diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 7cb213a9..7562c38f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ env:
   AWS_BUCKET: ${{ vars.NIGHTLY_BUILD_AWS_BUCKET }}
   AWS_REGION: ${{ vars.NIGHTLY_BUILD_AWS_REGION }}
   RELEASE: ${{ github.ref_type == 'tag' && github.ref_name || 'nightly' }}
+  GIT_VERSION_FLAG: ${{ github.ref_type == 'tag' && format('-Dgit_version={0}', github.ref_name) || '' }}
 
 on:
   push:
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ jobs:
         run: zig build -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast snapshot_creator -- src/snapshot.bin
 
       - name: zig build
-        run: zig build -Dsnapshot_path=../../snapshot.bin -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast -Dcpu=x86_64 -Dgit_commit=$(git rev-parse --short ${{ github.sha }})
+        run: zig build -Dsnapshot_path=../../snapshot.bin -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast -Dcpu=x86_64 -Dgit_commit=$(git rev-parse --short ${{ github.sha }}) ${{ env.GIT_VERSION_FLAG }}
 
       - name: Rename binary
         run: mv zig-out/bin/lightpanda lightpanda-${{ env.ARCH }}-${{ env.OS }}
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ jobs:
         run: zig build -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast snapshot_creator -- src/snapshot.bin
 
       - name: zig build
-        run: zig build -Dsnapshot_path=../../snapshot.bin -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast -Dcpu=generic -Dgit_commit=$(git rev-parse --short ${{ github.sha }})
+        run: zig build -Dsnapshot_path=../../snapshot.bin -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast -Dcpu=generic -Dgit_commit=$(git rev-parse --short ${{ github.sha }}) ${{ env.GIT_VERSION_FLAG }}
 
       - name: Rename binary
         run: mv zig-out/bin/lightpanda lightpanda-${{ env.ARCH }}-${{ env.OS }}
@@ -131,7 +132,7 @@ jobs:
         run: zig build -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast snapshot_creator -- src/snapshot.bin
 
       - name: zig build
-        run: zig build -Dsnapshot_path=../../snapshot.bin -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast -Dgit_commit=$(git rev-parse --short ${{ github.sha }})
+        run: zig build -Dsnapshot_path=../../snapshot.bin -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast -Dgit_commit=$(git rev-parse --short ${{ github.sha }}) ${{ env.GIT_VERSION_FLAG }}
 
       - name: Rename binary
         run: mv zig-out/bin/lightpanda lightpanda-${{ env.ARCH }}-${{ env.OS }}
@@ -173,7 +174,7 @@ jobs:
         run: zig build -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast snapshot_creator -- src/snapshot.bin
 
       - name: zig build
-        run: zig build -Dsnapshot_path=../../snapshot.bin -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast -Dgit_commit=$(git rev-parse --short ${{ github.sha }})
+        run: zig build -Dsnapshot_path=../../snapshot.bin -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast -Dgit_commit=$(git rev-parse --short ${{ github.sha }}) ${{ env.GIT_VERSION_FLAG }}
 
       - name: Rename binary
         run: mv zig-out/bin/lightpanda lightpanda-${{ env.ARCH }}-${{ env.OS }}
diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index 33168b86..0d917b75 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ pub fn build(b: *Build) !void {
     var opts = b.addOptions();
     opts.addOption([]const u8, "version", manifest.version);
     opts.addOption([]const u8, "git_commit", git_commit orelse "dev");
-    opts.addOption([]const u8, "git_version", git_version orelse "dev");
+    opts.addOption(?[]const u8, "git_version", git_version orelse null);
     opts.addOption(?[]const u8, "snapshot_path", snapshot_path);
 
     const enable_tsan = b.option(bool, "tsan", "Enable Thread Sanitizer") orelse false;
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index deee3cd7..1b5ffdb2 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -59,11 +59,11 @@ fn run(allocator: Allocator, main_arena: Allocator) !void {
             return std.process.cleanExit();
         },
         .version => {
-            const version = if (std.mem.eql(u8, lp.build_config.git_version, "dev"))
-                lp.build_config.git_commit
-            else
-                lp.build_config.git_version;
-            std.debug.print("{s}\n", .{version});
+            if (lp.build_config.git_version) |version| {
+                std.debug.print("{s} ({s})\n", .{ version, lp.build_config.git_commit });
+            } else {
+                std.debug.print("{s}\n", .{lp.build_config.git_commit});
+            }
             return std.process.cleanExit();
         },
         else => {},
diff --git a/src/telemetry/lightpanda.zig b/src/telemetry/lightpanda.zig
index 75552eeb..62ac2f99 100644
--- a/src/telemetry/lightpanda.zig
+++ b/src/telemetry/lightpanda.zig
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ const LightPandaEvent = struct {
         try writer.write(builtin.cpu.arch);
 
         try writer.objectField("version");
-        try writer.write(build_config.git_commit);
+        try writer.write(build_config.git_version orelse build_config.git_commit);
 
         try writer.objectField("event");
         try writer.write(@tagName(std.meta.activeTag(self.event)));