diff --git a/CMake/POET_Scripts.cmake b/CMake/POET_Scripts.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..69760cc44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CMake/POET_Scripts.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# Set or get version
+macro(get_POET_version)
+  if(EXISTS ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/.git)
+    find_program(GIT_EXECUTABLE git DOC "git executable")
+    mark_as_advanced(GIT_EXECUTABLE)
+    execute_process(
+      COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD
+      WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}
+      OUTPUT_VARIABLE POET_GIT_BRANCH
+      OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+    execute_process(
+      COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} describe --always
+      WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}
+      OUTPUT_VARIABLE POET_GIT_VERSION
+      OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+    if(NOT POET_GIT_BRANCH STREQUAL "master")
+      set(POET_VERSION "${POET_GIT_BRANCH}/${POET_GIT_VERSION}")
+    else()
+      set(POET_VERSION "${POET_GIT_VERSION}")
+    endif()
+  elseif(EXISTS ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/.svn)
+    file(STRINGS .gitversion POET_VERSION)
+  else()
+    set(POET_VERSION "0.1")
+  endif()
+
+  message(STATUS "Configuring POET version ${POET_VERSION}")
+endmacro(get_POET_version)
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 97d03e37c..3f1a0f4fb 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Version 3.9+ offers new MPI package variables
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.9)
 
-project(POET VERSION 0.1 LANGUAGES CXX C)
+project(POET CXX C)
 
 # specify the C++ standard
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 14)
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@ set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED True)
 
 set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH_USE_LINK_PATH TRUE)
 
+include("CMake/POET_Scripts.cmake")
 list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH "${POET_SOURCE_DIR}/CMake")
 
-# set(GCC_CXX_FLAGS "-D STRICT_R_HEADERS")
-# add_definitions(${GCC_CXX_FLAGS})
+# set(GCC_CXX_FLAGS "-D STRICT_R_HEADERS") add_definitions(${GCC_CXX_FLAGS})
 
 find_package(MPI REQUIRED)
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index cb5565209..079a6bad0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 <!--
     Time-stamp: "Last modified 2021-02-08 13:46:00 mluebke"
 -->
@@ -22,7 +21,7 @@ To compile POET you need several software to be installed:
 
 - C/C++ compiler (tested with GCC)
 - MPI-Implementation (tested with OpenMPI and MVAPICH)
-- R language and environment 
+- R language and environment
 - CMake 3.9+
 
 If documantiation should be build during compilation `doxygen`and `graphviz`
@@ -38,31 +37,43 @@ The following R libraries must then be installed:
 
 ### Compiling source code
 
-The generation of makefiles is done with CMake. So, running
+The generation of makefiles is done with CMake. If you obtain POET from a git repository you should be able to generate Makefiles by running
 
