diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b945d79f5..2ad142855 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 
+version = v0.27.0 pre-release
+
 goBinary = go
-gcflags = '-c 3 -B -wb=false'
+gcflags = -c 3 -B -wb=false
+ldflags = -s -w
+ldflags_version = $(ldflags) -X 'github.com/jetsetilly/gopher2600/version.number=$(version)'
 profilingRom = /home/steve/Desktop/2600_dev/zackattack/waterbed-bouncers-2600/source/bouncers.bin
 
 
+### support targets
 .PHONY: all clean tidy generate check_git check_glsl glsl_validate check_pandoc readme_spell
 
 all:
@@ -62,48 +67,50 @@ race_debug: generate test
 ### profiling targets
 .PHONY: profile profile_cpu profile_cpu_play profile_cpu_debug profile_mem_play profile_mem_debug profile_trace
 
+ldflags_profile= $(ldflags) -X 'github.com/jetsetilly/gopher2600/version.number=profiling'
+
 profile:
 	@echo use make targets profile_cpu, profile_mem, etc.
 
 profile_cpu: generate test
-	@$(goBinary) build -gcflags $(gcflags)
+	@$(goBinary) build -gcflags "$(gcflags)" -ldflags "$(ldflags_profile)"
 	@echo "performance mode running for 20s"
 	@./gopher2600 performance -profile=cpu -duration=20s $(profilingRom)
 	@$(goBinary) tool pprof -http : ./gopher2600 performance_cpu.profile
 
 profile_cpu_play: generate test
-	@$(goBinary) build -gcflags $(gcflags)
+	@$(goBinary) build -gcflags "$(gcflags)" -ldflags "$(ldflags_profile)"
 	@echo "use window close button to end (CTRL-C will quit the Makefile script)"
 	@./gopher2600 play -profile=cpu -elf=none $(profilingRom)
 	@$(goBinary) tool pprof -http : ./gopher2600 play_cpu.profile
 
 profile_cpu_debug : generate test
-	@$(goBinary) build -gcflags $(gcflags)
+	@$(goBinary) build -gcflags "$(gcflags)" -ldflags "$(ldflags_profile)"
 	@echo "use window close button to end (CTRL-C will quit the Makefile script)"
 	@./gopher2600 debug -profile=cpu -elf=none $(profilingRom)
 	@$(goBinary) tool pprof -http : ./gopher2600 debugger_cpu.profile
 
 profile_mem_play : generate test
-	@$(goBinary) build -gcflags $(gcflags)
+	@$(goBinary) build -gcflags "$(gcflags)" -ldflags "$(ldflags_profile)"
 	@echo "use window close button to end (CTRL-C will quit the Makefile script)"
 	@./gopher2600 play -profile=mem -elf=none $(profilingRom)
 	@$(goBinary) tool pprof -http : ./gopher2600 play_mem.profile
 
 profile_mem_debug : generate test
-	@$(goBinary) build -gcflags $(gcflags)
+	@$(goBinary) build -gcflags "$(gcflags)" -ldflags "$(ldflags_profile)"
 	@echo "use window close button to end (CTRL-C will quit the Makefile script)"
 	@./gopher2600 debug -profile=mem -elf=none $(profilingRom)
 	@$(goBinary) tool pprof -http : ./gopher2600 debugger_mem.profile
 
 profile_trace: generate test
-	@$(goBinary) build -gcflags $(gcflags)
+	@$(goBinary) build -gcflags "$(gcflags)" -ldflags "$(ldflags_profile)"
 	@echo "performance mode running for 20s"
 	@./gopher2600 performance -profile=trace -duration=20s $(profilingRom)
 	@$(goBinary) tool trace -http : performance_trace.profile
 
 
 ### binary building targets for host platform
-.PHONY: fontrendering build release
+.PHONY: fontrendering build 
 
 # whether or not we build with freetype font rendering depends on the platform.
 # for now freetype doesn't seem to work on MacOS with an M2 CPU
@@ -114,15 +121,24 @@ fontrendering=imguifreetype
 endif
 
 build: fontrendering generate 
-	$(goBinary) build -pgo=auto -gcflags $(gcflags) -trimpath -tags="$(fontrendering)"
+	$(goBinary) build -pgo=auto -gcflags "$(gcflags)" -trimpath -ldflags "$(ldflags_version)" -tags="$(fontrendering)"
+
+### release building
+
+.PHONY: version_check release
 
