diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 711588c..a76cbb6 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -34,8 +34,11 @@ COPY . .
 # Run the tests - build fails if any test fails
 RUN make test
 
-# Build the binary
-RUN make build
+# Build the binary. .dockerignore leaves out .git, so `git describe` in
+# the Makefile cannot find the version here: script/docker passes it as
+# --build-arg VERSION, and a build that passes none reports `dev`.
+ARG VERSION=dev
+RUN make build VERSION="${VERSION}"
 
 # Runtime stage
 # alpine 3.21, 2026-02-28
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7b2447f..5d36bc7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 .PHONY: all bootstrap setup build lint fmt fmt-check test check clean hooks docker
 
 BINARY := dnswatcher
+# `make build VERSION=...` overrides this; the Dockerfile does so, as the
+# image has no .git to describe.
 VERSION := $(shell git describe --tags --always --dirty 2>/dev/null || echo "dev")
 LDFLAGS := -X main.Version=$(VERSION)
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f971096..a074dbe 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -480,7 +480,8 @@ them. We provide:
 - `script/check` — run test, lint, and fmt-check
 - `script/docker` — build the Docker image tagged via `script/projectname`, with
   `--no-cache-filter=lint,builder` so the lint stage and the builder stage,
-  which runs the tests, run on every invocation
+  which runs the tests, run on every invocation, and with the version from
+  `git describe` passed as `--build-arg VERSION`
 - `script/cibuild` — CI entrypoint: `docker build` with
   `--no-cache-filter=lint,builder`, so the lint stage and the builder stage,
   which runs the tests, run on every invocation, because a cached build lints
@@ -502,11 +503,14 @@ make clean      # Remove build artifacts
 
 ### Build-Time Variables
 
-Version is injected via `-ldflags`:
+`make build` sets the version with `-ldflags "-X main.Version=..."`, taking
+it from `git describe --tags --always --dirty`, or from `VERSION` when given
+on the command line (`make build VERSION=1.2.3`). The version appears in the
+startup log and in the health check response.
 
-```sh
-go build -ldflags "-X main.Version=$(git describe --tags --always)" ./cmd/dnswatcher
-```
+The Docker image has no `.git`, so the `Dockerfile` takes the version as
+`--build-arg VERSION`. `make docker` passes it; a plain `docker build`
+passes none, and that image reports `dev`.
 
 ---
 
diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index e0c114a..1e32630 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/dnswatcher/issues/104
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-10-01: the image built by `make docker` reports the `git describe`
+  version, not `dev`, and the startup log now shows it (closes #109).
 - 2026-10-01: two notify shutdown tests always release the delivery they hold,
   so a drain that returns early fails them instead of hanging (closes #176).
 - 2026-10-01: `script/install-precommit` asks git for the repository's git
@@ -97,7 +99,6 @@ https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/dnswatcher/issues/104
   https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/dnswatcher/issues/177
 - rate limit on `/metrics` Basic Auth:
   https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/dnswatcher/issues/101
-- images report version `dev`: https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/dnswatcher/issues/109
 - trial run of the finished image:
   https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/dnswatcher/issues/149
 - 1.0 readiness: run it with a real config and read the logs:
diff --git a/cmd/dnswatcher/main.go b/cmd/dnswatcher/main.go
index baff13b..11e6780 100644
--- a/cmd/dnswatcher/main.go
+++ b/cmd/dnswatcher/main.go
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ func main() {
 				return n
 			},
 		),
+		fx.Invoke(func(l *logger.Logger) { l.Identify() }),
 		fx.Invoke(func(*server.Server, *watcher.Watcher) {}),
 	).Run()
 }
diff --git a/script/docker b/script/docker
index 4f1fd14..93d2408 100755
--- a/script/docker
+++ b/script/docker
@@ -12,7 +12,15 @@ ROOT="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/.." && pwd -P)"
 
 main() {
     cd "$ROOT"
-    docker build --no-cache-filter=lint,builder -t "$("$SCRIPT_DIR/projectname")" .
+    # Own line: a failing command substitution inside an argument does
+    # not trip `set -e`, so the inline form degrades silently to an
+    # empty constant. VERSION is computed here because .dockerignore
+    # excludes .git, so `git describe` in a build stage cannot find it.
+    version="$(git describe --tags --always --dirty 2>/dev/null || true)"
+    [ -n "$version" ] || version="unknown"
+    docker build --no-cache-filter=lint,builder \
+        --build-arg VERSION="$version" \
+        -t "$("$SCRIPT_DIR/projectname")" .
 }
 
 main "$@"