diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index b55a26c5..77f033c5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: build
         run: |
           yarn
-          make linux
+          VIV_VERSION="${{ github.ref_name }}" make linux
       - name: upload artifact
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: build
         run: |
           yarn
-          make macos
+          VIV_VERSION="${{ github.ref_name }}" make macos
       - name: upload artifact
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index bb7e22ee..8049edee 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ EXE_PATH_MACOS=$(BUILD_DIR_MACOS)/$(EXE_NAME)
 SERVER_PATH_LINUX=$(BUILD_DIR_LINUX)/$(SERVER_NAME)
 EXE_PATH_LINUX=$(BUILD_DIR_LINUX)/$(EXE_NAME)
 
+VIV_VERSION ?= $(shell git describe --tags --always --dirty)
+
 .PHONY: instruct-build
 instruct-build:
 	@ echo 'Please run `make macos` or `make linux` to build the project'
@@ -32,7 +34,7 @@ $(DIST_PATH): $(shell find src -type f) tsconfig.json package.json yarn.lock
 	touch $(DIST_PATH)
 
 $(BUNDLE_PATH): webpack.config.js $(STATIC_PATH) $(DIST_PATH)
-	node_modules/.bin/webpack
+	VIV_VERSION=$(VIV_VERSION) node_modules/.bin/webpack
 	touch $(BUNDLE_PATH)
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/app.ts b/src/app.ts
index 8424e96e..4376f3f4 100644
--- a/src/app.ts
+++ b/src/app.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ export const { clientsAt, messageClientsAt } = setupSockets(
     () => {
         if (config.timeout > 0)
             shutdownTimer = setInterval(() => {
-                console.log(`No clients for ${config.timeout}ms, shutting down.`);
+                // timeout when no clients are connected
                 process.exit(0);
             }, config.timeout);
     },
@@ -40,29 +40,48 @@ export const { clientsAt, messageClientsAt } = setupSockets(
 );
 
 const address = `http://localhost:${config.port}`;
-const openArgs = async () => {
-    await Promise.all(
-        process.argv.slice(2).map(async (path) => {
-            if (path.startsWith('-')) return;
-            if (!existsSync(path)) {
-                console.log(`File not found: ${path}`);
-                return;
+const handleArgs = async () => {
+    try {
+        const args = process.argv.slice(2);
+        const options = args.filter((arg) => arg.startsWith('-'));
+        for (const option of options) {
+            switch (option) {
+                case '-v':
+                case '--version':
+                    console.log(`vivify-server ${process.env.VERSION ?? 'dev'}`);
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    console.log(`unknown option "${option}"`);
             }
-            const target = preferredPath(presolve(path));
-            const url = `${address}${pathToURL(target)}`;
-            await open(url);
-        }),
-    );
+        }
+
+        const paths = args.filter((arg) => !arg.startsWith('-'));
+        await Promise.all(
+            paths.map(async (path) => {
+                if (!existsSync(path)) {
+                    console.log(`File not found: ${path}`);
+                    return;
+                }
+                const target = preferredPath(presolve(path));
+                const url = `${address}${pathToURL(target)}`;
+                await open(url);
+            }),
+        );
+    } finally {
+        if (process.env['NODE_ENV'] !== 'development') {
+            // - viv executable waits for this string and then stops printing
+            //   vivify-server's output and terminates
+            // - the string itself is not shown to the user
+            console.log('STARTUP COMPLETE');
+        }
+    }
 };
 
 get(`${address}/health`, async () => {
     // server is already running
-    await openArgs();
+    await handleArgs();
     process.exit(0);
 }).on('error', () => {
     // server is not running so we start it
-    server.listen(config.port, async () => {
-        console.log(`App is listening on port ${config.port}!`);
-        openArgs();
-    });
+    server.listen(config.port, handleArgs);
 });
diff --git a/viv b/viv
index 64e0d195..30f6514c 100755
--- a/viv
+++ b/viv
@@ -10,4 +10,19 @@ if [ "$#" -lt 1 -o "$1" = "-h" -o "$1" = "--help" ]; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
-nohup vivify-server $@ 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null &
+output=`mktemp`
+cleanup() {
+    rm -f "$output"
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+nohup vivify-server $@ > "$output" 2> /dev/null &
+
+# print stdout of vivify-server until STARTUP COMPLETE is found
+tail -f "$output" | while read line; do
+    if echo "$line" | grep -q "STARTUP COMPLETE"; then
+        pkill -P $$ tail
+        break
+    fi
+    echo "$line"
+done
diff --git a/webpack.config.js b/webpack.config.js
index 443a1697..a76de4c8 100644
--- a/webpack.config.js
+++ b/webpack.config.js
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
 import path from 'path';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
+import webpack from 'webpack';
 
 const __dirname = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
 const buildDir = path.resolve(__dirname, 'build');
 
+if (!('VIV_VERSION' in process.env)) {
+    throw new Error('VIV_VERSION environment variable has to be set to build');
+}
+const version = process.env.VIV_VERSION;
+
 export default {
     mode: 'production',
     entry: {
@@ -19,4 +25,9 @@ export default {
         bufferutil: 'esm bufferutil',
     },
     target: 'node',
+    plugins: [
+        new webpack.DefinePlugin({
+            'process.env.VERSION': JSON.stringify(version),
+        }),
+    ],
 };