diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3fd45a3071d..ceddc3373a5 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -62,10 +62,10 @@ endif
 .PHONY: build-flags
 build-flags: pre-build
 	$(eval BUILD_LDFLAGS := $(LDFLAGS))
-	$(eval BUILD_LDFLAGS += -X 'github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/api.buildstamp=$(BUILD_DATE)')
-	$(eval BUILD_LDFLAGS += -X 'github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/api.githash=$(GITHASH)')
-	$(eval BUILD_LDFLAGS += -X 'github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/api.version=$(STASH_VERSION)')
-	$(eval BUILD_LDFLAGS += -X 'github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/manager/config.officialBuild=$(OFFICIAL_BUILD)')
+	$(eval BUILD_LDFLAGS += -X 'github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/build.buildstamp=$(BUILD_DATE)')
+	$(eval BUILD_LDFLAGS += -X 'github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/build.githash=$(GITHASH)')
+	$(eval BUILD_LDFLAGS += -X 'github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/build.version=$(STASH_VERSION)')
+	$(eval BUILD_LDFLAGS += -X 'github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/build.officialBuild=$(OFFICIAL_BUILD)')
 	$(eval BUILD_FLAGS := -v -tags "$(GO_BUILD_TAGS)" $(GO_BUILD_FLAGS) -ldflags "$(BUILD_LDFLAGS)")
 
 # builds a dynamically-linked debug binary
diff --git a/internal/api/check_version.go b/internal/api/check_version.go
index a2da99c9a06..b19727ab8c6 100644
--- a/internal/api/check_version.go
+++ b/internal/api/check_version.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 
 	"golang.org/x/sys/cpu"
 
+	"github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/build"
 	"github.com/stashapp/stash/pkg/logger"
 )
 
@@ -170,7 +171,7 @@ func GetLatestRelease(ctx context.Context) (*LatestRelease, error) {
 	wantedRelease := stashReleases()[platform]
 
 	url := apiReleases
-	if IsDevelop() {
+	if build.IsDevelop() {
 		// get the release tagged with the development tag
 		url += "/tags/" + developmentTag
 	} else {
@@ -213,7 +214,7 @@ func GetLatestRelease(ctx context.Context) (*LatestRelease, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	_, githash, _ := GetVersion()
+	_, githash, _ := build.Version()
 	shLength := len(githash)
 	if shLength == 0 {
 		shLength = defaultSHLength
@@ -273,7 +274,7 @@ func printLatestVersion(ctx context.Context) {
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Errorf("Couldn't retrieve latest version: %v", err)
 	} else {
-		_, githash, _ = GetVersion()
+		_, githash, _ := build.Version()
 		switch {
 		case githash == "":
 			logger.Infof("Latest version: %s (%s)", latestRelease.Version, latestRelease.ShortHash)
diff --git a/internal/api/resolver.go b/internal/api/resolver.go
index 0e1d33bbed7..3932270b794 100644
--- a/internal/api/resolver.go
+++ b/internal/api/resolver.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"sort"
 	"strconv"
 
+	"github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/build"
 	"github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/manager"
 	"github.com/stashapp/stash/pkg/logger"
 	"github.com/stashapp/stash/pkg/models"
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ func (r *queryResolver) Stats(ctx context.Context) (*StatsResultType, error) {
 }
 
 func (r *queryResolver) Version(ctx context.Context) (*Version, error) {
-	version, hash, buildtime := GetVersion()
+	version, hash, buildtime := build.Version()
 
 	return &Version{
 		Version:   &version,
diff --git a/internal/api/server.go b/internal/api/server.go
index 6450a27b43f..217d68543e5 100644
--- a/internal/api/server.go
+++ b/internal/api/server.go
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"path"
-	"regexp"
 	"runtime/debug"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -30,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/go-chi/cors"
 	"github.com/go-chi/httplog"
 	"github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/api/loaders"
+	"github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/build"
 	"github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/manager"
 	"github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/manager/config"
 	"github.com/stashapp/stash/pkg/fsutil"
@@ -46,10 +46,6 @@ const (
 	playgroundEndpoint = "/playground"
 )
 
-var version string
-var buildstamp string
-var githash string
-
 var uiBox = ui.UIBox
 var loginUIBox = ui.LoginUIBox
 
@@ -270,7 +266,7 @@ func Start() error {
 		TLSNextProto: make(map[string]func(*http.Server, *tls.Conn, http.Handler)),
 	}
 
-	printVersion()
+	logger.Infof("stash version: %s\n", build.VersionString())
 	go printLatestVersion(context.TODO())
 	logger.Infof("stash is listening on " + address)
 	if tlsConfig != nil {
@@ -390,49 +386,6 @@ func customLocalesHandler(c *config.Instance) func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *htt
 	}
 }
 
