diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ea190fb..f5012f7 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@
 .DS_Store
 *.pem
 
+# generated version info (regenerated by predev/prebuild/postversion)
+/src/generated/
+
 # debug
 npm-debug.log*
 yarn-debug.log*
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 8a47b0b..7c680bd 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -5,12 +5,13 @@
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
-    "build": "cross-env NODE_OPTIONS=\"--no-deprecation --max-old-space-size=8000\" next build --webpack",
-    "dev": "cross-env NODE_OPTIONS=--no-deprecation next dev --webpack",
-    "devsafe": "rm -rf .next && cross-env NODE_OPTIONS=--no-deprecation next dev --webpack",
-    "devturbo": "rm -rf .next && cross-env NODE_OPTIONS=--no-deprecation next dev --turbo",
+    "build": "bun run generate:version-info && cross-env NODE_OPTIONS=\"--no-deprecation --max-old-space-size=8000\" next build --webpack",
+    "dev": "bun run generate:version-info && cross-env NODE_OPTIONS=--no-deprecation next dev --webpack",
+    "devsafe": "rm -rf .next && bun run generate:version-info && cross-env NODE_OPTIONS=--no-deprecation next dev --webpack",
+    "devturbo": "rm -rf .next && bun run generate:version-info && cross-env NODE_OPTIONS=--no-deprecation next dev --turbo",
     "generate:importmap": "cross-env NODE_OPTIONS=--no-deprecation payload generate:importmap",
     "generate:types": "cross-env NODE_OPTIONS=--no-deprecation payload generate:types",
+    "generate:version-info": "bun run src/scripts/generateVersionInfo.ts",
     "lint": "cross-env NODE_OPTIONS=--no-deprecation next lint",
     "payload": "cross-env NODE_OPTIONS=--no-deprecation payload",
     "db": "cross-env NODE_OPTIONS=--no-deprecation pnpm drizzle-kit",
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@
     "test:int": "cross-env NODE_OPTIONS=--no-deprecation vitest run --config ./vitest.config.mts",
     "deploy": "bun pm version patch --message \"chore: update to %s\"",
     "preversion": "bun run build",
-    "postversion": "bash ./build/deploy.sh"
+    "postversion": "bun run generate:version-info && bash ./build/deploy.sh"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@dnd-kit/core": "^6.3.1",
diff --git a/src/app/api/version/route.ts b/src/app/api/version/route.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29749ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/api/version/route.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import { existsSync, readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import path from "node:path";
+import type { VersionInfo } from "@/lib/versionInfo";
+
+export const dynamic = "force-dynamic";
+export const runtime = "nodejs";
+
+const VERSION_INFO_PATH = path.join(
+  process.cwd(),
+  "src",
+  "generated",
+  "versionInfo.json",
+);
+
+const EMPTY: VersionInfo = {
+  version: null,
+  tag: null,
+  gitDescribe: null,
+  commitHash: null,
+  commitDate: null,
+  commitSubject: null,
+  buildTime: null,
+};
+
+const JSON_HEADERS = {
+  "Content-Type": "application/json",
+  "Cache-Control": "no-store",
+} as const;
+
+export async function GET(): Promise<Response> {
+  try {
+    if (!existsSync(VERSION_INFO_PATH)) {
+      return new Response(JSON.stringify(EMPTY), { headers: JSON_HEADERS, status: 200 });
+    }
+    const raw = readFileSync(VERSION_INFO_PATH, "utf8");
+    const data = JSON.parse(raw) as VersionInfo;
+    return new Response(JSON.stringify(data), { headers: JSON_HEADERS, status: 200 });
+  } catch {
+    return new Response(JSON.stringify(EMPTY), { headers: JSON_HEADERS, status: 200 });
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/components/static/VersionOverlay.tsx b/src/components/static/VersionOverlay.tsx
index 49ebd96..619bfcc 100644
--- a/src/components/static/VersionOverlay.tsx
+++ b/src/components/static/VersionOverlay.tsx
@@ -1,16 +1,73 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import type { VersionInfo } from "@/lib/versionInfo";
+
+const EMPTY: VersionInfo = {
+  version: null,
+  tag: null,
+  gitDescribe: null,
+  commitHash: null,
+  commitDate: null,
+  commitSubject: null,
+  buildTime: null,
+};
+
+function resolveVersionLabel(info: VersionInfo): string {
+  return info.gitDescribe ?? info.tag ?? info.version ?? "unknown version";
+}
+
+function formatCommitDate(iso: string | null): string | null {
+  if (!iso) return null;
+  const date = new Date(iso);
+  if (Number.isNaN(date.getTime())) return null;
+  return date.toLocaleString("en-US", {
+    year: "numeric",
+    month: "short",
+    day: "numeric",
+    hour: "2-digit",
+    minute: "2-digit",
+  });
+}
+
 const VersionOverlay = () => {
-  const appVersion = process.env.version;
-  const appLastUpdated = process.env.LAST_UPDATED;
+  const [info, setInfo] = useState<VersionInfo | null>(null);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    let cancelled = false;
