diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 0a2950257706..7d6c8b2eaf19 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -43,6 +43,28 @@ version = "0.1.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 
 [[package]]
+name = "backtrace"
+version = "0.3.14"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+dependencies = [
+ "autocfg 0.1.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "backtrace-sys 0.1.28 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "cfg-if 0.1.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "libc 0.2.48 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "rustc-demangle 0.1.13 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "winapi 0.3.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "backtrace-sys"
+version = "0.1.28"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+dependencies = [
+ "cc 1.0.28 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "libc 0.2.48 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+]
+
+[[package]]
 name = "base64"
 version = "0.9.3"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
@@ -89,6 +111,16 @@ version = "0.1.6"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 
 [[package]]
+name = "chrono"
+version = "0.4.6"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+dependencies = [
+ "num-integer 0.1.39 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "num-traits 0.2.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "time 0.1.42 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+]
+
+[[package]]
 name = "cloudabi"
 version = "0.0.3"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
@@ -228,6 +260,26 @@ dependencies = [
 ]
 
 [[package]]
+name = "failure"
+version = "0.1.5"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+dependencies = [
+ "backtrace 0.3.14 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "failure_derive 0.1.5 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "failure_derive"
+version = "0.1.5"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2 0.4.26 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "quote 0.6.11 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "syn 0.15.26 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "synstructure 0.10.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+]
+
+[[package]]
 name = "fnv"
 version = "1.0.6"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
@@ -588,6 +640,19 @@ version = "0.1.13"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 
 [[package]]
+name = "num-integer"
+version = "0.1.39"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+dependencies = [
+ "num-traits 0.2.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "num-traits"
+version = "0.2.6"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+
+[[package]]
 name = "num_cpus"
 version = "1.9.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
@@ -906,6 +971,11 @@ dependencies = [
 ]
 
 [[package]]
+name = "rustc-demangle"
+version = "0.1.13"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+
+[[package]]
 name = "rustc_version"
 version = "0.2.3"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
@@ -1041,6 +1111,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "tempdir 0.3.7 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "toml 0.4.10 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "url 1.7.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "vergen 3.0.4 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1069,6 +1140,17 @@ dependencies = [
 ]
 
