diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index cff10b6f..affc35c3 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -40,8 +40,14 @@ endif()
 #
 # Version
 #
-execute_process(COMMAND git rev-parse --short HEAD OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_REV ERROR_QUIET)
-file(GENERATE OUTPUT ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/VERSION CONTENT "${GIT_REV}")
+execute_process(COMMAND git describe --tags
+    OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_DESCRIBE_RESULT
+    WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR})
+message(STATUS "Version: ${GIT_DESCRIBE_RESULT}")
+string(STRIP "${GIT_DESCRIBE_RESULT}" ION_KIT_VERSION_S)
+add_definitions("-DION_KIT_VERSION=\"${ION_KIT_VERSION_S}\"")
+string(REPLACE "v" "" ION_KIT_VERSION ${ION_KIT_VERSION_S})
+file(GENERATE OUTPUT ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/VERSION CONTENT "${ION_KIT_VERSION_S}")
 
 #
 # ion utilities
@@ -185,11 +191,5 @@ if (UNIX)
 else ()
     set(CPACK_GENERATOR "ZIP")
 endif ()
-execute_process(COMMAND git describe --tags
-    OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_DESCRIBE_RESULT
-    WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR})
-message(STATUS "Version: ${GIT_DESCRIBE_RESULT}")
-string(STRIP "${GIT_DESCRIBE_RESULT}" ION_KIT_VERSION_S)
-string(REPLACE "v" "" ION_KIT_VERSION ${ION_KIT_VERSION_S})
 set(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION ${ION_KIT_VERSION})
-include(CPack)
\ No newline at end of file
+include(CPack)
diff --git a/src/log.cc b/src/log.cc
index fc1efc47..8ccde7a4 100644
--- a/src/log.cc
+++ b/src/log.cc
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ struct Logger {
          auto logger = std::make_shared<spdlog::logger>("ion", spdlog::sinks_init_list{console_sink, file_sink});
          logger->set_level(spdlog::level::trace);
 
+         logger->debug("ion-kit version is {}", ION_KIT_VERSION);
+
          spdlog::register_logger(logger);
      }
 } logger;