diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 1080e631f..4177fb488 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1752,9 +1752,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "once_cell"
-version = "1.17.2"
+version = "1.18.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "9670a07f94779e00908f3e686eab508878ebb390ba6e604d3a284c00e8d0487b"
+checksum = "dd8b5dd2ae5ed71462c540258bedcb51965123ad7e7ccf4b9a8cafaa4a63576d"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "open"
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b10244299
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+2023.1-alpha1
diff --git a/assets/halloy.appdata.xml b/assets/halloy.appdata.xml
index 5ccdedcac..e8ab36818 100644
--- a/assets/halloy.appdata.xml
+++ b/assets/halloy.appdata.xml
@@ -30,6 +30,6 @@
   <developer_name>The Squidowl Development Team</developer_name>
 
   <releases>
-    <release version="0.1.0-9025433" date="2023-06-23" />
+    <release version="2023.1-alpha1" date="2023-06-23" />
   </releases>
 </component>
diff --git a/data/build.rs b/data/build.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b013712a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/build.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+use std::path::Path;
+use std::process::Command;
+
+const VERSION: &str = include_str!("../VERSION");
+
+fn main() {
+    let git_hash = Command::new("git")
+        .args(["describe", "--always", "--dirty", "--exclude='*'"])
+        .output()
+        .ok()
+        .filter(|output| output.status.success())
+        .and_then(|x| String::from_utf8(x.stdout).ok());
+
+    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=../VERSION");
+    println!("cargo:rustc-env=VERSION={}", VERSION);
+
+    if let Some(hash) = git_hash.as_ref() {
+        println!("cargo:rustc-env=GIT_HASH={}", hash);
+    }
+
+    if git_hash.is_none() {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    let Some(git_dir): Option<String> = Command::new("git")
+        .args(["rev-parse", "--git-dir"])
+        .output()
+        .ok()
+        .filter(|output| output.status.success())
+        .and_then(|x| String::from_utf8(x.stdout).ok())
+    else{ return; };
+    // If heads starts pointing at something else (different branch)
+    // we need to return
+    let head = Path::new(&git_dir).join("HEAD");
+    if head.exists() {
+        println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", head.display());
+    }
+    // if the thing head points to (branch) itself changes
+    // we need to return
+    let Some(head_ref): Option<String> = Command::new("git")
+        .args(["symbolic-ref", "HEAD"])
+        .output()
+        .ok()
+        .filter(|output| output.status.success())
+        .and_then(|x| String::from_utf8(x.stdout).ok())
+    else{ return; };
+    let head_ref = Path::new(&git_dir).join(head_ref);
+    if head_ref.exists() {
+        println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", head_ref.display());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/data/src/environment.rs b/data/src/environment.rs
index 0811930c5..fa27a2dc3 100644
--- a/data/src/environment.rs
+++ b/data/src/environment.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,18 @@
 use std::env;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
-pub fn config_dir() -> Option<PathBuf> {
+pub const VERSION: &str = env!("VERSION");
+pub const GIT_HASH: Option<&str> = option_env!("GIT_HASH");
+
+pub fn formatted_version() -> String {
+    let hash = GIT_HASH
+        .map(|hash| format!(" ({hash})"))
+        .unwrap_or_default();
+
+    format!("{}{hash}", VERSION)
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn config_dir() -> Option<PathBuf> {
     // HOST_* checked first for flatpak
     #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
     {
@@ -18,7 +29,7 @@ pub fn config_dir() -> Option<PathBuf> {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn data_dir() -> Option<PathBuf> {
+pub(crate) fn data_dir() -> Option<PathBuf> {
     // HOST_* checked first for flatpak
     #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
     {
diff --git a/data/src/lib.rs b/data/src/lib.rs
index eb90e67f1..61f636c48 100644
--- a/data/src/lib.rs
+++ b/data/src/lib.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ pub mod client;
 pub mod command;
 mod compression;
 pub mod config;
-mod environment;
+pub mod environment;
 pub mod history;
 pub mod input;
 pub mod log;
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 41dcdd8bc..35fd386d6 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ mod screen;
 mod theme;
 mod widget;
 
+use std::env;
+
 use data::config::{self, Config};
 use data::stream;
 use iced::widget::container;
@@ -21,16 +23,31 @@ use self::screen::dashboard;
 pub use self::theme::Theme;
 use self::widget::Element;
 
-pub const VERSION: &str = env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION");
-
 pub fn main() -> iced::Result {
+    let mut args = env::args();
+    args.next();
+
+    let version = args
+        .next()
+        .map(|s| s == "--version" || s == "-V")
+        .unwrap_or_default();
+
+    if version {
+        println!("halloy {}", data::environment::formatted_version());
+
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+
     #[cfg(debug_assertions)]
     let is_debug = true;
     #[cfg(not(debug_assertions))]
     let is_debug = false;
 
     logger::setup(is_debug).expect("setup logging");
-    log::info!("application ({}) has started", VERSION);
+    log::info!(
+        "halloy {} has started",
+        data::environment::formatted_version()
+    );
 
     if let Err(error) = Halloy::run(settings()) {
         log::error!("{}", error.to_string());