diff --git a/CMakeModules/VersionUtils.cmake b/CMakeModules/VersionUtils.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d4ef7b0d561
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CMakeModules/VersionUtils.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.5)
+
+function(GENERATE_VERSION_METADATA)
+   # Execute `git` to grab the corresponding data.
+   execute_process(
+      COMMAND ${GIT_EXEC} rev-parse HEAD
+      WORKING_DIRECTORY ${SRC_DIR}
+      OUTPUT_VARIABLE V_HASH
+      ERROR_QUIET
+      OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE )
+   execute_process(
+      COMMAND ${GIT_EXEC} diff --quiet
+      WORKING_DIRECTORY ${SRC_DIR}
+      RESULT_VARIABLE V_DIRTY
+      ERROR_QUIET
+      OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE )
+
+   # If `V_DIRTY` is equal to 1, we know that the repository is dirty and vice versa.
+   if(${V_DIRTY})
+      set(V_DIRTY "true")
+   else()
+      set(V_DIRTY "false")
+   endif()
+
+   # Define the proper version metadata for the file `version_impl.cpp.in`.
+   set(_VERSION_MAJOR_  ${V_MAJOR})
+   set(_VERSION_MINOR_  ${V_MINOR})
+   set(_VERSION_PATCH_  ${V_PATCH})
+   set(_VERSION_SUFFIX_ ${V_SUFFIX})
+   set(_VERSION_HASH_   ${V_HASH})
+   set(_VERSION_DIRTY_  ${V_DIRTY})
+   
+   # Modify and substitute the `.cpp.in` file for a `.cpp` in the build directory.
+   configure_file(
+      ${CUR_SRC_DIR}/src/version_impl.cpp.in
+      ${CUR_BIN_DIR}/src/version_impl.cpp
+      @ONLY )
+endfunction(GENERATE_VERSION_METADATA)
+  
+GENERATE_VERSION_METADATA()
diff --git a/libraries/CMakeLists.txt b/libraries/CMakeLists.txt
index 54bb2f80e09..c639743f317 100644
--- a/libraries/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libraries/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ add_subdirectory( wasm-jit )
 add_subdirectory( appbase )
 add_subdirectory( chain )
 add_subdirectory( testing )
+add_subdirectory( version )
 
