diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 221d259..30dc763 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ HOST_PKG_CONFIG ?= pkg-config
 # and you can tell at a glance which ELF is on the USB stick.
 BIN        := web-file-mgr-$(VERSION_TAG).elf
 LINUX_BIN  := web-file-mgr-linux-$(VERSION_TAG)
-COMMON_SRCS := src/main.c src/websrv.c src/filemgr.c src/file_response.c src/task.c src/upload.c src/download.c src/text.c src/list.c src/space.c src/fs_util.c src/json_util.c src/path_util.c src/asset.c src/mime.c src/notify.c src/pkg_installer.c src/pkg_info.c src/extract.c src/zip_extract.c src/rar_extract.c src/zipx_volume.c src/zipx_volstream.c src/zipx_common.c src/sevenz_extract.c src/sevenz_chain.c src/sevenz_volstream.c
+COMMON_SRCS := src/main.c src/websrv.c src/filemgr.c src/file_response.c src/task.c src/upload.c src/download.c src/text.c src/list.c src/space.c src/version.c src/fs_util.c src/json_util.c src/path_util.c src/asset.c src/mime.c src/notify.c src/pkg_installer.c src/pkg_info.c src/extract.c src/zip_extract.c src/rar_extract.c src/zipx_volume.c src/zipx_volstream.c src/zipx_common.c src/sevenz_extract.c src/sevenz_chain.c src/sevenz_volstream.c
 PS5_SRCS    := $(COMMON_SRCS) src/app_installer.c src/cpu_support_stub.c
 LINUX_SRCS  := $(COMMON_SRCS)
 BASE_ASSETS := $(filter-out %.dds,$(wildcard assets/*))
diff --git a/assets/main.js b/assets/main.js
index 2c17567..7185cb1 100644
--- a/assets/main.js
+++ b/assets/main.js
@@ -35,7 +35,11 @@ let uploadXhr = null;
 let uploadTerminalAbort = false;
 let L = {};
 
-const APP_VERSION = "v1.9";
+// Last-resort fallback for the footer. The real value comes from
+// /api/version, which reports the build's VERSION_TAG -- see loadVersion().
+// Keeping a literal here used to be the only source, and it inevitably
+// drifted (the footer said "v1.9" throughout the v1.9.1 release).
+const APP_VERSION_FALLBACK = "v1.9.1";
 const LAST_PATH_KEY = "ps5-web-file-mgr:last-path";
 const SORT_KEY = "ps5-web-file-mgr:list-sort";
 const LOADING_DISPLAY_DELAY = 250;
@@ -180,10 +184,22 @@ function applyStaticText() {
   exitBtn.setAttribute("aria-label", t("exit"));
   parentBtn.title = t("parent");
   parentBtn.setAttribute("aria-label", t("parent"));
-  versionEl.textContent = APP_VERSION;
+  versionEl.textContent = APP_VERSION_FALLBACK;
   if (initLoadingEl) initLoadingEl.hidden = true;
 }
 
+// Ask the backend which version it was built as, so the footer can never
+// disagree with the Makefile. A failure here is cosmetic: we simply keep the
+// fallback text rather than nagging the user with an error toast.
+async function loadVersion() {
+  try {
+    const data = await api("/api/version");
+    if (data && data.version) versionEl.textContent = data.version;
+  } catch (err) {
+    /* offline or very old payload -- keep APP_VERSION_FALLBACK */
+  }
+}
+
 function nextPaint() {
   return new Promise(resolve => {
     if (window.requestAnimationFrame) {
@@ -2628,6 +2644,7 @@ contentEl.addEventListener("scroll", () => {
 async function init() {
   await loadLanguage();
   applyStaticText();
+  loadVersion();
   readSavedSort();
   updateSortHeaders();
   const savedPath = historyPath() || readSavedPath();
diff --git a/src/filemgr.c b/src/filemgr.c
index d39daee..4834d84 100644
--- a/src/filemgr.c
+++ b/src/filemgr.c
@@ -2399,6 +2399,7 @@ filemgr_api_request(struct MHD_Connection *conn, const char *url,
   if(!strcmp(url, "/api/list")) return api_list(conn);
   if(!strcmp(url, "/api/tasks")) return api_tasks(conn);
   if(!strcmp(url, "/api/space")) return api_space(conn);
+  if(!strcmp(url, "/api/version")) return api_version(conn);
   if(!strcmp(url, "/api/cancel")) return api_cancel(conn);
   if(!strcmp(url, "/api/exit")) return api_exit(conn);
   if(!strcmp(url, "/api/copy")) return api_copy(conn, body, body_size);
diff --git a/src/filemgr_internal.h b/src/filemgr_internal.h
index 484eb03..9ba08f4 100644
--- a/src/filemgr_internal.h
+++ b/src/filemgr_internal.h
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ enum MHD_Result api_download_prepare(struct MHD_Connection *conn,
 enum MHD_Result api_download(struct MHD_Connection *conn);
 enum MHD_Result api_list(struct MHD_Connection *conn);
 enum MHD_Result api_space(struct MHD_Connection *conn);
+enum MHD_Result api_version(struct MHD_Connection *conn);
 enum MHD_Result api_text(struct MHD_Connection *conn);
 enum MHD_Result api_text_create(struct MHD_Connection *conn);
 enum MHD_Result api_text_save(struct MHD_Connection *conn, const char *body,
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fdbc7de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+/*
+ * /api/version -- hands the build's VERSION_TAG to the web UI.
+ *
+ * The footer in the browser shows a version string, and for a long time that
+ * string was a literal in assets/main.js, so it drifted out of sync the moment
+ * the Makefile moved on (v1.9 stayed on screen through the whole v1.9.1
+ * release). Exposing it over the API keeps a single source of truth: bump
+ * VERSION_TAG in the Makefile and every surface -- startup notification
+ * (src/main.c), stdout banner, ELF file name and the UI footer -- follows.
+ *
+ * The response is tiny and immutable, so the client caches it for the session.
+ */
+
+#include "filemgr_internal.h"
+
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include "json_util.h"
+
+#ifndef VERSION_TAG
+#define VERSION_TAG "unknown"
+#endif
+
+enum MHD_Result
+api_version(struct MHD_Connection *conn) {
+  strbuf_t b = {0};
+
+  strbuf_append(&b, "{\"ok\":true,\"version\":");
+  json_escape(&b, VERSION_TAG);
+  strbuf_append(&b, ",\"titleId\":");
+  json_escape(&b, TITLE_ID);
+  strbuf_append(&b, "}");
+  return send_buffer(conn, MHD_HTTP_OK, b.data, "application/json");
+}