diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index e954a1b..e856e29 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           ref: ${{ inputs.release_tag }}
       - uses: Ledger-Donjon/absolution/.github/actions/setup-zig@main
-      - run: zig build -Doptimize=${{ matrix.optimize }} -Dstrip=true
+      - run: zig build -Doptimize=${{ matrix.optimize }} -Dstrip=true -Dversion="${RELEASE_TAG}"
       - name: Upload tarball
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@bbbca2ddaa5d8feaa63e36b76fdaad77386f024f #v7.0.0
         with:
diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index 3683422..44c50d6 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -4,6 +4,14 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
     const target = b.standardTargetOptions(.{});
     const optimize = b.standardOptimizeOption(.{});
     const strip = b.option(bool, "strip", "Strip debug info from the binary");
+    const version_str = b.option(
+        []const u8,
+        "version",
+        "Version string embedded in the binary (shown in --help)",
+    ) orelse "dev";
+
+    const build_options = b.addOptions();
+    build_options.addOption([]const u8, "version", version_str);
 
     const aro_dep = b.dependency("aro", .{
         .target = target,
@@ -36,6 +44,7 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
             },
         }),
     });
+    exe.root_module.addOptions("build_options", build_options);
 
     b.installArtifact(exe);
     install_zig_cc_sysroot_headers(b);
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index 55a5098..31261b1 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 const builtin = @import("builtin");
 const std = @import("std");
 const clap = @import("clap");
+const build_options = @import("build_options");
 const absolution = @import("absolution");
 const Invariant = absolution.Invariant;
 const Global = absolution.Parser.Global;
@@ -107,10 +108,18 @@ const help_opts: clap.HelpOptions = .{
 };
 
 fn printHelpAndFail(stream: std.fs.File) !Options {
-    try clap.helpToFile(stream, clap.Help, &cli, help_opts);
+    try printHelp(stream);
     return error.InvalidArgs;
 }
 
+fn printHelp(stream: std.fs.File) !void {
+    var banner_buf: [256]u8 = undefined;
+    var w = stream.writer(&banner_buf);
+    try w.interface.print("absolution @{s}\n\n", .{build_options.version});
+    try w.interface.flush();
+    try clap.helpToFile(stream, clap.Help, &cli, help_opts);
+}
+
 fn parseArgs(allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !Options {
     var diag = clap.Diagnostic{};
     var res = clap.parse(clap.Help, &cli, clap.parsers.default, .{