diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1689437
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+v21
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 5a37989..235569d 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@
       <div class="list" id="cxList"><div class="empty">Connecting to server&hellip;</div></div>
     </div>
   </main>
-  <footer><span id="footL">polyDisplay &middot; pull down to reload</span><span id="appVer">v20 &middot; server</span></footer>
+  <footer><span id="footL">polyDisplay &middot; pull down to reload</span><span id="appVer">server</span></footer>
 </div>
 
 <div class="modal" id="modal">
@@ -602,6 +602,7 @@ <h3>Unlock pad</h3>
 }
 
 function render(s){
+  if(s.version) $("appVer").textContent=s.version+" · server";
   var rows=s.positions||[], html="";
   if(!(s.wallet||"").trim()){
     html='<div class="empty">No Polymarket wallet.<br>Tap &#9881;, paste an address (0x&hellip;), then Save.</div>';
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index ac70740..1cc98b2 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	_ "embed"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -31,6 +32,9 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
+//go:embed VERSION
+var serverVersion string
+
 /* ------------------------- config ------------------------- */
 
 type Coin struct {
@@ -261,6 +265,7 @@ type PnL struct {
 }
 
 type State struct {
+	Version    string      `json:"version"`
 	Updated    int64       `json:"updated"`
 	Wallet     string      `json:"wallet"`
 	CandleDays int         `json:"candleDays"`
@@ -1028,6 +1033,7 @@ func refreshFast() {
 		})
 	}
 	state = State{
+		Version:    strings.TrimSpace(serverVersion),
 		Updated:    time.Now().Unix(),
 		Wallet:     wallet,
 		CandleDays: c.CandleDays,
diff --git a/server_test.go b/server_test.go
index a74d320..30b765f 100644
--- a/server_test.go
+++ b/server_test.go
@@ -658,6 +658,23 @@ func TestDefaultConfigHasNoWallet(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestEmbeddedServerVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	if got := strings.TrimSpace(serverVersion); got != "v21" {
+		t.Fatalf("server version = %q, want v21", got)
+	}
+	b, err := os.ReadFile("index.html")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	html := string(b)
+	if strings.Contains(html, `id="appVer">v21`) {
+		t.Error("client version is hard-coded instead of coming from server state")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(html, `$("appVer").textContent=s.version+" · server"`) {
+		t.Error("client does not render the server-reported version")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestEnvExampleIsPolymarketCore(t *testing.T) {
 	b, err := os.ReadFile(".env.example")
 	if err != nil {
@@ -789,6 +806,9 @@ func TestRefreshFastSkipsPolymarketWithoutWallet(t *testing.T) {
 	if state.Wallet != "" || state.Note != "" {
 		t.Errorf("wallet=%q note=%q, want both empty", state.Wallet, state.Note)
 	}
+	if state.Version != "v21" {
+		t.Errorf("state version=%q, want v21", state.Version)
+	}
 }
 
 func binaryLicenseSkip(path string) bool {