-release: fontrendering generate 
-	$(goBinary) build -pgo=auto -gcflags $(gcflags) -trimpath -ldflags="-s -w" -tags="$(fontrendering) release"
+version_check :
+ifndef version
+	$(error version is undefined)
+endif
+
+release: version_check fontrendering generate 
+	$(goBinary) build -pgo=auto -gcflags "$(gcflags)" -trimpath -ldflags "$(ldflags_version)" -tags="$(fontrendering) release"
 	mv gopher2600 gopher2600_$(shell go env GOHOSTOS)_$(shell go env GOHOSTARCH)
 
 
 ### cross compilation for windows (tested when cross compiling from Linux)
-.PHONY: check_rscr windows_manifest cross_windows cross_windows_development cross_winconsole_development
+.PHONY: check_rscr windows_manifest cross_windows_release cross_windows_development cross_winconsole_development
 
 check_rscr:
 ifeq (, $(shell which rsrc))
@@ -132,14 +148,17 @@ endif
 windows_manifest: check_rscr
 	rsrc -ico .resources/256x256.ico,.resources/48x48.ico,.resources/32x32.ico,.resources/16x16.ico
 
-cross_windows: generate windows_manifest
-	CGO_ENABLED="1" CC="/usr/bin/x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc" CXX="/usr/bin/x86_64-w64-mingw32-g++" GOOS="windows" GOARCH="amd64" CGO_LDFLAGS="-static -static-libgcc -static-libstdc++ -L/usr/local/x86_64-w64-mingw32/lib" $(goBinary) build -pgo=auto -tags "static imguifreetype release" -gcflags $(gcflags) -trimpath -ldflags "-s -w -H=windowsgui" -o gopher2600_windows_amd64.exe .
+cross_windows_release: version_check windows_manifest generate
+	CGO_ENABLED="1" CC="/usr/bin/x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc" CXX="/usr/bin/x86_64-w64-mingw32-g++" GOOS="windows" GOARCH="amd64" CGO_LDFLAGS="-static -static-libgcc -static-libstdc++ -L/usr/local/x86_64-w64-mingw32/lib" $(goBinary) build -pgo=auto -tags "static imguifreetype release" -gcflags "$(gcflags)" -trimpath -ldflags "$(ldflags_version) -H=windowsgui" -o gopher2600_windows_amd64.exe .
 	rm rsrc_windows_amd64.syso
 
-cross_windows_development: generate windows_manifest
-	CGO_ENABLED="1" CC="/usr/bin/x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc" CXX="/usr/bin/x86_64-w64-mingw32-g++" GOOS="windows" GOARCH="amd64" CGO_LDFLAGS="-static -static-libgcc -static-libstdc++ -L/usr/local/x86_64-w64-mingw32/lib" $(goBinary) build -pgo=auto -tags "static imguifreetype release" -gcflags $(gcflags) -trimpath -ldflags "-s -w -H=windowsgui" -o gopher2600_windows_amd64_$(shell git rev-parse --short HEAD).exe .
+# intentionally using ldflags and not ldflags for
+# cross_windows_development and cross_winconsole_development
+
+cross_windows_development: windows_manifest generate
+	CGO_ENABLED="1" CC="/usr/bin/x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc" CXX="/usr/bin/x86_64-w64-mingw32-g++" GOOS="windows" GOARCH="amd64" CGO_LDFLAGS="-static -static-libgcc -static-libstdc++ -L/usr/local/x86_64-w64-mingw32/lib" $(goBinary) build -pgo=auto -tags "static imguifreetype release" -gcflags "$(gcflags)" -trimpath -ldflags "$(ldflags_version) -H=windowsgui" -o gopher2600_windows_amd64_$(shell git rev-parse --short HEAD).exe .
 	rm rsrc_windows_amd64.syso
 
