diff --git a/common.c b/common.c
index 5fae31af..2376ae48 100644
--- a/common.c
+++ b/common.c
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@
 #include <syslog.h>
 #endif
 
+#include "build_details.h"
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_ALSA
 void set_alsa_out_dev(char *);
 #endif
@@ -1282,11 +1284,15 @@ char *get_version_string() {
   char *version_string = malloc(1024);
   if (version_string) {
     strcpy(version_string, PACKAGE_VERSION);
+    if (strlen(GITDESCRIPTION)) {
+      strcat(version_string, "-");
+      strcat(version_string, GITDESCRIPTION);
+    }
 #ifdef CONFIG_LIBDAEMON
-    strcat(version_string, "-libdaemon");
+  strcat(version_string, "-libdaemon");
 #endif
 #ifdef CONFIG_MBEDTLS
-    strcat(version_string, "-mbedTLS");
+  strcat(version_string, "-mbedTLS");
 #endif
 #ifdef CONFIG_POLARSSL
     strcat(version_string, "-PolarSSL");
diff --git a/shairport.c b/shairport.c
index cb9f132c..54573004 100644
--- a/shairport.c
+++ b/shairport.c
@@ -1510,6 +1510,19 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
   // make sure the program can create files that group and world can read
   umask(S_IWGRP | S_IWOTH);
 
+
+  /* print out version */
+
+  char *version_dbs = get_version_string();
+  if (version_dbs) {
+    debug(1, "software version: \"%s\"", version_dbs);
+    free(version_dbs);
+  } else {
+    debug(1, "can't print the version information!");
+  }
+  
+  debug(1, "log verbosity is %d.", debuglev);
+
   config.output = audio_get_output(config.output_name);
   if (!config.output) {
     audio_ls_outputs();
@@ -1555,18 +1568,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
           BUFFER_FRAMES * 352 - 22050);
   }
 
-  /* print out version */
-
-  char *version_dbs = get_version_string();
-  if (version_dbs) {
-    debug(1, "software version: \"%s\"", version_dbs);
-    free(version_dbs);
-  } else {
-    debug(1, "can't print the version information!");
-  }
-
   /* Print out options */
-  debug(1, "log verbosity is %d.", debuglev);
   debug(1, "disable resend requests is %s.", config.disable_resend_requests ? "on" : "off");
   debug(1, "diagnostic_drop_packet_fraction is %f. A value of 0.0 means no packets will be dropped "
            "deliberately.",