-func printVersion() {
-	var versionString string
-	switch {
-	case version != "":
-		if githash != "" && !IsDevelop() {
-			versionString = version + " (" + githash + ")"
-		} else {
-			versionString = version
-		}
-	case githash != "":
-		versionString = githash
-	default:
-		versionString = "unknown"
-	}
-	if config.IsOfficialBuild() {
-		versionString += " - Official Build"
-	} else {
-		versionString += " - Unofficial Build"
-	}
-	if buildstamp != "" {
-		versionString += " - " + buildstamp
-	}
-	logger.Infof("stash version: %s\n", versionString)
-}
-
-func GetVersion() (string, string, string) {
-	return version, githash, buildstamp
-}
-
-func IsDevelop() bool {
-	if githash == "" {
-		return false
-	}
-
-	// if the version is suffixed with -x-xxxx, then we are running a development build
-	develop := false
-	re := regexp.MustCompile(`-\d+-g\w+$`)
-	if re.MatchString(version) {
-		develop = true
-	}
-	return develop
-}
-
 func makeTLSConfig(c *config.Instance) (*tls.Config, error) {
 	c.InitTLS()
 	certFile, keyFile := c.GetTLSFiles()
diff --git a/internal/build/version.go b/internal/build/version.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..84c5f819f4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/build/version.go
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+package build
+
+import (
+	"regexp"
+)
+
+var version string
+var buildstamp string
+var githash string
+var officialBuild string
+
+func Version() (string, string, string) {
+	return version, githash, buildstamp
+}
+
+func VersionString() string {
+	var versionString string
+	switch {
+	case version != "":
+		if githash != "" && !IsDevelop() {
+			versionString = version + " (" + githash + ")"
+		} else {
+			versionString = version
+		}
+	case githash != "":
+		versionString = githash
+	default:
+		versionString = "unknown"
+	}
+	if IsOfficial() {
+		versionString += " - Official Build"
+	} else {
+		versionString += " - Unofficial Build"
+	}
+	if buildstamp != "" {
+		versionString += " - " + buildstamp
+	}
+	return versionString
+}
+
+func IsOfficial() bool {
+	return officialBuild == "true"
+}
+
+func IsDevelop() bool {
+	if githash == "" {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	// if the version is suffixed with -x-xxxx, then we are running a development build
+	develop := false
+	re := regexp.MustCompile(`-\d+-g\w+$`)
+	if re.MatchString(version) {
+		develop = true
+	}
+	return develop
+}
diff --git a/internal/desktop/desktop.go b/internal/desktop/desktop.go
index 91d87ac10be..1e69a6c76cf 100644
--- a/internal/desktop/desktop.go
+++ b/internal/desktop/desktop.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/pkg/browser"
+	"github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/build"
 	"github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/manager/config"
 	"github.com/stashapp/stash/pkg/fsutil"
 	"github.com/stashapp/stash/pkg/logger"
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ func writeStashIcon(faviconProvider FaviconProvider) {
 func IsAllowedAutoUpdate() bool {
 
 	// Only try to update if downloaded from official sources
-	if !config.IsOfficialBuild() {
+	if !build.IsOfficial() {
 		return false
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/manager/config/config.go b/internal/manager/config/config.go
index 2a242c114a3..3a339a13687 100644
--- a/internal/manager/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/manager/config/config.go
@@ -23,8 +23,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stashapp/stash/pkg/models/paths"
 )
 
-var officialBuild string
-
 const (
 	Stash               = "stash"
 	Cache               = "cache"
@@ -275,10 +273,6 @@ func (s *StashBoxError) Error() string {
 	return "Stash-box: " + s.msg
 }
 
-func IsOfficialBuild() bool {
-	return officialBuild == "true"
-}
-
 type Instance struct {
 	// main instance - backed by config file
 	main *viper.Viper
diff --git a/internal/manager/config/init.go b/internal/manager/config/init.go
index 37a19143692..18cda5aa764 100644
--- a/internal/manager/config/init.go
+++ b/internal/manager/config/init.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 
+	"github.com/stashapp/stash/internal/build"
 	"github.com/stashapp/stash/pkg/fsutil"
 	"github.com/stashapp/stash/pkg/logger"
 )
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ type flagStruct struct {
 	cpuProfilePath string
 	nobrowser      bool
 	helpFlag       bool
+	versionFlag    bool
 }
 
 func GetInstance() *Instance {
@@ -47,6 +49,11 @@ func Initialize() (*Instance, error) {
 			os.Exit(0)
 		}
 
+		if flags.versionFlag {
+			fmt.Printf(build.VersionString() + "\n")
+			os.Exit(0)
+		}
+
 		overrides := makeOverrideConfig()
 
 		_ = GetInstance()
@@ -134,6 +141,7 @@ func initFlags() flagStruct {
 	pflag.StringVar(&flags.cpuProfilePath, "cpuprofile", "", "write cpu profile to file")
 	pflag.BoolVar(&flags.nobrowser, "nobrowser", false, "Don't open a browser window after launch")
 	pflag.BoolVarP(&flags.helpFlag, "help", "h", false, "show this help text and exit")
+	pflag.BoolVarP(&flags.versionFlag, "version", "v", false, "show version number and exit")
 
 	pflag.Parse()