 [[package]]
+name = "synstructure"
+version = "0.10.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2 0.4.26 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "quote 0.6.11 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "syn 0.15.26 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "unicode-xid 0.1.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+]
+
+[[package]]
 name = "tempdir"
 version = "0.3.7"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
@@ -1321,6 +1403,16 @@ version = "0.2.6"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 
 [[package]]
+name = "vergen"
+version = "3.0.4"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+dependencies = [
+ "bitflags 1.0.4 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "chrono 0.4.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "failure 0.1.5 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+]
+
+[[package]]
 name = "version_check"
 version = "0.1.5"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
@@ -1402,6 +1494,8 @@ dependencies = [
 "checksum arrayvec 0.4.10 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "92c7fb76bc8826a8b33b4ee5bb07a247a81e76764ab4d55e8f73e3a4d8808c71"
 "checksum atty 0.2.11 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "9a7d5b8723950951411ee34d271d99dddcc2035a16ab25310ea2c8cfd4369652"
 "checksum autocfg 0.1.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "a6d640bee2da49f60a4068a7fae53acde8982514ab7bae8b8cea9e88cbcfd799"
+"checksum backtrace 0.3.14 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "cd5a90e2b463010cd0e0ce9a11d4a9d5d58d9f41d4a6ba3dcaf9e68b466e88b4"
+"checksum backtrace-sys 0.1.28 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "797c830ac25ccc92a7f8a7b9862bde440715531514594a6154e3d4a54dd769b6"
 "checksum base64 0.10.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "0b25d992356d2eb0ed82172f5248873db5560c4721f564b13cb5193bda5e668e"
 "checksum base64 0.9.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "489d6c0ed21b11d038c31b6ceccca973e65d73ba3bd8ecb9a2babf5546164643"
 "checksum bitflags 1.0.4 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "228047a76f468627ca71776ecdebd732a3423081fcf5125585bcd7c49886ce12"
@@ -1409,6 +1503,7 @@ dependencies = [
 "checksum bytes 0.4.11 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "40ade3d27603c2cb345eb0912aec461a6dec7e06a4ae48589904e808335c7afa"
 "checksum cc 1.0.28 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "bb4a8b715cb4597106ea87c7c84b2f1d452c7492033765df7f32651e66fcf749"
 "checksum cfg-if 0.1.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "082bb9b28e00d3c9d39cc03e64ce4cea0f1bb9b3fde493f0cbc008472d22bdf4"
+"checksum chrono 0.4.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "45912881121cb26fad7c38c17ba7daa18764771836b34fab7d3fbd93ed633878"
 "checksum cloudabi 0.0.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "ddfc5b9aa5d4507acaf872de71051dfd0e309860e88966e1051e462a077aac4f"
 "checksum core-foundation 0.5.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "286e0b41c3a20da26536c6000a280585d519fd07b3956b43aed8a79e9edce980"
 "checksum core-foundation-sys 0.5.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "716c271e8613ace48344f723b60b900a93150271e5be206212d052bbc0883efa"
@@ -1423,6 +1518,8 @@ dependencies = [
 "checksum dtoa 0.4.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "6d301140eb411af13d3115f9a562c85cc6b541ade9dfa314132244aaee7489dd"
 "checksum encoding_rs 0.8.15 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "fd251508d65030820f3a4317af2248180db337fdb25d89967956242580277813"
 "checksum env_logger 0.5.13 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "15b0a4d2e39f8420210be8b27eeda28029729e2fd4291019455016c348240c38"
+"checksum failure 0.1.5 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "795bd83d3abeb9220f257e597aa0080a508b27533824adf336529648f6abf7e2"
+"checksum failure_derive 0.1.5 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "ea1063915fd7ef4309e222a5a07cf9c319fb9c7836b1f89b85458672dbb127e1"
 "checksum fnv 1.0.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "2fad85553e09a6f881f739c29f0b00b0f01357c743266d478b68951ce23285f3"
 "checksum foreign-types 0.3.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "f6f339eb8adc052cd2ca78910fda869aefa38d22d5cb648e6485e4d3fc06f3b1"
 "checksum foreign-types-shared 0.1.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "00b0228411908ca8685dba7fc2cdd70ec9990a6e753e89b6ac91a84c40fbaf4b"
@@ -1462,6 +1559,8 @@ dependencies = [
 "checksum native-tls 0.2.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "ff8e08de0070bbf4c31f452ea2a70db092f36f6f2e4d897adf5674477d488fb2"
 "checksum net2 0.2.33 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "42550d9fb7b6684a6d404d9fa7250c2eb2646df731d1c06afc06dcee9e1bcf88"
 "checksum nodrop 0.1.13 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "2f9667ddcc6cc8a43afc9b7917599d7216aa09c463919ea32c59ed6cac8bc945"
+"checksum num-integer 0.1.39 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "e83d528d2677f0518c570baf2b7abdcf0cd2d248860b68507bdcb3e91d4c0cea"
+"checksum num-traits 0.2.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "0b3a5d7cc97d6d30d8b9bc8fa19bf45349ffe46241e8816f50f62f6d6aaabee1"
 "checksum num_cpus 1.9.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "5a69d464bdc213aaaff628444e99578ede64e9c854025aa43b9796530afa9238"
 "checksum openssl 0.10.16 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "ec7bd7ca4cce6dbdc77e7c1230682740d307d1218a87fb0349a571272be749f9"
 "checksum openssl-probe 0.1.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "77af24da69f9d9341038eba93a073b1fdaaa1b788221b00a69bce9e762cb32de"
@@ -1496,6 +1595,7 @@ dependencies = [
 "checksum regex-syntax 0.6.5 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "8c2f35eedad5295fdf00a63d7d4b238135723f92b434ec06774dad15c7ab0861"
 "checksum remove_dir_all 0.5.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "3488ba1b9a2084d38645c4c08276a1752dcbf2c7130d74f1569681ad5d2799c5"
 "checksum reqwest 0.9.9 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "09d6e187a58d923ee132fcda141c94e716bcfe301c2ea2bef5c81536e0085376"
+"checksum rustc-demangle 0.1.13 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "adacaae16d02b6ec37fdc7acfcddf365978de76d1983d3ee22afc260e1ca9619"
 "checksum rustc_version 0.2.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "138e3e0acb6c9fb258b19b67cb8abd63c00679d2851805ea151465464fe9030a"
 "checksum ryu 0.2.7 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "eb9e9b8cde282a9fe6a42dd4681319bfb63f121b8a8ee9439c6f4107e58a46f7"
 "checksum safemem 0.3.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "8dca453248a96cb0749e36ccdfe2b0b4e54a61bfef89fb97ec621eb8e0a93dd9"
@@ -1516,6 +1616,7 @@ dependencies = [
 "checksum string 0.1.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "b639411d0b9c738748b5397d5ceba08e648f4f1992231aa859af1a017f31f60b"
 "checksum strsim 0.7.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "bb4f380125926a99e52bc279241539c018323fab05ad6368b56f93d9369ff550"
 "checksum syn 0.15.26 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "f92e629aa1d9c827b2bb8297046c1ccffc57c99b947a680d3ccff1f136a3bee9"
+"checksum synstructure 0.10.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "73687139bf99285483c96ac0add482c3776528beac1d97d444f6e91f203a2015"
 "checksum tempdir 0.3.7 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "15f2b5fb00ccdf689e0149d1b1b3c03fead81c2b37735d812fa8bddbbf41b6d8"
 "checksum tempfile 3.0.5 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "7e91405c14320e5c79b3d148e1c86f40749a36e490642202a31689cb1a3452b2"
 "checksum termcolor 1.0.4 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "4096add70612622289f2fdcdbd5086dc81c1e2675e6ae58d6c4f62a16c6d7f2f"
@@ -1543,6 +1644,7 @@ dependencies = [
 "checksum utf8-ranges 1.0.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "796f7e48bef87609f7ade7e06495a87d5cd06c7866e6a5cbfceffc558a243737"
 "checksum uuid 0.7.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "0238db0c5b605dd1cf51de0f21766f97fba2645897024461d6a00c036819a768"
 "checksum vcpkg 0.2.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "def296d3eb3b12371b2c7d0e83bfe1403e4db2d7a0bba324a12b21c4ee13143d"
+"checksum vergen 3.0.4 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "6aba5e34f93dc7051dfad05b98a18e9156f27e7b431fe1d2398cb6061c0a1dba"
 "checksum version_check 0.1.5 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "914b1a6776c4c929a602fafd8bc742e06365d4bcbe48c30f9cca5824f70dc9dd"
 "checksum void 1.0.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "6a02e4885ed3bc0f2de90ea6dd45ebcbb66dacffe03547fadbb0eeae2770887d"
 "checksum want 0.0.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "797464475f30ddb8830cc529aaaae648d581f99e2036a928877dfde027ddf6b3"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index d17b0cf4f04d..b6a219a3cfd1 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ description = "continuous integration for patch-based workflows"
 readme = "README.md"
 license = "GPL-2.0+"
 keywords = ["CI", "patch", "patchwork", "jenkins", "git"]
+build = "build.rs"
 
