diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2dba8e6f3..96f6faaff 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ FIRMWARE_P1_MAXSIZE = 786432
 FIRMWARE_P2_MAXSIZE = 917504
 FIRMWARE_MAXSIZE    = 1703936
 
-GITREV=$(shell git describe --always --dirty)
+GITREV=$(shell git describe --always --dirty | tr '-' '_')
 CFLAGS += -DGITREV=$(GITREV)
 
 ## help commands:
diff --git a/embed/extmod/modtrezorutils/modtrezorutils.c b/embed/extmod/modtrezorutils/modtrezorutils.c
index c106a6f0c..3e254a65e 100644
--- a/embed/extmod/modtrezorutils/modtrezorutils.c
+++ b/embed/extmod/modtrezorutils/modtrezorutils.c
@@ -115,40 +115,8 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t mod_trezorutils_set_mode_unprivileged(void) {
 }
 STATIC MP_DEFINE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_0(mod_trezorutils_set_mode_unprivileged_obj, mod_trezorutils_set_mode_unprivileged);
 
-/// def symbol(name: str) -> str/int/None:
-///     '''
-///     Retrieve internal symbol.
-///     '''
-STATIC mp_obj_t mod_trezorutils_symbol(mp_obj_t name) {
-#define XSTR(s) STR(s)
-#define STR(s) #s
-    mp_buffer_info_t str;
-    mp_get_buffer_raise(name, &str, MP_BUFFER_READ);
-    if (0 == strncmp(str.buf, "GITREV", str.len)) {
-        return mp_obj_new_str(XSTR(GITREV), strlen(XSTR(GITREV)));
-    }
-    if (0 == strncmp(str.buf, "VERSION_MAJOR", str.len)) {
-        return mp_obj_new_int(VERSION_MAJOR);
-    }
-    if (0 == strncmp(str.buf, "VERSION_MINOR", str.len)) {
-        return mp_obj_new_int(VERSION_MINOR);
-    }
-    if (0 == strncmp(str.buf, "VERSION_PATCH", str.len)) {
-        return mp_obj_new_int(VERSION_PATCH);
-    }
-    if (0 == strncmp(str.buf, "MODEL", str.len)) {
-        return mp_obj_new_str(XSTR(TREZOR_MODEL), strlen(XSTR(TREZOR_MODEL)));
-    }
-    if (0 == strncmp(str.buf, "EMULATOR", str.len)) {
-#ifdef TREZOR_EMULATOR
-        return mp_const_true;
-#else
-        return mp_const_false;
-#endif
-    }
-    return mp_const_none;
-}
-STATIC MP_DEFINE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_1(mod_trezorutils_symbol_obj, mod_trezorutils_symbol);
+#define PASTER(s) MP_QSTR_ ## s
+#define MP_QSTR(s) PASTER(s)
 
 STATIC const mp_rom_map_elem_t mp_module_trezorutils_globals_table[] = {
     { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR___name__), MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_trezorutils) },
@@ -156,7 +124,17 @@ STATIC const mp_rom_map_elem_t mp_module_trezorutils_globals_table[] = {
     { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_memcpy), MP_ROM_PTR(&mod_trezorutils_memcpy_obj) },
     { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_halt), MP_ROM_PTR(&mod_trezorutils_halt_obj) },
     { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_set_mode_unprivileged), MP_ROM_PTR(&mod_trezorutils_set_mode_unprivileged_obj) },
-    { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_symbol), MP_ROM_PTR(&mod_trezorutils_symbol_obj) },
+    // various built-in constants
+    { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_GITREV), MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR(GITREV)) },
+    { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_VERSION_MAJOR), MP_OBJ_NEW_SMALL_INT(VERSION_MAJOR) },
+    { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_VERSION_MINOR), MP_OBJ_NEW_SMALL_INT(VERSION_MINOR) },
+    { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_VERSION_PATCH), MP_OBJ_NEW_SMALL_INT(VERSION_PATCH) },
+    { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_MODEL), MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR(TREZOR_MODEL)) },
+#ifdef TREZOR_EMULATOR
+    { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_EMULATOR), mp_const_true },
+#else
+    { MP_ROM_QSTR(MP_QSTR_EMULATOR), mp_const_false },
+#endif
 };
 
 STATIC MP_DEFINE_CONST_DICT(mp_module_trezorutils_globals, mp_module_trezorutils_globals_table);
diff --git a/src/apps/homescreen/__init__.py b/src/apps/homescreen/__init__.py
index b99612e28..7461ea383 100644
--- a/src/apps/homescreen/__init__.py
+++ b/src/apps/homescreen/__init__.py
@@ -11,11 +11,11 @@ def get_features():
     f = Features()
     f.vendor = "trezor.io"
     f.language = "english"
-    f.major_version = utils.symbol("VERSION_MAJOR")
-    f.minor_version = utils.symbol("VERSION_MINOR")
-    f.patch_version = utils.symbol("VERSION_PATCH")
-    f.revision = utils.symbol("GITREV")
-    f.model = utils.symbol("MODEL")
+    f.major_version = utils.VERSION_MAJOR
+    f.minor_version = utils.VERSION_MINOR
+    f.patch_version = utils.VERSION_PATCH
+    f.revision = utils.GITREV
+    f.model = utils.MODEL
     f.device_id = storage.get_device_id()
     f.label = storage.get_label()
     f.initialized = storage.is_initialized()
diff --git a/src/trezor/ui/__init__.py b/src/trezor/ui/__init__.py
index 9b91064a0..3bab66d48 100644
--- a/src/trezor/ui/__init__.py
+++ b/src/trezor/ui/__init__.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ if __debug__:
     loop.after_step_hook = debug_display_refresh
 
 # in both debug and production, emulator needs to draw the screen explicitly
-elif utils.symbol("EMULATOR"):
+elif utils.EMULATOR:
     loop.after_step_hook = display.refresh
 
 # re-export constants from modtrezorui
diff --git a/src/trezor/utils.py b/src/trezor/utils.py
index d85b8c218..00cddfcde 100644
--- a/src/trezor/utils.py
+++ b/src/trezor/utils.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import gc
 import sys
-from trezorutils import halt, memcpy, set_mode_unprivileged, symbol  # noqa: F401
+from trezorutils import halt, memcpy, set_mode_unprivileged # noqa: F401
+from trezorutils import GITREV, VERSION_MAJOR, VERSION_MINOR, VERSION_PATCH, MODEL, EMULATOR    # noqa: F401
 
 
 def unimport_begin():