-```
-cmake . -B build
+```sh
+mkdir build && cd build
+cmake ..
 ```
 
-will create the directory `build`. `cd` into it and run `make` to start build
+This will create the directory `build` and processes the CMake files and generate Makefiles from it. You're now able to run `make` to start build
 process.
 
-If everything went well you'll find the executable at `build/src/poet`. 
+If POET was obtained from the official SVN repository or the redmine at <https://redmine.cs.uni-potsdam.de/projects/poet> the branch or tag to be used have to be set via
 
-During the generation of Makefiles, various options can be specified via `cmake
--D <option>=<value> [...]`. Currently there are the following available options:
+```sh
+mkdir build && cd build
+cmake -D POET_SET_BRANCH="<BRANCH>" ..
+```
 
-- **DHT_Debug**=*boolean* - toggles the output of detailed statistics about DHT
-  usage (`cmake -D DHT_Debug=ON`). Defaults to *OFF*.
-- **BUIL_DOC**=*boolean* - toggles the generation of documantiation during
-  compilation process. Defaults to *ON*.
+where currently available branches/tags are:
+
+- dev
+
+If everything went well you'll find the executable at `build/src/poet`, but it is recommended to install the POET project structure to a desired `CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX` with `make install`.
+
+During the generation of Makefiles, various options can be specified via `cmake -D <option>=<value> [...]`. Currently there are the following available options:
+
+- **DHT_Debug**=_boolean_ - toggles the output of detailed statistics about DHT
+  usage (`cmake -D DHT_Debug=ON`). Defaults to _OFF_.
+- **BUILD_DOC**=_boolean_ - toggles the generation of documantiation during
+  compilation process. Defaults to _ON_.
+- _only from svn version:_ **POET_SET_BRANCH**=_string_ - set branch or tag whose code is used
 
 ### Example: Build from scratch
 
 Assuming that only the C/C++ compiler, MPI libraries, R runtime environment and
 CMake have been installed, POET can be installed as follows:
 
-``` sh
+```sh
 # start R environment
 $ R
 
@@ -88,14 +99,14 @@ recommend to install to hierarchies like `/usr/local/` etc.
 
 The correspondending directory tree would look like this:
 
-``` sh
+```sh
 .
 └── poet/
     ├── bin/
     │   └── poet
     ├── data/
     │   └── SimDol2D.R
-    ├── docs/ 
+    ├── docs/
     │    └── html/
     │       ├── index.html
     │       └── ...
@@ -130,17 +141,17 @@ Run POET by `mpirun ./poet <OPTIONS> <SIMFILE> <OUTPUT_DIRECTORY>` where:
 
 The following parameters can be set:
 
-| Option                  | Value        | Description                                                     |
-|-------------------------|--------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
-| **-work-package-size=** | *1..n*       | size of work packages (defaults to *5*)                         |
-| **-ignore-result**      |              | disables store of simulation resuls                             |
-| **-dht**                |              | enabling DHT usage (defaults to *OFF*)                          |
-| **-dht-nolog**          |              | disabling applying of logarithm before rounding                 |
-| **-dht-signif=**        | *1..n*       | set rounding to number of significant digits (defaults to  *5*) |
-| **-dht-strategy=**      | *0-1*        | change DHT strategy. **NOT IMPLEMENTED YET** (Defaults to *0*)  |
-| **-dht-size=**          | *1-n*        | size of DHT per process involved in byte (defaults to *1 GiB*)  |
-| **-dht-snaps=**         | *0-2*        | disable or enable storage of DHT snapshots                      |
-| **-dht-file=**          | `<SNAPSHOT>` | initializes DHT with the given snapshot file                    |
+| Option                  | Value        | Description                                                    |
+| ----------------------- | ------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| **-work-package-size=** | _1..n_       | size of work packages (defaults to _5_)                        |
+| **-ignore-result**      |              | disables store of simulation resuls                            |
+| **-dht**                |              | enabling DHT usage (defaults to _OFF_)                         |
+| **-dht-nolog**          |              | disabling applying of logarithm before rounding                |
+| **-dht-signif=**        | _1..n_       | set rounding to number of significant digits (defaults to _5_) |
+| **-dht-strategy=**      | _0-1_        | change DHT strategy. **NOT IMPLEMENTED YET** (Defaults to _0_) |
+| **-dht-size=**          | _1-n_        | size of DHT per process involved in byte (defaults to _1 GiB_) |
+| **-dht-snaps=**         | _0-2_        | disable or enable storage of DHT snapshots                     |
+| **-dht-file=**          | `<SNAPSHOT>` | initializes DHT with the given snapshot file                   |
 
 #### Additions to `dht-signif`
 
@@ -148,26 +159,25 @@ Only used if no vector is given in setup file. For individual valuies per column
 use R vector `signif_vector` in `SIMFILE`.
 
 #### Additions to `dht-snaps`
+
 Following values can be set:
-    - *0* = snapshots are disabled
-    - *1* = only stores snapshot at the end of the simulation with name
-      `<OUTPUT_DIRECTORY>.dht`
-    - *2* = stores snapshot at the end and after each iteration iteration
-      snapshot files are stored in <DIRECTORY>/iter<n>.dht
-    
+
+- _0_ = snapshots are disabled
+- _1_ = only stores snapshot at the end of the simulation with name
+  `<OUTPUT_DIRECTORY>.dht`
+- _2_ = stores snapshot at the end and after each iteration iteration
+  snapshot files are stored in `<DIRECTORY>/iter<n>.dht`
 
 ### Example: Running from scratch
 
-
 We will continue the above example and start a simulation with `SimDol2D.R`,
 which is the only simulation supported at this moment. To start the simulation
 with 4 processes `cd` into your previously installed POET-dir
 `<POET_INSTALL_DIR>/bin` and run:
 
-``` sh
+```sh
 mpirun -n 4 ./poet ../data/SimDol2D.R output
 ```
- 
 