-cross_winconsole_development: generate windows_manifest
-	CGO_ENABLED="1" CC="/usr/bin/x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc" CXX="/usr/bin/x86_64-w64-mingw32-g++" GOOS="windows" GOARCH="amd64" CGO_LDFLAGS="-static -static-libgcc -static-libstdc++ -L/usr/local/x86_64-w64-mingw32/lib" $(goBinary) build -pgo=auto -tags "static imguifreetype release" -gcflags $(gcflags) -trimpath -ldflags "-s -w -H=windows" -o gopher2600_winconsole_amd64_$(shell git rev-parse --short HEAD).exe .
+cross_winconsole_development: windows_manifest generate
+	CGO_ENABLED="1" CC="/usr/bin/x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc" CXX="/usr/bin/x86_64-w64-mingw32-g++" GOOS="windows" GOARCH="amd64" CGO_LDFLAGS="-static -static-libgcc -static-libstdc++ -L/usr/local/x86_64-w64-mingw32/lib" $(goBinary) build -pgo=auto -tags "static imguifreetype release" -gcflags "$(gcflags)" -trimpath -ldflags "$(ldflags_version) -H=windows" -o gopher2600_winconsole_amd64_$(shell git rev-parse --short HEAD).exe .
 	rm rsrc_windows_amd64.syso
diff --git a/debugger/commands.go b/debugger/commands.go
index bc9630371..5efbac9f9 100644
--- a/debugger/commands.go
+++ b/debugger/commands.go
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/jetsetilly/gopher2600/hardware/television/coords"
 	"github.com/jetsetilly/gopher2600/logger"
 	"github.com/jetsetilly/gopher2600/patch"
+	"github.com/jetsetilly/gopher2600/version"
 )
 
 var debuggerCommands *commandline.Commands
@@ -2050,6 +2051,7 @@ func (dbg *Debugger) processTokens(tokens *commandline.Tokens) error {
 	case cmdLog:
 		option, ok := tokens.Get()
 		if ok {
+			option = strings.ToUpper(option)
 			switch option {
 			case "LAST":
 				s := &strings.Builder{}
@@ -2084,6 +2086,18 @@ func (dbg *Debugger) processTokens(tokens *commandline.Tokens) error {
 		s.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("  NumGC = %v", m.NumGC))
 
 		dbg.printLine(terminal.StyleLog, s.String())
+
+	case cmdVersion:
+		dbg.printLine(terminal.StyleLog, version.Version)
+
+		option, ok := tokens.Get()
+		if ok {
+			option = strings.ToUpper(option)
+			switch option {
+			case "REVISION":
+				dbg.printLine(terminal.StyleLog, version.Revision)
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/debugger/commands_help.go b/debugger/commands_help.go
index 24040142c..71e80a5ca 100644
--- a/debugger/commands_help.go
+++ b/debugger/commands_help.go
@@ -521,4 +521,7 @@ The ONTRACE command can be used to supplement the TRACE output with contextual i
 Note that while "ONSTEP LOG LAST" is a valid construct it may not print what you expect - it will always print the last
 log entry after every step, even if the last log entry is not new. "ONSTEP LOG LAST; LOG CLEAR" is maybe more intuitive
 but with the maybe unwanted side effect of clearing the log.`,
+
+	cmdMemUsage: "Print memory usage information",
+	cmdVersion:  "Print version information for the emulator",
 }
diff --git a/debugger/commands_template.go b/debugger/commands_template.go
index f6f226b22..a8eba912d 100644
--- a/debugger/commands_template.go
+++ b/debugger/commands_template.go
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ const (
 	// meta.
 	cmdLog      = "LOG"
 	cmdMemUsage = "MEMUSAGE"
+	cmdVersion  = "VERSION"
 )
 
 const cmdHelp = "HELP"
@@ -143,6 +144,7 @@ var commandTemplate = []string{
 	// emulation
 	cmdLog + " (LAST|RECENT|CLEAR)",
 	cmdMemUsage,
+	cmdVersion + " (REVISION)",
 }
 
 // list of commands that should not be executed when recording/playing scripts.
diff --git a/gopher2600.go b/gopher2600.go
index 02f26ec19..b45a4ec10 100644
--- a/gopher2600.go
+++ b/gopher2600.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/jetsetilly/gopher2600/recorder"
 	"github.com/jetsetilly/gopher2600/regression"
 	"github.com/jetsetilly/gopher2600/resources"
+	"github.com/jetsetilly/gopher2600/version"
 )
 
 // communication between the main goroutine and the launch goroutine.
@@ -220,7 +221,7 @@ func launch(sync *mainSync) {
 	md := &modalflag.Modes{Output: os.Stdout}
 	md.NewArgs(os.Args[1:])
 	md.NewMode()
-	md.AddSubModes("RUN", "PLAY", "DEBUG", "DISASM", "PERFORMANCE", "REGRESS")
+	md.AddSubModes("RUN", "PLAY", "DEBUG", "DISASM", "PERFORMANCE", "REGRESS", "VERSION")
 
 	p, err := md.Parse()
 	switch p {
@@ -252,6 +253,9 @@ func launch(sync *mainSync) {
 
 	case "REGRESS":
 		err = regress(md, sync)
+
+	case "VERSION":
+		err = showVersion(md)
 	}
 
 	if err != nil {
@@ -803,6 +807,25 @@ with the LOG mode. Note that asking for log output will suppress regression prog
 	return nil
 }
 
