diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 304bcaf5e..a3f8f6910 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -207,10 +207,13 @@ CGO_ENABLED := 0
 endif
 export CGO_ENABLED
 
+export GIT_REPO := $(shell go list -m)
+export VERSION_PATH := ${GIT_REPO}/internal/version
 export GO_BUILD_ASMFLAGS := all=-trimpath=$(PWD)
-export GO_BUILD_LDFLAGS := -s -w -X $(shell go list -m)/version.Version=$(VERSION)
 export GO_BUILD_GCFLAGS := all=-trimpath=$(PWD)
 export GO_BUILD_FLAGS :=
+export GO_BUILD_LDFLAGS := -s -w \
+    -X '$(VERSION_PATH).version=$(VERSION)' \
 
 BUILDCMD = go build $(GO_BUILD_FLAGS) -ldflags '$(GO_BUILD_LDFLAGS)' -gcflags '$(GO_BUILD_GCFLAGS)' -asmflags '$(GO_BUILD_ASMFLAGS)' -o $(BUILDBIN)/manager ./cmd/manager
 
diff --git a/cmd/manager/main.go b/cmd/manager/main.go
index 8bdb04e17..56b9e6bfe 100644
--- a/cmd/manager/main.go
+++ b/cmd/manager/main.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"flag"
+	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"time"
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-controller/internal/catalogmetadata/cache"
 	catalogclient "github.com/operator-framework/operator-controller/internal/catalogmetadata/client"
 	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-controller/internal/controllers"
+	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-controller/internal/version"
 	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-controller/pkg/features"
 	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-controller/pkg/scheme"
 )
@@ -43,10 +45,11 @@ var (
 
 func main() {
 	var (
-		metricsAddr          string
-		enableLeaderElection bool
-		probeAddr            string
-		cachePath            string
+		metricsAddr               string
+		enableLeaderElection      bool
+		probeAddr                 string
+		cachePath                 string
+		operatorControllerVersion bool
 	)
 	flag.StringVar(&metricsAddr, "metrics-bind-address", ":8080", "The address the metric endpoint binds to.")
 	flag.StringVar(&probeAddr, "health-probe-bind-address", ":8081", "The address the probe endpoint binds to.")
@@ -54,6 +57,7 @@ func main() {
 		"Enable leader election for controller manager. "+
 			"Enabling this will ensure there is only one active controller manager.")
 	flag.StringVar(&cachePath, "cache-path", "/var/cache", "The local directory path used for filesystem based caching")
+	flag.BoolVar(&operatorControllerVersion, "version", false, "Prints operator-controller version information")
 	opts := zap.Options{
 		Development: true,
 	}
@@ -63,7 +67,13 @@ func main() {
 	features.OperatorControllerFeatureGate.AddFlag(pflag.CommandLine)
 	pflag.Parse()
 
+	if operatorControllerVersion {
+		fmt.Println(version.String())
+		os.Exit(0)
+	}
+
 	ctrl.SetLogger(zap.New(zap.UseFlagOptions(&opts), zap.StacktraceLevel(zapcore.DPanicLevel)))
+	setupLog.Info("starting up the controller", "version info", version.String())
 
 	mgr, err := ctrl.NewManager(ctrl.GetConfigOrDie(), ctrl.Options{
 		Scheme:                 scheme.Scheme,
diff --git a/internal/version/version.go b/internal/version/version.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ef90dffa0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/version/version.go
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package version
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"runtime/debug"
+)
+
+var (
+	gitCommit  = "unknown"
+	commitDate = "unknown"
+	repoState  = "unknown"
+	version    = "unknown"
+
+	stateMap = map[string]string{
+		"true":  "dirty",
+		"false": "clean",
+	}
+)
+
+func String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("version: %q, commit: %q, date: %q, state: %q", version, gitCommit, commitDate, repoState)
+}
+
+func init() {
+	info, ok := debug.ReadBuildInfo()
+	if !ok {
+		return
+	}
+	for _, setting := range info.Settings {
+		switch setting.Key {
+		case "vcs.revision":
+			gitCommit = setting.Value
+		case "vcs.time":
+			commitDate = setting.Value
+		case "vcs.modified":
+			if v, ok := stateMap[setting.Value]; ok {
+				repoState = v
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if version == "unknown" {
+		version = info.Main.Version
+	}
+}