 #turn tools&tests off; not needed for library build
 set(BUILD_TESTS OFF CACHE BOOL "Build GTest-based tests")
diff --git a/libraries/version/CMakeLists.txt b/libraries/version/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..239c479d92b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/version/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.5)
+project(Version)
+
+# Define the version metadata by default, in case `git` cannot be found.
+set(_VERSION_MAJOR_  "unknown")
+set(_VERSION_MINOR_  "")
+set(_VERSION_PATCH_  "")
+set(_VERSION_SUFFIX_ "")
+set(_VERSION_HASH_   "")
+set(_VERSION_DIRTY_  "")
+
+# Construct the library target.
+add_library(
+   version
+   "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/version.cpp"
+   "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/src/version_impl.cpp")
+
+# Make dependencies visible to the given target library to be constructed.
+target_include_directories(
+   version
+   PUBLIC  "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/"
+   PRIVATE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/" )
+
+# Create a custom target to update the version metadata upon every build.
+find_package(Git)
+if(EXISTS ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/.git AND ${GIT_FOUND})
+   add_custom_target(
+      evaluate_every_build ALL
+      COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -DGIT_EXEC=${GIT_EXECUTABLE}
+                               -DCUR_BIN_DIR=${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}
+                               -DCUR_SRC_DIR=${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
+                               -DSRC_DIR=${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}
+                               -DV_MAJOR=${VERSION_MAJOR}
+                               -DV_MINOR=${VERSION_MINOR}
+                               -DV_PATCH=${VERSION_PATCH}
+                               -DV_SUFFIX=${VERSION_SUFFIX}
+                               -P ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/CMakeModules/VersionUtils.cmake
+      BYPRODUCTS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/src/version_impl.cpp
+      COMMENT "Updating version metadata..." VERBATIM )
+                             
+      # Create a dependency for the given library target.
+      add_dependencies(version evaluate_every_build)
+else()
+   # Modify and substitute the `.cpp.in` file for a `.cpp` in the build directory.
+   configure_file(
+      ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/version_impl.cpp.in
+      ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/src/version_impl.cpp
+      @ONLY )
+endif()
diff --git a/libraries/version/include/eosio/version/version.hpp b/libraries/version/include/eosio/version/version.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d9bf85f709d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/version/include/eosio/version/version.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+/**
+ *  @file version.hpp
+ *  @copyright defined in eos/LICENSE
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <string> // std::string
+
+namespace eosio { namespace version {
+
+   ///< Grab the basic version information of the client; example: `v1.8.0-rc1`
+   const std::string& version_client();
+
+   ///< Grab the full version information of the client; example:  `v1.8.0-rc1-7de458254[-dirty]`
+   const std::string& version_full();
+
+} }
diff --git a/libraries/version/src/version.cpp b/libraries/version/src/version.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..16a23995969
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/version/src/version.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+/**
+ *  @file version.cpp
+ *  @copyright defined in eos/LICENSE
+ */
+
+#include "version_impl.hpp"
+
+namespace eosio { namespace version {
+
+   const std::string& version_client() {
+      static const std::string version{_version_client()};
+      return version;
+   }
+
+   const std::string& version_full() {
+      static const std::string version{_version_full()};
+      return version;
+   }
+
+} }
diff --git a/libraries/version/src/version_impl.cpp.in b/libraries/version/src/version_impl.cpp.in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6a45c1dff1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/version/src/version_impl.cpp.in
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+/**
+ *  @file version_impl.cpp.in
+ *  @copyright defined in eos/LICENSE
+ *  \warning This file is machine generated. DO NOT EDIT.  See version_impl.cpp.in for changes.
+ */
+
+#include "version_impl.hpp"
+
+namespace eosio { namespace version {
+
+   const std::string version_major {"@_VERSION_MAJOR_@" };
+   const std::string version_minor {"@_VERSION_MINOR_@" };
+   const std::string version_patch {"@_VERSION_PATCH_@" };
+   const std::string version_suffix{"@_VERSION_SUFFIX_@"};
+   const std::string version_hash  {"@_VERSION_HASH_@"  };
+   const bool        version_dirty { @_VERSION_DIRTY_@  };
+
+   std::string _version_client() {
+      if (version_major == "unknown") {
+         std::string version{"unknown"};
+         return version;
+      }
+      else {
+         std::string version{'v' + version_major + '.' + version_minor + '.' + version_patch + '-' + version_suffix};
+         return version;
+      }
+   }
+
+   std::string _version_full() {
+      if (version_major == "unknown") {
+         std::string version{"unknown"};
+         return version;
+      }
+      else {
+         std::string version{'v' + version_major + '.' + version_minor + '.' + version_patch + '-' + version_suffix + '-' + version_hash};
+         
+         if (version_dirty == true) {
+            version += "-dirty";
+         }
+         
+         return version;
+      }
+   }
+
+} }
diff --git a/libraries/version/src/version_impl.hpp b/libraries/version/src/version_impl.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8266383a417
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/version/src/version_impl.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+/**
+ *  @file version_impl.hpp
+ *  @copyright defined in eos/LICENSE
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <string> // std::string
+
+namespace eosio { namespace version {
+
+   ///< Helper function for `version_client()`
+   std::string _version_client();
+
+   ///< Helper function for `version_full()`
+   std::string _version_full();
+
+} }
diff --git a/programs/cleos/CMakeLists.txt b/programs/cleos/CMakeLists.txt
index 0787c5fe937..cc7cf865680 100644
--- a/programs/cleos/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/programs/cleos/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,23 +10,6 @@ if( GPERFTOOLS_FOUND )
     list( APPEND PLATFORM_SPECIFIC_LIBS tcmalloc )
 endif()
 
