diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ec05f8bda..bec62b845 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -18,3 +18,4 @@ app/.DS_Store
 xbarapp.com/public/.DS_Store
 app/assets/mac/info.plist
 tools/sitegen/.version
+app/.version
diff --git a/app/main.go b/app/main.go
index 0262700b8..05c1ca95f 100644
--- a/app/main.go
+++ b/app/main.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	_ "embed"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 
@@ -10,8 +11,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/wailsapp/wails/v2/pkg/options/mac"
 )
 
-// version is the xbar version (set by the git tag in build.sh).
-var version string = "dev"
+//go:embed .version
+var version string
 
 func main() {
 	println("xbar", version)
diff --git a/app/package.sh b/app/package.sh
index 6165f56f9..3f1882404 100755
--- a/app/package.sh
+++ b/app/package.sh
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ VERSION=`git describe --tags`
 echo ""
 echo "  xbar ${VERSION}..."
 echo ""
+echo -n $VERSION > .version
 
 # run all tests
 ./test.sh
diff --git a/app/test.sh b/app/test.sh
index 683d4180d..178e313c5 100755
--- a/app/test.sh
+++ b/app/test.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 set -e
 
+VERSION=`git describe --tags`
+
 go test
 
 cd ../pkg/metadata
@@ -17,6 +19,7 @@ go test
 cd ../../app
 
 cd ../tools/sitegen
+echo -n $VERSION > .version
 go test -short
 cd ../../app