diff --git a/avilib-0.6.10/avilib.c b/avilib-0.6.10/avilib.c
index 1db34ee17..48f97fb1b 100644
--- a/avilib-0.6.10/avilib.c
+++ b/avilib-0.6.10/avilib.c
@@ -1596,7 +1596,10 @@ static int avi_close_output_file(avi_t *AVI)
    //OUTLONG(MAX_INFO_STRLEN);
    memset(id_str, 0, MAX_INFO_STRLEN);
 
-   sprintf(id_str, "%s-%s", PACKAGE, VERSION);
+   if (AVI->writing_app != NULL)
+     strncpy(id_str, AVI->writing_app, MAX_INFO_STRLEN - 1);
+   else
+     snprintf(id_str, MAX_INFO_STRLEN - 1, "%s-%s", PACKAGE, VERSION);
    real_id_len = id_len = strlen(id_str)+1;
    if (id_len&1) id_len++;
 
@@ -1624,6 +1627,11 @@ static int avi_close_output_file(avi_t *AVI)
 //   nhb += MAX_INFO_STRLEN;
 #endif
 
+   if (AVI->writing_app != NULL) {
+     free(AVI->writing_app);
+     AVI->writing_app = NULL;
+   }
+
    // ----------------------------
    
    /* Calculate the needed amount of junk bytes, output junk */
diff --git a/avilib-0.6.10/avilib.h b/avilib-0.6.10/avilib.h
index d74990f46..8b2f466df 100644
--- a/avilib-0.6.10/avilib.h
+++ b/avilib-0.6.10/avilib.h
@@ -254,6 +254,10 @@ typedef struct
 
   void*		extradata;
   unsigned long	extradata_size;
+
+  /* This info is put into the AVI header. May be set by the application.
+     If set then avilib will free() it. */
+  char *writing_app;
 } avi_t;
 
 #define AVI_MODE_WRITE  0
diff --git a/src/extract/mkvextract.cpp b/src/extract/mkvextract.cpp
index ccfc9df22..a3580a666 100644
--- a/src/extract/mkvextract.cpp
+++ b/src/extract/mkvextract.cpp
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ using namespace std;
 #define MODE_CUESHEET    4
 
 vector<kax_track_t> tracks;
+bool no_variable_data = false;
 
 bool
 ssa_line_c::operator < (const ssa_line_c &cmp)
@@ -237,6 +238,9 @@ parse_args(int argc,
     if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-v") || !strcmp(argv[i], "--verbose"))
       verbose++;
 
+    else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "--no-variable-data"))
+      no_variable_data = true;
+
     else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-f") || !strcmp(argv[i], "--parse-fully"))
       parse_fully = true;
 
diff --git a/src/extract/mkvextract.h b/src/extract/mkvextract.h
index ac3035c59..54cec6bca 100644
--- a/src/extract/mkvextract.h
+++ b/src/extract/mkvextract.h
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ typedef struct {
 
 extern vector<kax_track_t> tracks;
 extern char typenames[TYPEMAX + 1][20];
+extern bool no_variable_data;
 
 #define fits_parent(l, p) (l->GetElementPosition() < \
                            (p->GetElementPosition() + p->ElementSize()))
diff --git a/src/extract/tracks.cpp b/src/extract/tracks.cpp
index c4eb5d283..a03a5dc20 100644
--- a/src/extract/tracks.cpp
+++ b/src/extract/tracks.cpp
@@ -415,11 +415,16 @@ create_output_files() {
       if (tracks[i].type == TYPEAVI) {
         alBITMAPINFOHEADER *bih;
         char ccodec[5];
+        string writing_app;
 
         tracks[i].avi = AVI_open_output_file(tracks[i].out_name);
         if (tracks[i].avi == NULL)
           mxerror(_("The file '%s' could not be opened for writing (%s).\n"),
                   tracks[i].out_name, AVI_strerror());
+        writing_app = "mkvextract";
+        if (!no_variable_data)
+          writing_app += mxsprintf(" %s", VERSION);
+        tracks[i].avi->writing_app = safestrdup(writing_app.c_str());
 
         bih = (alBITMAPINFOHEADER *)tracks[i].private_data;
         memcpy(ccodec, &bih->bi_compression, 4);
diff --git a/tests/results.txt b/tests/results.txt
index d930efef0..a349456c9 100644
--- a/tests/results.txt
+++ b/tests/results.txt
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ T_029link:b3076d997bcdb4202de374ba77a2a5c6:passed:20040825-235039
 T_032cues:2d852a5c1ee169ddc713318c86a0b616:passed:20040825-235040
 T_033timecode_scale:ba6bc8dff27d7d9fd433670067fa716d-d54414d993caad6cea47ef7913cb13db:passed:20040825-235040
 T_034ac3misdetected_as_mp2:f6765afb6d86ae09e0859f32ba65ced4:passed:20040920-100447
-T_035X_vfw_video:8b5ff6d70e8ac38e9f037f5baf4f0a04:passed:20040920-185358
+T_035X_vfw_video:5bcb3426b2635ae5c89a5e5fe46aa416:passed:20040920-185358
 T_036X_mp3:b3bb67d316e20da12926d5c1d628f6e5:passed:20040920-190109
 T_037X_aac:66ccc4dde4eb9b3109b810b5a2be99ee:passed:20040920-190110
 T_038X_ac3:6ca341797c5f93e273c8502f4d6f4fba:passed:20040920-185449
diff --git a/tests/run.rb b/tests/run.rb
index 44319dc58..318a2e04a 100755
--- a/tests/run.rb
+++ b/tests/run.rb
@@ -93,7 +93,8 @@ class Test
   end
 
   def xtr_tracks_s(*args)
-    command = "../src/mkvextract tracks data/mkv/complex.mkv "
+    command = "../src/mkvextract tracks data/mkv/complex.mkv " +
+      "--no-variable-data "
     command += args.join(" ")
     command += ":#{tmp}"
     sys(command, 0)
@@ -102,7 +103,9 @@ class Test
 
   def xtr_tracks(*args)
     command = "../src/mkvextract tracks "
-    command += args.join(" ")
+    command += args[0]
+    command += " --no-variable-data "
+    command += args[1..args.size - 1].join(" ")
     sys(command, 0)
   end
 end