diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 91caf620a..f1a481cb5 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -19,3 +19,4 @@ bower_components
 *.map
 sslkeylogfile.log
 .tox/
+.python-version
diff --git a/docs/install.rst b/docs/install.rst
index c10c1e01d..bcf070234 100644
--- a/docs/install.rst
+++ b/docs/install.rst
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ If you would like to install mitmproxy directly from the master branch on GitHub
 or would like to get set up to contribute to the project, install the
 dependencies as you would for a regular installation from source. Then see the
 Hacking_ section of the README on GitHub. You can check your system information
-by running: ``mitmproxy --sysinfo``
+by running: ``mitmproxy --version``
 
 
 .. _Hacking: https://github.com/mitmproxy/mitmproxy/blob/master/README.rst#hacking
diff --git a/issue_template.md b/issue_template.md
index fe123d44c..5c5f95edd 100644
--- a/issue_template.md
+++ b/issue_template.md
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 
 <!--
-    Cut and paste the output of "mitmdump --sysinfo".
+    Cut and paste the output of "mitmproxy --version".
 
     If you're using an older version if mitmproxy, please specify the version
     and OS.
diff --git a/mitmproxy/test/tutils.py b/mitmproxy/test/tutils.py
index f5cec1b14..ae0ce2d86 100644
--- a/mitmproxy/test/tutils.py
+++ b/mitmproxy/test/tutils.py
@@ -19,14 +19,6 @@ def treader(bytes):
     return tcp.Reader(fp)
 
 
-@contextmanager
-def chdir(dir):
-    orig_dir = os.getcwd()
-    os.chdir(dir)
-    yield
-    os.chdir(orig_dir)
-
-
 @contextmanager
 def tmpdir(*args, **kwargs):
     orig_workdir = os.getcwd()
diff --git a/mitmproxy/tools/cmdline.py b/mitmproxy/tools/cmdline.py
index d0b53b2c8..f607ad719 100644
--- a/mitmproxy/tools/cmdline.py
+++ b/mitmproxy/tools/cmdline.py
@@ -275,13 +275,8 @@ def get_common_options(args):
 def basic_options(parser):
     parser.add_argument(
         '--version',
-        action='version',
-        version="%(prog)s" + " " + version.VERSION
-    )
-    parser.add_argument(
-        '--sysinfo',
         action='store_true',
-        dest='sysinfo',
+        dest='version',
     )
     parser.add_argument(
         '--shortversion',
diff --git a/mitmproxy/tools/main.py b/mitmproxy/tools/main.py
index d07ae6664..727e993fb 100644
--- a/mitmproxy/tools/main.py
+++ b/mitmproxy/tools/main.py
@@ -35,9 +35,10 @@ def assert_utf8_env():
 
 
 def process_options(parser, options, args):
-    if args.sysinfo:
-        print(debug.sysinfo())
+    if args.version:
+        print(debug.dump_system_info())
         sys.exit(0)
+
     debug.register_info_dumpers()
     pconf = config.ProxyConfig(options)
     if options.no_server:
diff --git a/mitmproxy/utils/__init__.py b/mitmproxy/utils/__init__.py
index e69de29bb..86649864b 100644
--- a/mitmproxy/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/mitmproxy/utils/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import os
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def chdir(dir):
+    orig_dir = os.getcwd()
+    os.chdir(dir)
+    yield
+    os.chdir(orig_dir)
diff --git a/mitmproxy/utils/bits.py b/mitmproxy/utils/bits.py
index ec0d40ef0..2c89a999b 100644
--- a/mitmproxy/utils/bits.py
+++ b/mitmproxy/utils/bits.py
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-
-
 def setbit(byte, offset, value):
     """
         Set a bit in a byte to 1 if value is truthy, 0 if not.
diff --git a/mitmproxy/utils/debug.py b/mitmproxy/utils/debug.py
index ac8fedd7b..93fefa9d4 100644
--- a/mitmproxy/utils/debug.py
+++ b/mitmproxy/utils/debug.py
@@ -5,18 +5,29 @@ import threading
 import signal
 import platform
 import traceback
+import subprocess
 
