diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5cb4ba0d5..ba0891484 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,33 @@
+### The following block of files should be removed
+### from .gitignore when this branch is merged back in to
+### master.
+/Makefile
+Makefile.in
+/aclocal.m4
+/autom4te.cache
+/config.*
+/configure
+/depcomp
+/install-sh
+/libtool
+/ltmain.sh
+/m4/
+/missing
+/stamp-h?
+.deps/
+.dirstamp
+.libs/
+*.l[ao]
+*~
+VERSION
+compile
+comps.txt
+libnetcdf.settings
+nc-config
+netcdf.pc
+test-driver
+
+### 'Normal' gitignore files.
 debug.txt
 CTestConfig.cmake
 Vagrantfile
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 7f180ea67..670b6eb24 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@ ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4
 
 # These files get added to the distribution.
 EXTRA_DIST = README.md COPYRIGHT INSTALL INSTALL.cmake test_prog.c \
-	lib_flags.am cmake CMakeLists.txt COMPILE.cmake.txt config.h.cmake.in \
+	lib_flags.am cmake CMakeLists.txt COMPILE.cmake.txt \
 	config.h.cmake.in cmake_uninstall.cmake.in \
 	netcdf-config-version.cmake.in \
 	netcdf-config.cmake.in FixBundle.cmake.in \
 	nc-config.cmake.in RELEASE_NOTES.md CTestCustom.cmake \
-	CTestConfig.cmake.in
+	CTestConfig.cmake.in libnetcdf.settings
 
 # Doxygen doesn't build nicely in vpath builds.
 # Don't do this; it wipes out any exported values
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 70ed5e2b1..9767b1514 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -17,9 +17,15 @@ AC_PREREQ([2.59])
 # Initialize with name, version, and support email address. 
 AC_INIT([netCDF], [4.3.3-rc1], [support-netcdf@unidata.ucar.edu])
 
+
+#####
+# Set some variables used to generate a libnetcdf.settings file,
+# pattered after the files generated by libhdf4, libhdf5.
+#####
+
 # Create the VERSION file, which contains the package version from
 # AC_INIT.
-echo -n AC_PACKAGE_VERSION>VERSION
+echo AC_PACKAGE_VERSION>VERSION
 AC_SUBST(PACKAGE_VERSION)
 
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([netCDF AC_PACKAGE_VERSION])
@@ -27,6 +33,9 @@ AC_MSG_NOTICE([netCDF AC_PACKAGE_VERSION])
 # Keep libtool macros in an m4 directory.
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 
+# Configuration Date
+AC_SUBST([CONFIG_DATE]) CONFIG_DATE="`date`"
+
 # Find out about the host we're building on.
 AC_CANONICAL_HOST
 
@@ -627,9 +636,9 @@ fi
 if test "x$enable_doxygen" != xno; then
    if test -n "$DOXYGEN"; then
         AC_SUBST(HAVE_DOT)   
-        AC_CONFIG_FILES([docs/Doxyfile])
-	AC_CONFIG_FILES([docs/Doxyfile.guide])
-	AC_CONFIG_FILES([docs/Doxyfile.tutorial])
+        AC_CONFIG_FILES([docs/Doxyfile
+			 docs/Doxyfile.guide
+			 docs/Doxyfile.tutorial])
    fi
 # Note: the list of files to input to doxygen
 # has been moved to docs/Doxyfile.in so
@@ -1001,6 +1010,7 @@ AC_MSG_NOTICE([generating header files and makefiles])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile
                  nc-config
                  netcdf.pc
+		 libnetcdf.settings
                  include/Makefile
                  h5_test/Makefile
                  docs/Makefile
diff --git a/libnetcdf.settings.in b/libnetcdf.settings.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c20cadde7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libnetcdf.settings.in
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+NetCDF Configuration Summary
+============================
+
+General
+-------
+
+NetCDF Version:	@PACKAGE_VERSION@
+Configured On:	@CONFIG_DATE@
+Host System:	@host_cpu@-@host_vendor@-@host_os@
+
+Compiling Options
+-----------------
+
+
+Features:
+---------
+