diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index 389dff5..b432ca3 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -6,6 +6,12 @@ const zbs = std.build;
 
 const ScanProtocolsStep = @import("deps/zig-wayland/build.zig").ScanProtocolsStep;
 
+/// While a river release is in development, this string should contain the version in development
+/// with the "-dev" suffix.
+/// When a release is tagged, the "-dev" suffix should be removed for the commit that gets tagged.
+/// Directly after the tagged commit, the version should be bumped and the "-dev" suffix added.
+const version = "0.1.0-dev";
+
 pub fn build(b: *zbs.Builder) !void {
     const target = b.standardTargetOptions(.{});
     const mode = b.standardReleaseOptions();
@@ -48,6 +54,21 @@ pub fn build(b: *zbs.Builder) !void {
 
     const examples = b.option(bool, "examples", "Set to true to build examples") orelse false;
 
+    const full_version = blk: {
+        if (mem.endsWith(u8, version, "-dev")) {
+            var ret: u8 = undefined;
+            const git_dir = try fs.path.join(b.allocator, &[_][]const u8{ b.build_root, ".git" });
+            const git_commit_hash = b.execAllowFail(
+                &[_][]const u8{ "git", "--git-dir", git_dir, "--work-tree", b.build_root, "rev-parse", "--short", "HEAD" },
+                &ret,
+                .Inherit,
+            ) catch break :blk version;
+            break :blk try std.fmt.allocPrintZ(b.allocator, "{s}-{s}", .{ version, git_commit_hash });
+        } else {
+            break :blk version;
+        }
+    };
+
     const scanner = ScanProtocolsStep.create(b);
     scanner.addSystemProtocol("stable/xdg-shell/xdg-shell.xml");
     scanner.addSystemProtocol("unstable/pointer-gestures/pointer-gestures-unstable-v1.xml");
@@ -64,6 +85,7 @@ pub fn build(b: *zbs.Builder) !void {
         river.setTarget(target);
         river.setBuildMode(mode);
         river.addBuildOption(bool, "xwayland", xwayland);
+        river.addBuildOption([:0]const u8, "version", full_version);
 
         addServerDeps(river, scanner);
 
@@ -74,6 +96,7 @@ pub fn build(b: *zbs.Builder) !void {
         const riverctl = b.addExecutable("riverctl", "riverctl/main.zig");
         riverctl.setTarget(target);
         riverctl.setBuildMode(mode);
+        riverctl.addBuildOption([:0]const u8, "version", full_version);
 
         riverctl.step.dependOn(&scanner.step);
         riverctl.addPackage(scanner.getPkg());
@@ -89,6 +112,7 @@ pub fn build(b: *zbs.Builder) !void {
         const rivertile = b.addExecutable("rivertile", "rivertile/main.zig");
         rivertile.setTarget(target);
         rivertile.setBuildMode(mode);
+        rivertile.addBuildOption([:0]const u8, "version", full_version);
 
         rivertile.step.dependOn(&scanner.step);
         rivertile.addPackage(scanner.getPkg());
diff --git a/river/main.zig b/river/main.zig
index 30b2f78..212cc69 100644
--- a/river/main.zig
+++ b/river/main.zig
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ const usage: []const u8 =
     \\  -h            Print this help message and exit.
     \\  -c <command>  Run `sh -c <command>` on startup.
     \\  -l <level>    Set the log level to a value from 0 to 7.
+    \\  -version      Print the version number and exit.
     \\
 ;
 
@@ -73,6 +74,9 @@ pub fn main() anyerror!void {
                 } else {
                     printErrorExit("Error: flag '-l' requires exactly one argument", .{});
                 }
+            } else if (std.mem.eql(u8, arg, "-version")) {
+                try std.io.getStdOut().writeAll(build_options.version);
+                os.exit(0);
             } else {
                 const stderr = std.io.getStdErr().writer();
                 try stderr.print(usage, .{});
diff --git a/riverctl/main.zig b/riverctl/main.zig
index 9d4c8b6..31ca44e 100644
--- a/riverctl/main.zig
+++ b/riverctl/main.zig
@@ -61,9 +61,15 @@ fn _main() !void {
     const control = globals.control orelse return error.RiverControlNotAdvertised;
     const seat = globals.seat orelse return error.SeatNotAdverstised;
 
-    // Skip our name, send all other args
     // This next line is needed cause of https://github.com/ziglang/zig/issues/2622
     const args = os.argv;
+
+    if (mem.eql(u8, mem.span(args[1]), "-version")) {
+        try std.io.getStdOut().writeAll(@import("build_options").version);
+        std.os.exit(0);
+    }
+
+    // Skip our name, send all other args
     for (args[1..]) |arg| control.addArgument(arg);
 
     const callback = try control.runCommand(seat);
diff --git a/rivertile/main.zig b/rivertile/main.zig
index 61eba08..ff57475 100644
--- a/rivertile/main.zig
+++ b/rivertile/main.zig
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ const usage =
     \\Usage: rivertile [options]
     \\
     \\  -h, --help      Print this help message and exit.
+    \\  -version        Print the version number and exit.
     \\  -view-padding   Set the padding around views in pixels. (Default 6)
     \\  -outer-padding  Set the padding around the edge of the layout area in
     \\                  pixels. (Default 6)
@@ -315,6 +316,7 @@ pub fn main() !void {
     const args = Args(0, &[_]FlagDef{
         .{ .name = "-h", .kind = .boolean },
         .{ .name = "--help", .kind = .boolean },
+        .{ .name = "-version", .kind = .boolean },
         .{ .name = "-view-padding", .kind = .arg },
         .{ .name = "-outer-padding", .kind = .arg },
         .{ .name = "-main-location", .kind = .arg },
@@ -326,6 +328,10 @@ pub fn main() !void {
         try std.io.getStdOut().writeAll(usage);
         std.os.exit(0);
     }
+    if (args.boolFlag("-version")) {
+        try std.io.getStdOut().writeAll(@import("build_options").version);
+        std.os.exit(0);
+    }
     if (args.argFlag("-view-padding")) |raw| {
         view_padding = std.fmt.parseUnsigned(u32, mem.span(raw), 10) catch
             fatal("invalid value '{s}' provided to -view-padding", .{raw});