-    ifeq (need-hooks,$(NEED_HOOKS))
-      $(info *** Installing git hooks in local repository ***)
-      GIT_HOOKS += $(shell cp './Visual Studio Projects/git-hooks/post-commit' ./.git/hooks/)
-      GIT_HOOKS += $(shell cp './Visual Studio Projects/git-hooks/post-checkout' ./.git/hooks/)
-      GIT_HOOKS += $(shell cp './Visual Studio Projects/git-hooks/post-merge' ./.git/hooks/)
-      GIT_HOOKS += $(shell ./.git/hooks/post-checkout)
-      ifneq (,$(strip $(GIT_HOOKS)))
-        $(info *** Warning - Error installing git hooks *** $(GIT_HOOKS))
-      else
-        ifneq (commit-id-exists,$(shell if $(TEST) -e .git-commit-id; then echo commit-id-exists; fi))
-          $(shell rm .git-commit-id)
-        endif
+    ifeq (commit-id-exists,$(shell if $(TEST) -e .git-commit-id; then echo commit-id-exists; fi))
+      CURRENT_GIT_COMMIT_ID=$(strip $(shell grep 'SIM_GIT_COMMIT_ID' .git-commit-id | awk '{ print $$2 }'))
+      ACTUAL_GIT_COMMIT_ID=$(strip $(shell git log -1 --pretty="%H"))
+      ifneq ($(CURRENT_GIT_COMMIT_ID),$(ACTUAL_GIT_COMMIT_ID))
+        NEED_COMMIT_ID = need-commit-id
       endif
+    else
+      NEED_COMMIT_ID = need-commit-id
     endif
-    ifneq (commit-id-exists,$(shell if $(TEST) -e .git-commit-id; then echo commit-id-exists; fi))
-      ifeq (,$(strip $(GIT_HOOKS)))
-        GIT_HOOKS = $(shell ./.git/hooks/post-checkout)
-        ifneq (,$(strip $(GIT_HOOKS)))
-          $(info *** Warning - Error executing git hooks *** $(GIT_HOOKS))
-        endif
-      endif
+    ifeq (need-commit-id,$(NEED_COMMIT_ID))
+      $isodate=$(shell git log -1 --pretty="%ai"|sed -e 's/ /T/'|sed -e 's/ //')
+      $(shell git log -1 --pretty="SIM_GIT_COMMIT_ID %H%nSIM_GIT_COMMIT_TIME $isodate" >.git-commit-id)
     endif
   endif
   LTO_EXCLUDE_VERSIONS =