diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index f4299c78b8..42eefde457 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -131,6 +131,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows-sys 0.48.0",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "anyhow"
+version = "1.0.86"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "b3d1d046238990b9cf5bcde22a3fb3584ee5cf65fb2765f454ed428c7a0063da"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "arrayref"
 version = "0.3.7"
@@ -384,11 +390,11 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "cc"
-version = "1.0.83"
+version = "1.1.15"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "f1174fb0b6ec23863f8b971027804a42614e347eafb0a95bf0b12cdae21fc4d0"
+checksum = "57b6a275aa2903740dc87da01c62040406b8812552e97129a63ea8850a17c6e6"
 dependencies = [
- "libc",
+ "shlex",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -441,7 +447,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "anstream",
  "anstyle",
  "clap_lex",
- "strsim",
+ "strsim 0.10.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -701,6 +707,41 @@ dependencies = [
  "cfg-if",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "darling"
+version = "0.20.10"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "6f63b86c8a8826a49b8c21f08a2d07338eec8d900540f8630dc76284be802989"
+dependencies = [
+ "darling_core",
+ "darling_macro",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "darling_core"
+version = "0.20.10"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "95133861a8032aaea082871032f5815eb9e98cef03fa916ab4500513994df9e5"
+dependencies = [
+ "fnv",
+ "ident_case",
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "strsim 0.11.1",
+ "syn 2.0.38",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "darling_macro"
+version = "0.20.10"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "d336a2a514f6ccccaa3e09b02d41d35330c07ddf03a62165fcec10bb561c7806"
+dependencies = [
+ "darling_core",
+ "quote",
+ "syn 2.0.38",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "dashmap"
 version = "5.5.3"
@@ -723,6 +764,37 @@ dependencies = [
  "powerfmt",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "derive_builder"
+version = "0.20.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "0350b5cb0331628a5916d6c5c0b72e97393b8b6b03b47a9284f4e7f5a405ffd7"
+dependencies = [
+ "derive_builder_macro",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "derive_builder_core"
+version = "0.20.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "d48cda787f839151732d396ac69e3473923d54312c070ee21e9effcaa8ca0b1d"
+dependencies = [
+ "darling",
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn 2.0.38",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "derive_builder_macro"
+version = "0.20.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "206868b8242f27cecce124c19fd88157fbd0dd334df2587f36417bafbc85097b"
+dependencies = [
+ "derive_builder_core",
+ "syn 2.0.38",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "diff"
 version = "0.1.13"
@@ -1060,6 +1132,18 @@ dependencies = [
  "wasm-bindgen",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "getset"
+version = "0.1.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e45727250e75cc04ff2846a66397da8ef2b3db8e40e0cef4df67950a07621eb9"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro-error",
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn 1.0.109",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "gimli"
 version = "0.28.0"
@@ -1241,6 +1325,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "lazy_static",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "ident_case"
+version = "1.0.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "b9e0384b61958566e926dc50660321d12159025e767c18e043daf26b70104c39"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "idna"
 version = "0.4.0"
@@ -1656,6 +1746,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "winapi",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "num-conv"
+version = "0.1.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "51d515d32fb182ee37cda2ccdcb92950d6a3c2893aa280e540671c2cd0f3b1d9"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "num-traits"
 version = "0.2.17"
@@ -1676,6 +1772,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "libc",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "num_threads"
+version = "0.1.7"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "5c7398b9c8b70908f6371f47ed36737907c87c52af34c268fed0bf0ceb92ead9"
+dependencies = [
+ "libc",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "object"
 version = "0.32.2"
@@ -1864,9 +1969,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "proc-macro2"
-version = "1.0.69"
+version = "1.0.86"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "134c189feb4956b20f6f547d2cf727d4c0fe06722b20a0eec87ed445a97f92da"
+checksum = "5e719e8df665df0d1c8fbfd238015744736151d4445ec0836b8e628aae103b77"
 dependencies = [
  "unicode-ident",
 ]
@@ -1932,9 +2037,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "quote"
-version = "1.0.33"
+version = "1.0.37"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "5267fca4496028628a95160fc423a33e8b2e6af8a5302579e322e4b520293cae"
+checksum = "b5b9d34b8991d19d98081b46eacdd8eb58c6f2b201139f7c5f643cc155a633af"
 dependencies = [
  "proc-macro2",
 ]
@@ -2410,6 +2515,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "target-lexicon",
  "tempfile",
  "ven_pretty",
+ "vergen-gitcl",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -3297,9 +3403,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "rustversion"
-version = "1.0.14"
+version = "1.0.17"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "7ffc183a10b4478d04cbbbfc96d0873219d962dd5accaff2ffbd4ceb7df837f4"
+checksum = "955d28af4278de8121b7ebeb796b6a45735dc01436d898801014aced2773a3d6"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "rusty-fork"
@@ -3527,6 +3633,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "lazy_static",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "shlex"
+version = "1.3.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "0fda2ff0d084019ba4d7c6f371c95d8fd75ce3524c3cb8fb653a3023f6323e64"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "signal-hook"
 version = "0.3.17"
@@ -3642,6 +3754,12 @@ version = "0.10.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "73473c0e59e6d5812c5dfe2a064a6444949f089e20eec9a2e5506596494e4623"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "strsim"
+version = "0.11.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "7da8b5736845d9f2fcb837ea5d9e2628564b3b043a70948a3f0b778838c5fb4f"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "strum"
 version = "0.24.1"
@@ -3940,12 +4058,15 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "time"
-version = "0.3.30"
+version = "0.3.36"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "c4a34ab300f2dee6e562c10a046fc05e358b29f9bf92277f30c3c8d82275f6f5"
+checksum = "5dfd88e563464686c916c7e46e623e520ddc6d79fa6641390f2e3fa86e83e885"
 dependencies = [
  "deranged",
  "itoa",
+ "libc",
+ "num-conv",
+ "num_threads",
  "powerfmt",
  "serde",
  "time-core",
@@ -3960,10 +4081,11 @@ checksum = "ef927ca75afb808a4d64dd374f00a2adf8d0fcff8e7b184af886c3c87ec4a3f3"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "time-macros"
-version = "0.2.15"
+version = "0.2.18"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "4ad70d68dba9e1f8aceda7aa6711965dfec1cac869f311a51bd08b3a2ccbce20"
+checksum = "3f252a68540fde3a3877aeea552b832b40ab9a69e318efd078774a01ddee1ccf"
 dependencies = [
+ "num-conv",
  "time-core",
 ]
 