 [dependencies]
 reqwest = "0.9"
@@ -40,3 +41,6 @@ docopt = "1.0"
 log = "0.4"
 env_logger = "0.5"
 base64 = "0.9"
+
+[build-dependencies]
+vergen = "3"
diff --git a/build.rs b/build.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9c193fa8e22a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+//
+// snowpatch - continuous integration for patch-based workflows
+//
+// Copyright (C) 2019 IBM Corporation
+// Authors:
+//     Andrew Donnellan <andrew.donnellan@au1.ibm.com>
+//
+// This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+// under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
+// Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option)
+// any later version.
+//
+// build.rs - snowpatch build script
+//
+
+extern crate vergen;
+
+use vergen::{generate_cargo_keys, ConstantsFlags};
+
+fn main() {
+    let mut flags = ConstantsFlags::all();
+    flags.toggle(ConstantsFlags::SEMVER_FROM_CARGO_PKG);
+    generate_cargo_keys(ConstantsFlags::all()).expect("Unable to generate the cargo keys!");
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index aabf4a0d1ca8..9bb195bbd891 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -317,9 +317,9 @@ fn run() -> Result<(), Box<Error>> {
     log_builder.init();
 
     let version = format!(
-        "{} version {}",
+        "{} version: {}",
         env!("CARGO_PKG_NAME"),
-        env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION")
+        env!("VERGEN_SEMVER_LIGHTWEIGHT")
     );
 
     let args: Args = Docopt::new(USAGE)
