diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index a3fc52c..9ff2422 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -34,7 +34,10 @@ var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		".env file. The base URL (--url / CONFLUENCE_URL) and username (--username /\n" +
 		"CONFLUENCE_USERNAME) may be set any of those ways; the API token\n" +
 		"(CONFLUENCE_TOKEN) comes only from the environment or .env, never a flag.",
-	Version: buildinfo.Version,
+	// --version prints the build stamp ("markfluence VERSION (SHA, DATE)"), the
+	// same string the converter substitutes for the <!-- markfluence-version -->
+	// token.
+	Version: buildinfo.Stamp(),
 	PersistentPreRunE: func(_ *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 		if noColorFlag {
 			if err := os.Setenv("NO_COLOR", "1"); err != nil {
@@ -109,6 +112,10 @@ func init() {
 		"Emit machine-readable JSON to stdout instead of human output")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().SortFlags = false
 
+	// The stamp already carries its own "markfluence v" prefix; print it verbatim
+	// rather than cobra's default "markfluence version <...>" wrapper.
+	rootCmd.SetVersionTemplate("{{.Version}}\n")
+
 	// Append a docs footer to every command's --help output. Subcommands inherit
 	// the root's help template, so setting it once covers them all.
 	rootCmd.SetHelpTemplate(rootCmd.HelpTemplate() +
diff --git a/internal/buildinfo/buildinfo.go b/internal/buildinfo/buildinfo.go
index d679f41..64d3a22 100644
--- a/internal/buildinfo/buildinfo.go
+++ b/internal/buildinfo/buildinfo.go
@@ -1,25 +1,59 @@
-// Package buildinfo exposes the binary's version and commit date.
+// Package buildinfo exposes the binary's version, commit, and commit date.
 package buildinfo
 
-import "runtime/debug"
+import (
+	"runtime/debug"
+	"strings"
+)
 
 // Version is set at build time via -ldflags; it's "dev" for un-stamped builds.
 var Version = "dev"
 
-// CommitDate returns the VCS commit time the Go toolchain embeds at build time
-// (the vcs.time build setting), or "unknown" when it isn't available.
-func CommitDate() string {
+// setting returns a debug build setting (e.g. vcs.time, vcs.revision), or "".
+func setting(key string) string {
 	if info, ok := debug.ReadBuildInfo(); ok {
 		for _, s := range info.Settings {
-			if s.Key == "vcs.time" {
+			if s.Key == key {
 				return s.Value
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	return "unknown"
+	return ""
 }
 
-// Stamp is the human-readable build stamp: "markfluence vVERSION COMMITDATE".
+// Revision returns the short (7-char) VCS commit hash (the vcs.revision build
+// setting), or "" when it isn't available.
+func Revision() string {
+	rev := setting("vcs.revision")
+	if len(rev) > 7 {
+		return rev[:7]
+	}
+	return rev
+}
+
+// Stamp is the build stamp used both for --version and for the
+// <!-- markfluence-version --> token embedded in published pages:
+// "markfluence VERSION (SHA, DATE)". The commit hash and date are each omitted
+// when unavailable (and the parenthetical drops entirely if both are).
 func Stamp() string {
-	return "markfluence v" + Version + " " + CommitDate()
+	s := "markfluence " + Version
+	var meta []string
+	if rev := Revision(); rev != "" {
+		meta = append(meta, rev)
+	}
+	if ts := setting("vcs.time"); ts != "" {
+		meta = append(meta, dateOnly(ts))
+	}
+	if len(meta) > 0 {
+		s += " (" + strings.Join(meta, ", ") + ")"
+	}
+	return s
+}
+
+// dateOnly trims an RFC3339 timestamp to its YYYY-MM-DD date.
+func dateOnly(ts string) string {
+	if len(ts) >= 10 {
+		return ts[:10]
+	}
+	return ts
 }
diff --git a/internal/buildinfo/buildinfo_test.go b/internal/buildinfo/buildinfo_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b624cb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/buildinfo/buildinfo_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+package buildinfo
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestDateOnly(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct{ in, want string }{
+		{"2026-07-23T19:27:49Z", "2026-07-23"},
+		{"2026-07-23", "2026-07-23"},
+		{"short", "short"},
+		{"", ""},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		if got := dateOnly(tt.in); got != tt.want {
+			t.Errorf("dateOnly(%q) = %q, want %q", tt.in, got, tt.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStampPrefix(t *testing.T) {
+	// Under `go test` the toolchain embeds vcs.* settings, so the parenthetical is
+	// present; regardless, the stamp always leads with "markfluence <version>".
+	if got := Stamp(); !strings.HasPrefix(got, "markfluence "+Version) {
+		t.Errorf("Stamp() = %q, want prefix %q", got, "markfluence "+Version)
+	}
+}