diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 13dead7..51e8fdc 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.2.10
+0.2.18
diff --git a/public/js/core.js b/public/js/core.js
index 2d42907..a443f74 100644
--- a/public/js/core.js
+++ b/public/js/core.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 "use strict";
 /* version — shown until /api/version resolves (or if the fetch fails, e.g. offline).
    Kept in sync by hand with the VERSION file at the repo root on every release. */
-const VERSION = "0.2.10";
+const VERSION = "0.2.18";
 (function(){
   const tag = document.getElementById("verTag");
   tag.textContent = "v"+VERSION;
@@ -13,9 +13,13 @@ const VERSION = "0.2.10";
     .then(r=>r.ok ? r.json() : null)
     .then(v=>{
       if(!v || typeof v.version!=="string") return;
-      const text = v.version.startsWith("v") ? v.version : "v"+v.version;
+      let text = v.version.startsWith("v") ? v.version : "v"+v.version;
+      const isBeta = text.includes("beta");
+      /* on dev the sha is shown inline (not just as a hover-title) so a deploy is always
+         visibly different, even if the VERSION file itself was forgotten in a commit */
+      if(isBeta && v.sha) text += " ("+v.sha+")";
       tag.textContent = text;
-      tag.classList.toggle("beta", text.includes("beta"));
+      tag.classList.toggle("beta", isBeta);
       if(v.sha) tag.title = v.sha;
     })
     .catch(()=>{});