diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 74637d84..8d43af84 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ if git.found()
 	endif
 endif
 add_project_arguments('-DSWAY_VERSION=@0@'.format(version), language: 'c')
+add_project_arguments('-DSWAY_ORIGINAL_VERSION="1.8.1"', language: 'c')
 
 # Compute the relative path used by compiler invocations.
 source_root = meson.current_source_dir().split('/')
diff --git a/sway/ipc-json.c b/sway/ipc-json.c
index 2ae09457..eea4e186 100644
--- a/sway/ipc-json.c
+++ b/sway/ipc-json.c
@@ -209,6 +209,7 @@ json_object *ipc_json_get_version(void) {
 	sscanf(SWAY_VERSION, "%d.%d.%d", &major, &minor, &patch);
 
 	json_object_object_add(version, "human_readable", json_object_new_string(SWAY_VERSION));
+	json_object_object_add(version, "sway_original_version", json_object_new_string(SWAY_ORIGINAL_VERSION));
 	json_object_object_add(version, "variant", json_object_new_string("sway"));
 	json_object_object_add(version, "major", json_object_new_int(major));
 	json_object_object_add(version, "minor", json_object_new_int(minor));
diff --git a/sway/main.c b/sway/main.c
index 85bc2f1c..681a24e9 100644
--- a/sway/main.c
+++ b/sway/main.c
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 			allow_unsupported_gpu = true;
 			break;
 		case 'v': // version
-			printf("sway version " SWAY_VERSION "\n");
+			printf("swayfx version " SWAY_VERSION " (based on sway " SWAY_ORIGINAL_VERSION ")\n");
 			exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
 			break;
 		case 'V': // verbose
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 		wlr_log_init(WLR_ERROR, handle_wlr_log);
 	}
 
-	sway_log(SWAY_INFO, "Sway version " SWAY_VERSION);
+	sway_log(SWAY_INFO, "swayfx version " SWAY_VERSION " (based on sway version " SWAY_ORIGINAL_VERSION ")");
 	sway_log(SWAY_INFO, "wlroots version " WLR_VERSION_STR);
 	log_kernel();
 	log_distro();
@@ -373,7 +373,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	// prevent ipc from crashing sway
 	signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN);
 
-	sway_log(SWAY_INFO, "Starting sway version " SWAY_VERSION);
+	sway_log(SWAY_INFO, "Starting swayfx version " SWAY_VERSION
+			" (based on sway version " SWAY_ORIGINAL_VERSION ")");
 
 	root = root_create();
 
diff --git a/swaybar/main.c b/swaybar/main.c
index a44c1e63..d1e7d4a6 100644
--- a/swaybar/main.c
+++ b/swaybar/main.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 			swaybar.id = strdup(optarg);
 			break;
 		case 'v':
-			printf("swaybar version " SWAY_VERSION "\n");
+			printf("swaybar version " SWAY_VERSION " (based on sway " SWAY_ORIGINAL_VERSION ")\n");
 			exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
 			break;
 		case 'd': // Debug
diff --git a/swaymsg/main.c b/swaymsg/main.c
index c0b5809e..237a4a71 100644
--- a/swaymsg/main.c
+++ b/swaymsg/main.c
@@ -294,9 +294,12 @@ static void pretty_print_output(json_object *o) {
 }
 
 static void pretty_print_version(json_object *v) {
-	json_object *ver;
-	json_object_object_get_ex(v, "human_readable", &ver);
-	printf("sway version %s\n", json_object_get_string(ver));
+	json_object *swayfx_ver;
+	json_object *sway_ver;
+	json_object_object_get_ex(v, "human_readable", &swayfx_ver);
+	json_object_object_get_ex(v, "sway_original_version", &sway_ver);
+	printf("swayfx version %s (based on sway %s)\n",
+			json_object_get_string(swayfx_ver), json_object_get_string(sway_ver));
 }
 
 static void pretty_print_config(json_object *c) {
@@ -470,7 +473,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 			cmdtype = strdup(optarg);
 			break;
 		case 'v':
-			printf("swaymsg version " SWAY_VERSION "\n");
+			printf("swaymsg version " SWAY_VERSION " (based on sway " SWAY_ORIGINAL_VERSION ")\n");
 			exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
 			break;
 		default:
diff --git a/swaynag/config.c b/swaynag/config.c
index a0bf3197..db86c1b8 100644
--- a/swaynag/config.c
+++ b/swaynag/config.c
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ int swaynag_parse_options(int argc, char **argv, struct swaynag *swaynag,
 			}
 			break;
 		case 'v': // Version
-			printf("swaynag version " SWAY_VERSION "\n");
+			printf("swaynag version " SWAY_VERSION " (based on sway " SWAY_ORIGINAL_VERSION ")\n");
 			return -1;
 		case TO_COLOR_BACKGROUND: // Background color
 			if (type && !parse_color(optarg, &type->background)) {