 After a finished simulation all data generated by POET will be found in the
 directory `output`.
@@ -176,20 +186,21 @@ You might want to use the DHT to cache previously simulated data points and
 reuse them in further time-steps. Just append `-dht` to the options of POET to
 activate the usage of the DHT. The resulting call would look like this:
 
-``` sh
+```sh
 mpirun -n 4 ./poet -dht SimDol2D.R output
 ```
 
 ## Examples included (more to come)
 
 - **SimDol2D.R** - simple chemistry (Calcite/Dolomite) on a 50x50 2D grid, 20
-time steps 2)
+  time steps 2)
 - ~~**SimDolKtz.R** - simple chemistry (Calcite/Dolomite) on Ketzin grid (~650k
-elements), 20 time steps The flow snapshots are **NOT INCLUDED** in project
-directory but must be provided separately.~~ At this moment **SimDolKtz.R** is
-not supported.
+  elements), 20 time steps The flow snapshots are **NOT INCLUDED** in project
+  directory but must be provided separately.~~ At this moment **SimDolKtz.R** is
+  not supported.
 
 ## About the usage of MPI_Wtime()
+
 Implemented time measurement functions uses `MPI_Wtime()`. Some important
 informations from the OpenMPI Man Page:
 
diff --git a/docs/Doxyfile.in b/docs/Doxyfile.in
index d2f82e5a6..2d21ebad3 100644
--- a/docs/Doxyfile.in
+++ b/docs/Doxyfile.in
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ USE_MDFILE_AS_MAINPAGE = @PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR@/./README.md
 # Note that relative paths are relative to the directory from which doxygen is
 # run.
 
-EXCLUDE                = @PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR@/src/util/argh.h
+EXCLUDE                = @SRC_CODE_DIR@/./util/argh.h
 
 #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Project related configuration options
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 0fe1f71e5..11b5710dc 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
-set(SRC_CODE_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} CACHE INTERNAL "directory indicating which source code version is used")
+set(SRC_CODE_DIR
+    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
+    CACHE INTERNAL "directory indicating which source code version is used")
+
+get_poet_version()
+
 configure_file(poet.h.in poet.h)
 
 add_executable(poet poet.cpp)
-target_include_directories(poet PUBLIC "${PROJECT_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}")
+target_include_directories(poet PUBLIC "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}")
 target_link_libraries(poet PUBLIC POET_Model POET_Util MPI::MPI_C)
 target_compile_definitions(poet PRIVATE OMPI_SKIP_MPICXX)
 
diff --git a/src/poet.cpp b/src/poet.cpp
index fb3648b42..8eda62a7d 100644
--- a/src/poet.cpp
+++ b/src/poet.cpp
@@ -58,9 +58,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   }
 
   if (world_rank == 0) {
-    cout << "Running POET in version " << poet_version_major << "."
-         << poet_version_minor << endl
-         << endl;
+    cout << "Running POET in version " << poet_version << endl << endl;
   }
 
   /* initialize R runtime */
diff --git a/src/poet.h.in b/src/poet.h.in
index 66700e7b8..5f5279a2e 100644
--- a/src/poet.h.in
+++ b/src/poet.h.in
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #ifndef POET_H
 #define POET_H
 
-const int poet_version_major = @POET_VERSION_MAJOR@;
-const int poet_version_minor = @POET_VERSION_MINOR@;
+const char *poet_version = "@POET_VERSION@";
 
 #endif // POET_H