diff --git a/flag.go b/flag.go
index a6901c9..8253b84 100644
--- a/flag.go
+++ b/flag.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func parseCliArgs() {
 	flag.Parse()
 
 	if versionFlag {
-		fmt.Println("Mycorrhiza Wiki", version.FormatVersion())
+		fmt.Println("Mycorrhiza Wiki", version.Long)
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 5fcf83f..f098052 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func main() {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	log.Println("Running Mycorrhiza Wiki", version.FormatVersion())
+	log.Println("Running Mycorrhiza Wiki", version.Short)
 	if err := os.Chdir(files.HyphaeDir()); err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/misc/about.go b/misc/about.go
index 35b80f9..cd348f6 100644
--- a/misc/about.go
+++ b/misc/about.go
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func AboutHTML(lc *l18n.Localizer) string {
 		log.Fatalln(err)
 	}
 	data := aboutData
-	data.Version = version.FormatVersion()
+	data.Version = version.Short
 	data.Admins = user.ListUsersWithGroup("admin")
 	data.UserCount = user.Count()
 	data.RegistrationLimit = cfg.RegistrationLimit
diff --git a/version/version.go b/version/version.go
index 84dcd39..4276d58 100644
--- a/version/version.go
+++ b/version/version.go
@@ -8,37 +8,39 @@ import (
 	"github.com/bouncepaw/mycorrhiza/help"
 )
 
-var tag = "unknown"
+// Long is the full version string, including VCS information, that looks like
+// x.y.z+hash-dirty.
+var Long string
+
+// Short is the human-friendly x.y.z part of the long version string.
+var Short string
+
 var versionRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(`This is documentation for \*\*Mycorrhiza Wiki\*\* (.*).`)
 
 func init() {
 	if b, err := help.Get("en"); err == nil {
 		matches := versionRegexp.FindSubmatch(b)
 		if matches != nil {
-			tag = "v" + string(matches[1])
+			Short = string(matches[1])
 		}
 	}
-}
 
-func FormatVersion() string {
-	var commit, dirty string
+	Long = Short
 	info, ok := debug.ReadBuildInfo()
-
 	if ok {
 		for _, setting := range info.Settings {
 			if setting.Key == "vcs.revision" {
-				commit = "+" + setting.Value
-				if len(commit) > 8 {
-					commit = commit[:8]
+				val := setting.Value
+				if len(val) > 7 {
+					val = val[:7]
 				}
+				Long += "+" + val
 			} else if setting.Key == "vcs.modified" {
 				modified, err := strconv.ParseBool(setting.Value)
 				if err == nil && modified {
-					dirty = "-dirty"
+					Long += "-dirty"
 				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
-
-	return tag + commit + dirty
 }