+func showVersion(md *modalflag.Modes) error {
+	md.NewMode()
+	revision := md.AddBool("revision", false,
+		"display revision information from version control system (if available)")
+
+	p, err := md.Parse()
+	if err != nil || p != modalflag.ParseContinue {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	fmt.Println(version.Version)
+
+	if *revision {
+		fmt.Println(version.Revision)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // nopWriter is an empty writer.
 type nopWriter struct{}
 
diff --git a/gui/sdlimgui/platform.go b/gui/sdlimgui/platform.go
index 3e635f780..03786ec89 100644
--- a/gui/sdlimgui/platform.go
+++ b/gui/sdlimgui/platform.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/inkyblackness/imgui-go/v4"
 	"github.com/jetsetilly/gopher2600/logger"
+	"github.com/jetsetilly/gopher2600/version"
 	"github.com/veandco/go-sdl2/sdl"
 )
 
@@ -126,9 +127,9 @@ func newPlatform(img *SdlImgui) (*platform, error) {
 		profile_s = " ES"
 	}
 
-	var version sdl.Version
-	sdl.VERSION(&version)
-	logger.Logf("sdl", "version %d.%d.%d", version.Major, version.Minor, version.Patch)
+	var sdlVersion sdl.Version
+	sdl.VERSION(&sdlVersion)
+	logger.Logf("sdl", "version %d.%d.%d", sdlVersion.Major, sdlVersion.Minor, sdlVersion.Patch)
 	logger.Logf("sdl", "using GL version %d.%d%s", major, minor, profile_s)
 
 	plt := &platform{
@@ -145,7 +146,7 @@ func newPlatform(img *SdlImgui) (*platform, error) {
 	// map sdl key codes to imgui codes
 	plt.setKeyMapping()
 
-	plt.window, err = sdl.CreateWindow(windowTitle,
+	plt.window, err = sdl.CreateWindow(fmt.Sprintf("%s (%s)", windowTitle, version.Version),
 		sdl.WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED, sdl.WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED,
 		int32(float32(plt.mode.W)*0.80), int32(float32(plt.mode.H)*0.80),
 		sdl.WINDOW_OPENGL|sdl.WINDOW_ALLOW_HIGHDPI|sdl.WINDOW_RESIZABLE|sdl.WINDOW_HIDDEN|sdl.WINDOW_FOREIGN)
diff --git a/version/doc.go b/version/doc.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7b983d423
--- /dev/null
+++ b/version/doc.go
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+// This file is part of Gopher2600.
+//
+// Gopher2600 is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// Gopher2600 is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with Gopher2600.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+// Package version provides a version string that can be used to indicate the
+// version number of the project.
+package version
diff --git a/version/version.go b/version/version.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..69b5892af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/version/version.go
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+// This file is part of Gopher2600.
+//
+// Gopher2600 is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// Gopher2600 is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with Gopher2600.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+package version
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"runtime/debug"
+)
+
+// if number is empty then the project was probably not built using the makefile
+var number string
+
+// Version contains a the current version number of the project
+//
+// If the version string is "development" then it means that the project has
+// been manually built (ie. not with the makefile). However, there is git
+// information and so can be discerned to be part of the development process
+//
+// If the version string is "unknown" then it means that there is no no version
+// number and no git information. This can happen when compiling/running with
+// "go run ."
+var Version string
+
+// Revision contains the git revision hash. If the source has been modified but
+// has not been committed then the Revision string will be suffixed with
+// "[modified]"
+var Revision string
+
+func init() {
+	var vcs bool
+	var revision string
+	var modified bool
+
+	info, ok := debug.ReadBuildInfo()
+	if ok {
+		for _, v := range info.Settings {
+			switch v.Key {
+			case "vcs":
+				vcs = true
+			case "vcs.revision":
+				revision = v.Value
+			case "vcs.modified":
+				switch v.Value {
+				case "true":
+					modified = true
+				default:
+					modified = false
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	if revision == "" {
+		Revision = "no revision information"
+	} else {
+		Revision = revision
+		if modified {
+			Revision = fmt.Sprintf("%s [modified]", Revision)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if number == "" {
+		if vcs {
+			Version = "development"
+		} else {
+			Version = "unknown"
+		}
+	} else {
+		Version = number
+	}
+}