diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 953164a..c5dad08 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -47,10 +47,11 @@ The best way to install Muscadine is to head over to our [Releases](https://gith
 
 ## Build
 
-If you'd like to build Muscadine, make sure you have Go installed. Then run:
+If you'd like to build Muscadine, make sure you have [Go](https://golang.org/) and [dep](https://github.com/golang/dep) installed. Clone this repository, then run:
 
 ```
-go get -u github.com/arborchat/muscadine
+cd muscadine
+./build.sh
 ```
 
 ## Use
diff --git a/build-releases.sh b/build-releases.sh
index c59f7c2..83575f9 100755
--- a/build-releases.sh
+++ b/build-releases.sh
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ for os in darwin linux windows openbsd; do
     for arch in ${arch_for_os["$os"]}; do
         archive_name="$project-$os-$arch.tar.gz"
         echo "Building $project for $os on $arch"
-        env GOOS="$os" GOARCH="$arch" CGO_ENABLED=0 go build -o "$bin_name" &&\
+        env GOOS="$os" GOARCH="$arch" CGO_ENABLED=0 ./build.sh -o "$bin_name" &&\
         tar czf "$archive_name" "$bin_name" &&\
         rm "$bin_name"
         echo "Adding $archive_name to release $tag"
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..2188ba1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#usage: ./build.sh <options for `go build`>
+
+# find the directory containing this script
+script_dir="$(dirname "$(command -v "$0")")"
+
+# ensure that git commands are run from within this repository
+cd "$script_dir" || exit 1
+
+commit="$(git rev-parse HEAD)"
+suffix=""
+version_file="$(pwd)/version.go"
+
+# check if git is clean. If not, notify user and taint the build
+if ! git diff --exit-code > /dev/null 2>&1 ||\
+   ! git diff --cached --exit-code > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
+    suffix="-modified"
+    echo "Warning: your current working directory contains unstaged or uncommitted changes.
+Building a \"modified\" binary
+Run 'git diff && git diff --cached' to see your unmodified changes"
+fi
+
+# write the file and format it
+echo "package main; const Version = \"$commit$suffix\"" > "$version_file"
+gofmt -s -w "$version_file"
+
+# show the user
+echo "Wrote file $version_file"
+
+# ensure dependencies are clean
+dep ensure
+
+go build "$@"
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index ee46035..875eaad 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
+
 	"log"
 	"os"
 	"os/user"
@@ -70,11 +71,17 @@ func main() {
 		username          string
 		histfile, logfile string
 		histfileTemplate  = getDefaultHistFileTemplate()
+		version           bool
 	)
 	flag.StringVar(&username, "username", "muscadine", "Set your username on the server")
 	flag.StringVar(&histfile, "histfile", histfileTemplate, "Load/Store history in this file")
 	flag.StringVar(&logfile, "logfile", getDefaultLogFile(), "Write logs to this file")
+	flag.BoolVar(&version, "version", false, "Print version number and exit")
 	flag.Parse()
+	if version {
+		fmt.Printf("Muscadine %s\n", Version)
+		return
+	}
 	if len(flag.Args()) < 1 {
 		log.Fatal("Usage: " + os.Args[0] + " <ip>:<port>")
 	}
diff --git a/version.go b/version.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..504192d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/version.go
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+package main
+
+const Version = "go-get (unstable, use ./build.sh instead)"