diff --git a/footer.php b/footer.php
index 1f479ce..b62f866 100644
--- a/footer.php
+++ b/footer.php
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <div id=footer class=footer>
-  <div class="update"><p>Site last updated 2024-02-20 19:32:55 +1100</p></div>
+  <div class="update"><p>Site last updated 2024-02-25 16:40:12 +1100</p></div>
   <div class="counter"><p>Visits: 
 <?php
 session_start();
diff --git a/footer_template.php b/footer_template.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..69eb0f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/footer_template.php
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+<div id=footer class=footer>
+  <div class="update"><p>Site last updated _DATE_</p></div>
+  <div class="counter"><p>Visits: 
+<?php
+session_start();
+if(!isset($_SESSION['counter'])) {
+  $c_handle = fopen("../data/counter.txt", "r");
+    if(!$c_handle){
+      echo "error";
+    } else {
+      $counter = ( int ) fread($c_handle,32);
+      fclose($c_handle);
+      $counter++ ;
+      echo $counter;
+      $c_handle = fopen("../data/counter.txt", "w");
+      fwrite($c_handle, $counter);
+      fclose($c_handle);
+      $_SESSION['counter'] = $counter;
+    }
+} else {
+  $counter = $_SESSION['counter'];
+  echo $counter;
+}
+
+?>
+    </p></div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
diff --git a/update_footer.sh b/update_footer.sh
index 6d9da13..d2932bb 100755
--- a/update_footer.sh
+++ b/update_footer.sh
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-update_timestamp=`git show -s --format=%ci`
+update_timestamp=$(git show -s --format=%ci)
 
-echo "<div id=footer class=footer>
-<p>Site last updated $update_timestamp</p>
-</div>
-" > footer.php
+sed "s/_DATE_/$update_timestamp/" footer_template.php > footer.php