diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1aa17b3..9948b0f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ MKFILE_PATH := $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
 PROJECT_PATH := $(patsubst %/,%,$(dir $(MKFILE_PATH)))
 GO ?= go
 KUADRANT_NAMESPACE=kuadrant-system
-VERSION := $(shell git rev-parse --short=7 HEAD)
 
 all: help
 
@@ -56,11 +55,29 @@ test: clean-cov fmt vet $(GINKGO)
 ## install: Build and install kuadrantctl binary ($GOBIN or GOPATH/bin)
 .PHONY : install
 install: fmt vet
-ifneq ($(VERSION),)
-	GOBIN=$(PROJECT_PATH)/bin $(GO) install -ldflags "-X 'github.com/kuadrant/kuadrantctl/version.Version=dev - $(VERSION)'" 
-else
-	GOBIN=$(PROJECT_PATH)/bin $(GO) install
-endif
+	@set -e; \
+	GIT_SHA=$$(git rev-parse --short=7 HEAD 2>/dev/null) || { \
+		GIT_HASH=$${GITHUB_SHA:-NO_SHA}; \
+		IS_DIRTY=false; \
+	}; \
+	if [ -z "$$GIT_HASH" ]; then \
+		GIT_DIRTY=$$(git diff --stat); \
+		if [ -n "$$GIT_DIRTY" ]; then \
+			GIT_HASH=$${GIT_SHA}-dirty; \
+			IS_DIRTY=true; \
+		else \
+			GIT_HASH=$${GIT_SHA}; \
+			IS_DIRTY=false; \
+		fi; \
+	fi; \
+	LDFLAGS="-X 'github.com/kuadrant/kuadrantctl/version.GitHash=$$GIT_HASH'"; \
+	if [ "$$IS_DIRTY" = true ]; then \
+		LDFLAGS="$$LDFLAGS -X 'github.com/kuadrant/kuadrantctl/version.GitDirty=true'"; \
+	else \
+		LDFLAGS="$$LDFLAGS -X 'github.com/kuadrant/kuadrantctl/version.GitDirty=false'"; \
+	fi; \
+	GOBIN=$(PROJECT_PATH)/bin $(GO) install -ldflags "$$LDFLAGS";
+
 
 .PHONY: prepare-local-cluster
 prepare-local-cluster: $(KIND) ## Deploy locally kuadrant operator from the current code
diff --git a/version/version.go b/version/version.go
index ed1f230..9b32a21 100644
--- a/version/version.go
+++ b/version/version.go
@@ -15,6 +15,15 @@ limitations under the License.
 */
 package version
 
+import "fmt"
+
 var (
-	Version = "v0.0.0"
+	// This variable shows the commit hash of the repo so they can confirm they are on latest or specific version of the branch.
+	GitHash string
+	// This variable is dependent on what the current release is e.g. if it is v0.2.3 then this variable, outside of releases, will be v0.2.4-dev .
+	Version = "v0.2.4-dev"
 )
+
+func init() {
+	Version = fmt.Sprintf("%s (%s)", Version, GitHash)
+}