diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 3b8bf8420..756d94e52 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -4,6 +4,26 @@
 
 import versioneer
 
+import configparser
+from os.path import join as pjoin
+
+
+def get_schema_sha(url_path):
+    parser = configparser.RawConfigParser()
+    config_path = pjoin('.git', 'modules', 'src', 'pynwb', 'nwb-schema', 'config')
+    parser.read(config_path)
+    url = parser.get('remote "origin"', 'url')
+    sha_path = pjoin('.git', 'modules', 'src', 'pynwb', 'nwb-schema', 'HEAD')
+    sha = open(sha_path, 'r').read()[:-1]
+    url = "%s/tree/%s" % (url[:-4], sha)
+    with open(url_path, 'w') as f:
+        print(url, file=f)
+
+
+schema_url_path = pjoin('src', 'pynwb', 'core_schema_url')
+print('writing schema URL to %s' % schema_url_path)
+get_schema_sha(schema_url_path)
+
 with open('README.rst', 'r') as fp:
     readme = fp.read()
 
@@ -33,7 +53,7 @@
     'install_requires': reqs,
     'packages': pkgs,
     'package_dir': {'': 'src'},
-    'package_data': {'pynwb': ["%s/*.yaml" % schema_dir, "%s/*.json" % schema_dir]},
+    'package_data': {'pynwb': ["%s/*.yaml" % schema_dir, "%s/*.json" % schema_dir, schema_url_path]},
     'classifiers': [
         "Programming Language :: Python",
         "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5",
diff --git a/src/pynwb/__init__.py b/src/pynwb/__init__.py
index cddbbbdfb..ce3cb5f65 100644
--- a/src/pynwb/__init__.py
+++ b/src/pynwb/__init__.py
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@
 
 
 def __get_resources():
-    from pkg_resources import resource_filename
+    from pkg_resources import resource_filename, resource_string
     ret = dict()
     ret['namespace_path'] = os.path.join(resource_filename(__name__, 'nwb-schema/core'), __core_ns_file_name)
+    ret['core_schema_url'] = resource_string(__name__, 'core_schema_url')[:-1].decode('utf-8')
     return ret
 
 
@@ -114,6 +115,11 @@ def available_namespaces():
     return __NS_CATALOG.namespaces
 
 
+def core_schema_url():
+    """Returns the Git URL of the current core schema"""
+    return __resources['core_schema_url']
+
+
 # a function to register a container classes with the global map
 @docval({'name': 'neurodata_type', 'type': str, 'doc': 'the neurodata_type to get the spec for'},
         {'name': 'namespace', 'type': str, 'doc': 'the name of the namespace'},
diff --git a/src/pynwb/file.py b/src/pynwb/file.py
index 90ceaee24..db5db2b1e 100644
--- a/src/pynwb/file.py
+++ b/src/pynwb/file.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 from hdmf.utils import docval, getargs, call_docval_func, get_docval
 
-from . import register_class, CORE_NAMESPACE
+from . import register_class, CORE_NAMESPACE, core_schema_url
 from .base import TimeSeries, ProcessingModule
 from .device import Device
 from .epoch import TimeIntervals
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ class NWBFile(MultiContainerInterface):
                      {'name': 'subject', 'child': True, 'required_name': 'subject'},
                      {'name': 'sweep_table', 'child': True, 'required_name': 'sweep_table'},
                      {'name': 'invalid_times', 'child': True, 'required_name': 'invalid_times'},
+                     'core_schema_url',
                      'epoch_tags',)
 
     @docval({'name': 'session_description', 'type': str,
@@ -290,7 +291,9 @@ class NWBFile(MultiContainerInterface):
             {'name': 'scratch', 'type': (list, tuple),
              'doc': 'scratch data', 'default': None},
             {'name': 'icephys_electrodes', 'type': (list, tuple),
-             'doc': 'IntracellularElectrodes that belong to this NWBFile.', 'default': None})
+             'doc': 'IntracellularElectrodes that belong to this NWBFile.', 'default': None},
+            {'name': 'core_schema_url', 'type': str, 'default': core_schema_url(),
+             'doc': 'the URL to the schema used to generate this file'})
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         kwargs['name'] = 'root'
         call_docval_func(super(NWBFile, self).__init__, kwargs)
@@ -350,6 +353,7 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
             'surgery',
             'virus',
             'stimulus_notes',
+            'core_schema_url',
         ]
         for attr in fieldnames:
             setattr(self, attr, kwargs.get(attr, None))
diff --git a/src/pynwb/nwb-schema b/src/pynwb/nwb-schema
index 7931e59ad..1941a8910 160000
--- a/src/pynwb/nwb-schema
+++ b/src/pynwb/nwb-schema
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 7931e59ad1e97433ce4a450fa5bc2dab81af6f8d
+Subproject commit 1941a89100427436b7815c322f50db5b30ac9615
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_file.py b/tests/unit/test_file.py
index 638e5e3b8..6ba14cf2d 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_file.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_file.py
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import numpy as np
 import pandas as pd
 
+import configparser
+import os.path
+
+
 from datetime import datetime
 from dateutil.tz import tzlocal, tzutc
 
@@ -60,6 +64,23 @@ def test_constructor(self):
         self.assertEqual(self.nwbfile.keywords, ('these', 'are', 'keywords'))
         self.assertEqual(self.nwbfile.timestamps_reference_time, self.ref_time)
 
+        # check GIT schema URL
+        parser = configparser.RawConfigParser()
+        module_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),
+                                   '..',
+                                   '..',
+                                   '.git',
+                                   'modules',
+                                   'src',
+                                   'pynwb',
+                                   'nwb-schema')
+        parser.read(os.path.join(module_path, 'config'))
+        url = parser.get('remote "origin"', 'url')
+        sha_path = os.path.join(module_path, 'HEAD')
+        sha = open(sha_path, 'r').read()[:-1]
+        url = "%s/tree/%s" % (url[:-4], sha)
+        self.assertEqual(self.nwbfile.core_schema_url, url)
+
     def test_create_electrode_group(self):
         name = 'example_electrode_group'
         desc = 'An example electrode'