diff --git a/.goreleaser.yaml b/.goreleaser.yaml
index dca0db03..c37f2213 100644
--- a/.goreleaser.yaml
+++ b/.goreleaser.yaml
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ builds:
       - "amd64"
       - "arm64"
       - "s390x"
+    ldflags:
+      - -w -s # strip debug info and symbol table
+      - -X "github.com/rancher/k3k/pkg/buildinfo.Version={{ .Tag }}"
 
   - id: k3k-kubelet
     main: ./k3k-kubelet
@@ -32,7 +35,10 @@ builds:
       - "amd64"
       - "arm64"
       - "s390x"
-  
+    ldflags:
+      - -w -s # strip debug info and symbol table
+      - -X "github.com/rancher/k3k/pkg/buildinfo.Version={{ .Tag }}"
+
   - id: k3kcli
     main: ./cli
     binary: k3kcli
@@ -41,6 +47,9 @@ builds:
     goarch:
       - "amd64"
       - "arm64"
+    ldflags:
+      - -w -s # strip debug info and symbol table
+      - -X "github.com/rancher/k3k/pkg/buildinfo.Version={{ .Tag }}"
 
 archives:
   - format: binary
diff --git a/cli/main.go b/cli/main.go
index fba1a568..6fc7c5e7 100644
--- a/cli/main.go
+++ b/cli/main.go
@@ -1,28 +1,28 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/rancher/k3k/cli/cmds"
 	"github.com/rancher/k3k/cli/cmds/cluster"
 	"github.com/rancher/k3k/cli/cmds/kubeconfig"
+	"github.com/rancher/k3k/pkg/buildinfo"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
 )
 
-const (
-	program   = "k3kcli"
-	version   = "dev"
-	gitCommit = "HEAD"
-)
-
 func main() {
 	app := cmds.NewApp()
+	app.Version = buildinfo.Version
+	cli.VersionPrinter = func(cCtx *cli.Context) {
+		fmt.Println("k3kcli Version: " + buildinfo.Version)
+	}
+
 	app.Commands = []cli.Command{
 		cluster.NewCommand(),
 		kubeconfig.NewCommand(),
 	}
-	app.Version = version + " (" + gitCommit + ")"
 
 	if err := app.Run(os.Args); err != nil {
 		logrus.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index b0911f4e..f3bb6029 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/go-logr/zapr"
 	"github.com/rancher/k3k/cli/cmds"
 	"github.com/rancher/k3k/pkg/apis/k3k.io/v1alpha1"
+	"github.com/rancher/k3k/pkg/buildinfo"
 	"github.com/rancher/k3k/pkg/controller/cluster"
 	"github.com/rancher/k3k/pkg/controller/clusterset"
 	"github.com/rancher/k3k/pkg/log"
@@ -22,12 +23,6 @@ import (
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/manager"
 )
 
-const (
-	program   = "k3k"
-	version   = "dev"
-	gitCommit = "HEAD"
-)
-
 var (
 	scheme           = runtime.NewScheme()
 	clusterCIDR      string
@@ -73,7 +68,7 @@ func main() {
 	app := cmds.NewApp()
 	app.Flags = flags
 	app.Action = run
-	app.Version = version + " (" + gitCommit + ")"
+	app.Version = buildinfo.Version
 	app.Before = func(clx *cli.Context) error {
 		logger = log.New(debug)
 		return nil
@@ -81,12 +76,13 @@ func main() {
 	if err := app.Run(os.Args); err != nil {
 		logger.Fatalw("failed to run k3k controller", zap.Error(err))
 	}
-
 }
 
 func run(clx *cli.Context) error {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 
+	logger.Info("Starting k3k - Version: " + buildinfo.Version)
+
 	restConfig, err := clientcmd.BuildConfigFromFlags("", kubeconfig)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create config from kubeconfig file: %v", err)
diff --git a/pkg/buildinfo/buildinfo.go b/pkg/buildinfo/buildinfo.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..83b0ae5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/buildinfo/buildinfo.go
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+package buildinfo
+
+var Version = "dev"
diff --git a/scripts/build b/scripts/build
index 721cc569..7b61f48b 100755
--- a/scripts/build
+++ b/scripts/build
@@ -4,15 +4,21 @@ set -e pipefail
 
 TAG=$(git describe --tag --always)
 
+if [ -n "$(git status --porcelain --untracked-files=no)" ]; then
+    TAG="${TAG}-dirty"
+fi
+
+LDFLAGS="-X \"github.com/rancher/k3k/pkg/buildinfo.Version=${TAG}\""
+
 echo "Building k3k..."
 echo "Current TAG: ${TAG}"
 
 export CGO_ENABLED=0
-GOOS=linux GOARCH=amd64 go build -o bin/k3k
-GOOS=linux GOARCH=amd64 go build -o bin/k3k-kubelet ./k3k-kubelet
+GOOS=linux GOARCH=amd64 go build -ldflags="${LDFLAGS}" -o bin/k3k
+GOOS=linux GOARCH=amd64 go build -ldflags="${LDFLAGS}" -o bin/k3k-kubelet ./k3k-kubelet
 
 # build the cli for the local OS and ARCH
-go build -o bin/k3kcli ./cli
+go build -ldflags="${LDFLAGS}" -o bin/k3kcli ./cli
 
 docker build -f package/Dockerfile -t rancher/k3k:dev -t rancher/k3k:${TAG} .
 docker build -f package/Dockerfile.kubelet -t rancher/k3k-kubelet:dev -t rancher/k3k-kubelet:${TAG} .