diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index aad7f54d..afad8123 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,16 +7,32 @@ add_definitions("-Wall -Wextra -Wno-unused-parameter")
 set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH} ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/CMake)
 
 if(EXISTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/.git")
-  execute_process(
-    COMMAND git describe --always
-    OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_COMMIT_HASH
-    OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
-  )
+    execute_process(
+        COMMAND git describe --always
+        OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_COMMIT_HASH
+        OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
+    )
+    execute_process(
+        COMMAND  git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD
+        OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_BRANCH
+        OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
+    )
 endif(EXISTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/.git")
 
-SET(GIT_VERSION_FLAG "-DSWAY_GIT_VERSION=\"${GIT_COMMIT_HASH}\"")
+SET(VERSION_GIT_COMMIT_FLAG "-DSWAY_GIT_VERSION=\"g${GIT_COMMIT_HASH}\"")
+add_definitions("${VERSION_GIT_COMMIT_FLAG}")
 
-add_definitions("${GIT_VERSION_FLAG}")
+SET(VERSION_GIT_BRANCH_FLAG "-DSWAY_GIT_BRANCH=\"${GIT_BRANCH}\"")
+add_definitions("${VERSION_GIT_BRANCH_FLAG}")
+
+execute_process(
+    COMMAND date +"%Y-%m-%d"
+    OUTPUT_VARIABLE CURRENT_DATE
+    OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
+)
+
+SET(VERSION_DATE_FLAG "-DSWAY_VERSION_DATE=${CURRENT_DATE}")
+add_definitions("${VERSION_DATE_FLAG}")
 
 find_package(XKBCommon REQUIRED)
 find_package(WLC REQUIRED)
diff --git a/sway/ipc.c b/sway/ipc.c
index d278c0a0..44891005 100644
--- a/sway/ipc.c
+++ b/sway/ipc.c
@@ -225,14 +225,30 @@ void ipc_client_handle_command(struct ipc_client *client) {
 	}
 	case IPC_GET_VERSION:
 	{
+#if defined SWAY_GIT_VERSION && defined SWAY_GIT_BRANCH && defined SWAY_VERSION_DATE
+		char *full_version = calloc(strlen(SWAY_GIT_VERSION) + strlen(SWAY_GIT_BRANCH) + strlen(SWAY_VERSION_DATE) + 20, 1);
+		strcat(full_version, SWAY_GIT_VERSION);
+		strcat(full_version, " (");
+		strcat(full_version, SWAY_VERSION_DATE);
+		strcat(full_version, ", branch \"");
+		strcat(full_version, SWAY_GIT_BRANCH);
+		strcat(full_version, "\")");
 		json_object *json = json_object_new_object();
-		json_object_object_add(json, "human_readable", json_object_new_string(SWAY_GIT_VERSION));
+		json_object_object_add(json, "human_readable", json_object_new_string(full_version));
+		// Todo once we actually release a version
 		json_object_object_add(json, "major", json_object_new_int(0));
 		json_object_object_add(json, "minor", json_object_new_int(0));
 		json_object_object_add(json, "patch", json_object_new_int(1));
+#else
+		json_object_object_add(json, "human_readable", json_object_new_string("version not found"));
+		json_object_object_add(json, "major", json_object_new_int(0));
+		json_object_object_add(json, "minor", json_object_new_int(0));
+		json_object_object_add(json, "patch", json_object_new_int(0));
+#endif
 		const char *json_string = json_object_to_json_string(json);
 		ipc_send_reply(client, json_string, (uint32_t) strlen(json_string));
 		json_object_put(json); // free
+		free(full_version);
 		break;
 	}
 	default:
diff --git a/sway/main.c b/sway/main.c
index 3591e7ff..01c19074 100644
--- a/sway/main.c
+++ b/sway/main.c
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 			debug = 1;
 			break;
 		case 'v': // version
-#ifdef SWAY_GIT_VERSION
-			fprintf(stdout, "sway build %s\n", SWAY_GIT_VERSION);
+#if defined SWAY_GIT_VERSION && defined SWAY_GIT_BRANCH && defined SWAY_VERSION_DATE
+			fprintf(stdout, "sway version %s (%s, branch \"%s\")\n", SWAY_GIT_VERSION, SWAY_VERSION_DATE, SWAY_GIT_BRANCH);
 #else
 			fprintf(stdout, "version not detected\n");
 #endif