diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d02ff6b..819dc73 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,3 @@
 gropple
+dist
+release
diff --git a/build_release.pl b/build_release.pl
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..6812b6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build_release.pl
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env perl
+
+use strict;
+use warnings;
+
+open my $fh, "<", "main.go" || die $!;
+
+my $version;
+while (<$fh>) {
+  $version = $1 if /^const\s+currentVersion.*?"(v[\d\.]+)"/;
+}
+close $fh;
+
+die "no version?" unless defined $version;
+
+# quit if tests fail
+system("go test ./...") && die "not building release with failing tests";
+
+# so lazy
+system "rm", "-rf", "release", "dist";
+system "mkdir", "release";
+system "mkdir", "dist";
+
+my %build = (
+  win   => { env => { GOOS => 'windows', GOARCH => 'amd64' }, filename => 'gropple.exe' },
+  linux => { env => { GOOS => 'linux',   GOARCH => 'amd64' }, filename => 'gropple' },
+  mac   => { env => { GOOS => 'darwin',  GOARCH => 'amd64' }, filename => 'gropple' },
+); 
+
+foreach my $type (keys %build) {
+  mkdir "release/$type";
+}
+
+foreach my $type (keys %build) {
+  local $ENV{GOOS}   = $build{$type}->{env}->{GOOS};
+  local $ENV{GOARCH} = $build{$type}->{env}->{GOARCH};
+  system "go", "build", "-o", "release/$type/" . $build{$type}->{filename};
+  system "zip", "-j", "dist/gropple-$type-$version.zip", ( glob "release/$type/*" );
+}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 051c3ec..595d3bf 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ var downloadPath = "./"
 
 var address string
 
+const currentVersion = "v0.01"
+
 //go:embed web
 var webFS embed.FS
 
@@ -64,7 +66,7 @@ func main() {
 		ReadTimeout:  5 * time.Second,
 	}
 
-	log.Print("starting web service")
+	log.Printf("starting gropple %s - https://github.com/tardisx/gropple", currentVersion)
 	log.Printf("go to %s for details on installing the bookmarklet and to check status", address)
 	log.Fatal(srv.ListenAndServe())