+    void fetch("/api/version", { cache: "no-store" })
+      .then((res) => res.json() as Promise<VersionInfo>)
+      .then((data) => {
+        if (!cancelled) setInfo(data);
+      })
+      .catch(() => {
+        if (!cancelled) setInfo(EMPTY);
+      });
+    return () => {
+      cancelled = true;
+    };
+  }, []);
+
+  const resolved = info ?? EMPTY;
+  const versionLabel = resolveVersionLabel(resolved);
+  const lastUpdated = formatCommitDate(resolved.commitDate);
+  const commitInfo =
+    resolved.commitHash && resolved.commitSubject
+      ? `${resolved.commitHash} · ${resolved.commitSubject}`
+      : (resolved.commitHash ?? resolved.commitSubject ?? null);
+  const showSecondary = lastUpdated !== null || commitInfo !== null;
 
   return (
     <div className="fixed top-0 z-9999 w-full flex justify-center">
-      <div className="text-white flex flex-col items-center justify-between bg-red-950 w-fit px-2 rounded-b group overflow-hidden">
+      <div className="text-white flex flex-col items-center justify-center bg-red-950 w-fit px-2 rounded-b group overflow-hidden">
         <span className="text-center text-sm pointer-events-none">
-          {appVersion ? `version ${appVersion}` : "unknown version"}
+          version {versionLabel}
         </span>
-        {appLastUpdated && (
+        {showSecondary && (
           <span className="text-center text-xs h-0 group-hover:h-full pointer-events-none transition-all duration-100 ease-in-out">
-            last updated {new Date(Number(appLastUpdated) * 1000).toLocaleString()}
+            {lastUpdated && <>last updated {lastUpdated}</>}
+            {lastUpdated && commitInfo && <br />}
+            {commitInfo && <>{commitInfo}</>}
           </span>
         )}
       </div>
diff --git a/src/lib/versionInfo.ts b/src/lib/versionInfo.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5434255
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/versionInfo.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+export interface VersionInfo {
+  version: string | null;
+  tag: string | null;
+  gitDescribe: string | null;
+  commitHash: string | null;
+  commitDate: string | null;
+  commitSubject: string | null;
+  buildTime: string | null;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/scripts/generateVersionInfo.ts b/src/scripts/generateVersionInfo.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7fb47be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/scripts/generateVersionInfo.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+/**
+ * Generates src/generated/versionInfo.json with the project's current version,
+ * git tag/describe info, and the last commit's metadata. Consumed by the admin
+ * VersionOverlay via GET /api/version (the file is read at runtime so a fresh
+ * post-bump regeneration rsync'd to the server shows up without a rebuild).
+ *
+ * Gracefully no-ops on missing git metadata (no .git, no tags) so the JSON
+ * always exists with whatever fields are resolvable.
+ */
+import { execSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { existsSync, mkdirSync, readFileSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+
+const here = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
+const projectRoot = path.resolve(here, "..", "..");
+
+function git(args: string): string | null {
+  try {
+    const out = execSync(`git ${args}`, { cwd: projectRoot, encoding: "utf8" });
+    const trimmed = out.trim();
+    return trimmed.length > 0 ? trimmed : null;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+function readPackageVersion(): string | null {
+  try {
+    const pkg = JSON.parse(readFileSync(path.join(projectRoot, "package.json"), "utf8"));
+    return typeof pkg?.version === "string" && pkg.version.length > 0 ? pkg.version : null;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+function main(): void {
+  const version = readPackageVersion();
+  const tag = git("describe --tags --always --abbrev=0");
+  const gitDescribe = git("describe --tags --always --abbrev=7");
+  const commitHash = git("rev-parse --short HEAD");
+  const commitDate = git("log -1 --format=%cI");
+  const commitSubject = git("log -1 --format=%s");
+  const buildTime = new Date().toISOString();
+
+  const info = {
+    version,
+    tag,
+    gitDescribe,
+    commitHash,
+    commitDate,
+    commitSubject,
+    buildTime,
+  };
+
+  const outDir = path.join(projectRoot, "src", "generated");
+  if (!existsSync(outDir)) {
+    mkdirSync(outDir, { recursive: true });
+  }
+  writeFileSync(
+    path.join(outDir, "versionInfo.json"),
+    `${JSON.stringify(info, null, 2)}\n`,
+    "utf8",
+  );
+
+  const label = gitDescribe ?? tag ?? version ?? "unknown";
+  console.log(`[version-info] wrote src/generated/versionInfo.json (${label})`);
+}
+
+main();
\ No newline at end of file