-if(EXISTS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../../.git)
-  find_package(Git)
-  if(GIT_FOUND)
-    execute_process(
-      COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} rev-parse --short=8 HEAD
-      WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../.."
-      OUTPUT_VARIABLE "cleos_BUILD_VERSION"
-      ERROR_QUIET
-      OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
-    message(STATUS "Git commit revision: ${cleos_BUILD_VERSION}")
-  else()
-    set(cleos_BUILD_VERSION 0)
-  endif()
-else()
-  set(cleos_BUILD_VERSION 0)
-endif()
-
 find_package(Intl REQUIRED)
 
 set(LOCALEDIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/locale)
@@ -36,7 +19,7 @@ configure_file(config.hpp.in config.hpp ESCAPE_QUOTES)
 target_include_directories(${CLI_CLIENT_EXECUTABLE_NAME} PUBLIC ${Intl_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
 
 target_link_libraries( ${CLI_CLIENT_EXECUTABLE_NAME}
-                       PRIVATE appbase chain_api_plugin producer_plugin chain_plugin http_plugin eosio_chain fc ${CMAKE_DL_LIBS} ${PLATFORM_SPECIFIC_LIBS} ${Intl_LIBRARIES} )
+                       PRIVATE appbase version chain_api_plugin producer_plugin chain_plugin http_plugin eosio_chain fc ${CMAKE_DL_LIBS} ${PLATFORM_SPECIFIC_LIBS} ${Intl_LIBRARIES} )
                     
 
 copy_bin( ${CLI_CLIENT_EXECUTABLE_NAME} )
diff --git a/programs/cleos/config.hpp.in b/programs/cleos/config.hpp.in
index d9d5f45b1de..3441d9cd42d 100644
--- a/programs/cleos/config.hpp.in
+++ b/programs/cleos/config.hpp.in
@@ -6,9 +6,8 @@
 #pragma once
 
 namespace eosio { namespace client { namespace config {
-   constexpr char version_str[] = "${cleos_BUILD_VERSION}";
-   constexpr char locale_path[] = "${LOCALEDIR}";
-   constexpr char locale_domain[] = "${LOCALEDOMAIN}";
-   constexpr char key_store_executable_name[] = "${KEY_STORE_EXECUTABLE_NAME}";
-   constexpr char node_executable_name[] = "${NODE_EXECUTABLE_NAME}";
-}}}
+   constexpr char locale_path[]              {"${LOCALEDIR}"                };
+   constexpr char locale_domain[]            {"${LOCALEDOMAIN}"             };
+   constexpr char key_store_executable_name[]{"${KEY_STORE_EXECUTABLE_NAME}"};
+   constexpr char node_executable_name[]     {"${NODE_EXECUTABLE_NAME}"     };
+} } }
diff --git a/programs/cleos/main.cpp b/programs/cleos/main.cpp
index 36c3be1900a..03c8917ffce 100644
--- a/programs/cleos/main.cpp
+++ b/programs/cleos/main.cpp
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ Usage: ./cleos create account [OPTIONS] creator name OwnerKey ActiveKey
 #include <eosio/chain_plugin/chain_plugin.hpp>
 #include <eosio/chain/contract_types.hpp>
 
+#include <eosio/version/version.hpp>
+
 #pragma push_macro("N")
 #undef N
 
@@ -2402,8 +2404,12 @@ int main( int argc, char** argv ) {
    auto version = app.add_subcommand("version", localized("Retrieve version information"), false);
    version->require_subcommand();
 
-   version->add_subcommand("client", localized("Retrieve version information of the client"))->set_callback([] {
-     std::cout << localized("Build version: ${ver}", ("ver", eosio::client::config::version_str)) << std::endl;
+   version->add_subcommand("client", localized("Retrieve basic version information of the client"))->set_callback([] {
+      std::cout << eosio::version::version_client() << '\n';
+   });
+
+   version->add_subcommand("full", localized("Retrieve full version information of the client"))->set_callback([] {
+     std::cout << eosio::version::version_full() << '\n';
    });
 
    // Create subcommand