diff --git a/byobu b/byobu
index 03956c83..0a49121c 100755
--- a/byobu
+++ b/byobu
@@ -18,6 +18,14 @@
 #    along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 PKG="byobu"
+VERSION="2.17"
+
+# Add a version argument for debugging purposes
+if [ "$1" = "-v" ]; then
+	echo "$PKG version $VERSION"
+	screen -v
+	exit 0
+fi
 
 # Nesting byobu inside of screen doesn't work well
 if [ "$TERM" = "screen" ]; then
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 9e730da4..ed264ab4 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -19,11 +19,12 @@ byobu (2.17) unreleased; urgency=low
     used to force select-screen-profile on first run, and the number of
     profiles was overwhelming;  we're no longer doing this, and this
     separate package is more trouble than its worth
+  * byobu: add a -v version argument
 
   [ Ciemon Dunville ]
   * byobu.1: update description, add note about units of measure
 
- -- Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com>  Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:51:11 -0500
+ -- Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com>  Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:42:59 -0500
 
 byobu (2.16-0ubuntu1) karmic; urgency=low
 
diff --git a/debian/release.sh b/debian/release.sh
index 74e7a928..5428ef26 100755
--- a/debian/release.sh
+++ b/debian/release.sh
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ rsync -aP /tmp/$PKG-export.tar.gz kirkland@people.ubuntu.com:~kirkland/public_ht
 
 # Open the next release for development
 nextminor=`expr $minor + 1`
+sed -i "/^VERSION=.*$/VERSION=$MAJOR.$nextminor/" byobu
 dch -v "$MAJOR.$nextminor" "UNRELEASED"
 sed -i "s/$MAJOR.$nextminor) .*;/$MAJOR.$nextminor) unreleased;/" debian/changelog
 sed -i "s/^Version:.*$/Version:        $MAJOR.$nextminor/" rpm/$PKG.spec