diff --git a/collects/meta/web/download/release-info.rkt b/collects/meta/web/download/release-info.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b6fa3f352e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collects/meta/web/download/release-info.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#lang racket/base
+
+(require racket/system racket/port racket/match racket/runtime-path)
+
+(define-runtime-path THIS-GIT "../../../../.git")
+
+(define (warn fmt . xs)
+  (eprintf "Warning: ~a\a\n" (apply format fmt xs))
+  (flush-output (current-error-port))
+  (sleep 1)
+  #f)
+
+(define git
+  (let* ([exe (or (find-executable-path "git")
+                  (warn "no `git' executable => no release info"))]
+         [try (lambda (dir) (and dir (directory-exists? dir) dir))]
+         [dir (and exe (or (ormap try (list (getenv "GIT_DIR") THIS-GIT))
+                           (warn "no git dir found => no release info\n  (~a)"
+                                 "set $GIT_DIR to a racket repo .git dir")))]
+         [nowhere (open-output-nowhere)])
+    (and dir
+         (lambda args
+           (define o (open-output-string))
+           (parameterize ([current-directory dir]
+                          [current-output-port o]
+                          [current-error-port nowhere])
+             (and (apply system* exe "--no-pager" args)
+                  (get-output-string o)))))))
+
+(provide get-version-tag-info)
+(define (get-version-tag-info version)
+  (let/ec return
+    (unless git (return #f))
+    (define (bad . args) (apply warn args) (return #f))
+    (define (try fmt)
+      (let* ([tag (format fmt version)]
+             [text (and (git "cat-file" "-e" tag)
+                        (git "cat-file" "tag" tag))])
+        (and text (cons tag text))))
+    (let* ([text  (or (try "v~a") (try "old-v~a")
+                      (bad "no git info for ~s (missing tag)" version))]
+           [tag   (car text)]
+           [text  (cdr text)]
+           [check (lambda (x) (or x (bad "malformed git info for ~s" tag)))]
+           [sep   (check (regexp-match-positions #rx"\n\n" text))]
+           [meta  (map (lambda (h)
+                         (let ([m (check (regexp-match-positions #rx" " h))])
+                           (list (string->symbol (substring h 0 (caar m)))
+                                 (substring h (cdar m)))))
+                       (regexp-split #rx"\n" (substring text 0 (caar sep))))]
+           [text  (substring text (cdar sep))])
+    (match meta
+      [`((object ,_) (type "commit") (tag ,_)
+         (tagger ,(regexp #rx"^(.* <.*>) ([0-9]+) ([-+]?[0-9][0-9])00$"
+                          (list _ tagger date ofs))))
+       ;; ignore the time offset (it probably depends on where the tag
+       ;; was made)
+       (list tagger (seconds->date (string->number date)) text)]
+      [_ (check #f)]))))