@@ -4355,6 +4477,44 @@ dependencies = [
  "typed-arena",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "vergen"
+version = "9.0.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "c32e7318e93a9ac53693b6caccfb05ff22e04a44c7cf8a279051f24c09da286f"
+dependencies = [
+ "anyhow",
+ "derive_builder",
+ "rustversion",
+ "vergen-lib",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "vergen-gitcl"
+version = "1.0.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "3bbdc9746577cb4767f218d320ee0b623d415e8130332f8f562b910b61cc2c4e"
+dependencies = [
+ "anyhow",
+ "derive_builder",
+ "rustversion",
+ "time",
+ "vergen",
+ "vergen-lib",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "vergen-lib"
+version = "0.1.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e06bee42361e43b60f363bad49d63798d0f42fb1768091812270eca00c784720"
+dependencies = [
+ "anyhow",
+ "derive_builder",
+ "getset",
+ "rustversion",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "version_check"
 version = "0.9.4"
diff --git a/crates/cli/Cargo.toml b/crates/cli/Cargo.toml
index cd3ecedb87..f38214b8b5 100644
--- a/crates/cli/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/cli/Cargo.toml
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 name = "roc_cli"
 description = "The Roc binary that brings together all functionality in the Roc toolset."
 default-run = "roc"
+build = "build.rs"
 
 authors.workspace = true
 edition.workspace = true
@@ -30,7 +31,13 @@ target-wasm32 = ["roc_build/target-wasm32"]
 target-x86 = ["roc_build/target-x86", "roc_repl_cli/target-x86"]
 target-x86_64 = ["roc_build/target-x86_64", "roc_repl_cli/target-x86_64"]
 
-target-all = ["target-aarch64", "target-arm", "target-x86", "target-x86_64", "target-wasm32"]
+target-all = [
+  "target-aarch64",
+  "target-arm",
+  "target-x86",
+  "target-x86_64",
+  "target-wasm32",
+]
 
 sanitizers = ["roc_build/sanitizers"]
 
@@ -93,6 +100,9 @@ parking_lot.workspace = true
 pretty_assertions.workspace = true
 serial_test.workspace = true
 
