diff --git a/kernel/trunk/boot/bootstr.inc b/kernel/trunk/boot/bootstr.inc
index 8e2121f7f5..4a912cae44 100644
--- a/kernel/trunk/boot/bootstr.inc
+++ b/kernel/trunk/boot/bootstr.inc
@@ -31,16 +31,18 @@ macro line_space {
 }
 d80x25_top:
                 line_full_top
-cur_line_pos = 75
+if __REV__ > 0
+  cur_line_pos = 75
         store byte ' ' at d80x25_top+cur_line_pos+1
-rev_var = __REV__
-while rev_var > 0
+  rev_var = __REV__
+  while rev_var > 0
         store byte rev_var mod 10 + '0' at d80x25_top+cur_line_pos
         cur_line_pos = cur_line_pos - 1
         rev_var = rev_var / 10
-end while
+  end while
         store byte ' ' at d80x25_top+cur_line_pos
         store dword ' SVN' at d80x25_top+cur_line_pos-4
+end if
 
 space_msg:
                 line_space
diff --git a/kernel/trunk/macros.inc b/kernel/trunk/macros.inc
index 4808a96abe..94e632100e 100644
--- a/kernel/trunk/macros.inc
+++ b/kernel/trunk/macros.inc
@@ -15,6 +15,13 @@ macro $Revision a {
   \}
 }
 
+macro ignore_empty_revision_keyword {
+  ; svn keywords are neither substituted by git-svn nor catched by $Revision
+  ; macro above, ignore them to not fail the build
+  macro $Rev#ision$ \{\}
+}
+ignore_empty_revision_keyword
+
 $Revision$