 from mitmproxy import version
+from mitmproxy import utils
 
 from OpenSSL import SSL
 
 
-def sysinfo():
+def dump_system_info():
+    git_describe = 'release version'
+    with utils.chdir(os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), ".."))):
+        try:
+            c = ['git', 'describe', '--tags', '--long']
+            git_describe = subprocess.check_output(c, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
+            git_describe = git_describe.decode().strip()
+        except:
+            pass
+
     data = [
-        "Mitmproxy version: %s" % version.VERSION,
-        "Python version: %s" % platform.python_version(),
-        "Platform: %s" % platform.platform(),
-        "SSL version: %s" % SSL.SSLeay_version(SSL.SSLEAY_VERSION).decode(),
+        "Mitmproxy version: {} ({})".format(version.VERSION, git_describe),
+        "Python version: {}".format(platform.python_version()),
+        "Platform: {}".format(platform.platform()),
+        "SSL version: {}".format(SSL.SSLeay_version(SSL.SSLEAY_VERSION).decode()),
     ]
     d = platform.linux_distribution()
     t = "Linux distro: %s %s %s" % d
diff --git a/test/mitmproxy/addons/test_script.py b/test/mitmproxy/addons/test_script.py
index 777f8f4da..f6fca23e3 100644
--- a/test/mitmproxy/addons/test_script.py
+++ b/test/mitmproxy/addons/test_script.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from mitmproxy import exceptions
 from mitmproxy import options
 from mitmproxy import proxy
 from mitmproxy import master
+from mitmproxy import utils
 
 from mitmproxy.addons import script
 
@@ -72,7 +73,7 @@ class TestParseCommand:
                 script.parse_command(dir)
 
     def test_parse_args(self):
-        with tutils.chdir(tutils.test_data.dirname):
+        with utils.chdir(tutils.test_data.dirname):
             assert script.parse_command(
                 "mitmproxy/data/addonscripts/recorder.py"
             ) == ("mitmproxy/data/addonscripts/recorder.py", [])
@@ -85,7 +86,7 @@ class TestParseCommand:
 
     @ttutils.skip_not_windows
     def test_parse_windows(self):
-        with tutils.chdir(tutils.test_data.dirname):
+        with utils.chdir(tutils.test_data.dirname):
             assert script.parse_command(
                 "mitmproxy/data\\addonscripts\\recorder.py"
             ) == ("mitmproxy/data\\addonscripts\\recorder.py", [])
diff --git a/test/mitmproxy/utils/test_debug.py b/test/mitmproxy/utils/test_debug.py
index 9acf8192d..18f5cdbc0 100644
--- a/test/mitmproxy/utils/test_debug.py
+++ b/test/mitmproxy/utils/test_debug.py
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@ import io
 from mitmproxy.utils import debug
 
 
+def test_dump_system_info():
+    assert debug.dump_system_info()
+
+
 def test_dump_info():
     cs = io.StringIO()
     debug.dump_info(None, None, file=cs, testing=True)
@@ -15,9 +19,5 @@ def test_dump_stacks():
     assert cs.getvalue()
 
 
-def test_sysinfo():
-    assert debug.sysinfo()
-
-
 def test_register_info_dumpers():
     debug.register_info_dumpers()
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 85c962f7d..88f9ce86e 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ deps =
 passenv = CODECOV_TOKEN CI CI_* TRAVIS TRAVIS_* APPVEYOR APPVEYOR_* SNAPSHOT_* OPENSSL_* RTOOL_*
 setenv = HOME = {envtmpdir}
 commands =
-  mitmdump --sysinfo
+  mitmdump --version
   py.test --timeout 60 {posargs}
   {env:CI_COMMANDS:python -c ""}
 
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ commands = sphinx-build -W -b html -d {envtmpdir}/doctrees . {envtmpdir}/html
 
 [testenv:lint]
 commands =
-  mitmdump --sysinfo
+  mitmdump --version
   flake8 --jobs 8 --count mitmproxy pathod examples test release
   rstcheck README.rst
   mypy --silent-imports \