+[build-dependencies]
+vergen-gitcl = { version = "1.0.0", features = ["emit_and_set"] }
+
 [[bench]]
 name = "time_bench"
 harness = false
diff --git a/crates/cli/build.rs b/crates/cli/build.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3e41c0d339
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/cli/build.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+use std::fs;
+use vergen_gitcl::{Emitter, GitclBuilder};
+
+fn main() {
+    // Emit git information
+    let git_instructions = GitclBuilder::default()
+        .commit_timestamp(true)
+        .sha(true) // Use shorter commit hash
+        .dirty(true) // Count untracked files as dirty
+        .build()
+        .unwrap();
+    Emitter::default()
+        .add_instructions(&git_instructions)
+        .unwrap()
+        .emit_and_set()
+        .unwrap();
+
+    // Read the version file
+    let version_file_path = "../../version.txt";
+    let version_file_contents = fs::read_to_string(version_file_path).unwrap();
+
+    // If the version is "built-from-source", replace it with the git commit information
+    let version = match version_file_contents.trim() {
+        "built-from-source" => {
+            let commit_hash = std::env::var("VERGEN_GIT_SHA").unwrap();
+            let git_dirty_message = match std::env::var("VERGEN_GIT_DIRTY") {
+                Ok(s) => match s.as_str() {
+                    "true" => " with additional changes",
+                    _ => "",
+                },
+                _ => "",
+            };
+            let git_commit_timestamp = std::env::var("VERGEN_GIT_COMMIT_TIMESTAMP").unwrap();
+            format!(
+                "built from commit {}{}, committed at {}",
+                commit_hash, git_dirty_message, git_commit_timestamp
+            )
+        }
+        _ => version_file_contents.trim().to_string(),
+    };
+    // Emit the version to a build-time environment variable
+    println!("cargo:rustc-env=ROC_VERSION={}", version);
+    // Rebuild if version.txt changes
+    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", version_file_path);
+}
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/lib.rs b/crates/cli/src/lib.rs
index b0b2e08e1d..b69abd4b38 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/lib.rs
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ pub const FLAG_PP_HOST: &str = "host";
 pub const FLAG_PP_PLATFORM: &str = "platform";
 pub const FLAG_PP_DYLIB: &str = "lib";
 
-const VERSION: &str = include_str!("../../../version.txt");
+pub const VERSION: &str = env!("ROC_VERSION");
 const DEFAULT_GENERATED_DOCS_DIR: &str = "generated-docs";
 
 pub fn build_app() -> Command {
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ pub fn build_app() -> Command {
         PossibleValuesParser::new(Target::iter().map(Into::<&'static str>::into));
 
     Command::new("roc")
-        .version(concatcp!(VERSION, "\n"))
+        .version(VERSION)
         .about("Run the given .roc file, if there are no compilation errors.\nYou can use one of the SUBCOMMANDS below to do something else!")
         .args_conflicts_with_subcommands(true)
         .subcommand(Command::new(CMD_BUILD)
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/main.rs b/crates/cli/src/main.rs
index abe4319648..16fc1f76ce 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/main.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use roc_cli::{
     CMD_DEV, CMD_DOCS, CMD_FORMAT, CMD_GEN_STUB_LIB, CMD_GLUE, CMD_PREPROCESS_HOST, CMD_REPL,
     CMD_RUN, CMD_TEST, CMD_VERSION, DIRECTORY_OR_FILES, FLAG_CHECK, FLAG_DEV, FLAG_LIB, FLAG_MAIN,
     FLAG_NO_LINK, FLAG_OUTPUT, FLAG_PP_DYLIB, FLAG_PP_HOST, FLAG_PP_PLATFORM, FLAG_STDIN,
-    FLAG_STDOUT, FLAG_TARGET, FLAG_TIME, GLUE_DIR, GLUE_SPEC, ROC_FILE,
+    FLAG_STDOUT, FLAG_TARGET, FLAG_TIME, GLUE_DIR, GLUE_SPEC, ROC_FILE, VERSION,
 };
 use roc_docs::generate_docs_html;
 use roc_error_macros::user_error;
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::str::FromStr;
 use target_lexicon::Triple;
 
-#[macro_use]
 extern crate const_format;
 
 #[global_allocator]
@@ -358,11 +357,7 @@ fn main() -> io::Result<()> {
             Ok(format_exit_code)
         }
         Some((CMD_VERSION, _)) => {
-            print!(
-                "{}",
-                concatcp!("roc ", include_str!("../../../version.txt"))
-            );
-
+            println!("roc {}", VERSION);
             Ok(0)
         }
         _ => unreachable!(),