diff --git a/internal/cli/version.go b/internal/cli/version.go
index 779feb7..f98c02c 100644
--- a/internal/cli/version.go
+++ b/internal/cli/version.go
@@ -2,13 +2,15 @@ package cli
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"runtime/debug"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
 // version, commit, and date are set at build time via -ldflags (see
 // .goreleaser.yaml). They default to values that make an unflagged build
-// identify itself as a dev build.
+// fall back to the build information Go embeds in every binary.
 var (
 	version = "dev"
 	commit  = ""
@@ -29,11 +31,60 @@ func newVersionCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	}
 }
 
-// versionString formats the version, commit, and date set by ldflags. When
-// none of them were set, it reports "cdd dev (dev)".
+// versionString formats the version from ldflags when GoReleaser set them,
+// otherwise from the build information Go embeds: the module version for
+// a `go install module@tag` build, the VCS revision for a build from a
+// checkout, and "cdd dev (dev)" when neither is known.
 func versionString() string {
-	if version == "dev" && commit == "" && date == "" {
+	info, _ := debug.ReadBuildInfo()
+	return formatVersion(version, commit, date, info)
+}
+
+// formatVersion is the pure core of versionString, split out so tests can
+// feed it ldflags values and build information directly.
+func formatVersion(version, commit, date string, info *debug.BuildInfo) string {
+	if version != "dev" || commit != "" || date != "" {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("cdd %s (%s %s)", version, commit, date)
+	}
+	if info == nil {
 		return "cdd dev (dev)"
 	}
-	return fmt.Sprintf("cdd %s (%s %s)", version, commit, date)
+
+	if v := info.Main.Version; v != "" && v != "(devel)" {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("cdd %s (go install)", strings.TrimPrefix(v, "v"))
+	}
+
+	rev, when, modified := vcsSettings(info)
+	if rev == "" {
+		return "cdd dev (dev)"
+	}
+	if modified {
+		rev += "+dirty"
+	}
+	if when == "" {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("cdd dev (%s)", rev)
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf("cdd dev (%s %s)", rev, when)
+}
+
+// vcsSettings extracts the short revision, commit date, and dirty flag that
+// Go records when building from a version-controlled checkout.
+func vcsSettings(info *debug.BuildInfo) (rev, when string, modified bool) {
+	for _, s := range info.Settings {
+		switch s.Key {
+		case "vcs.revision":
+			rev = s.Value
+			if len(rev) > 7 {
+				rev = rev[:7]
+			}
+		case "vcs.time":
+			when = s.Value
+			if len(when) > 10 {
+				when = when[:10]
+			}
+		case "vcs.modified":
+			modified = s.Value == "true"
+		}
+	}
+	return rev, when, modified
 }
diff --git a/internal/cli/version_test.go b/internal/cli/version_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed19008
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cli/version_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package cli
+
+import (
+	"runtime/debug"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestFormatVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	vcs := &debug.BuildInfo{
+		Main: debug.Module{Version: "(devel)"},
+		Settings: []debug.BuildSetting{
+			{Key: "vcs.revision", Value: "b72f0117d2c4a9e1f0c3"},
+			{Key: "vcs.time", Value: "2026-09-17T07:20:28Z"},
+			{Key: "vcs.modified", Value: "false"},
+		},
+	}
+	dirty := &debug.BuildInfo{
+		Main: debug.Module{Version: "(devel)"},
+		Settings: []debug.BuildSetting{
+			{Key: "vcs.revision", Value: "b72f011"},
+			{Key: "vcs.modified", Value: "true"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name                  string
+		version, commit, date string
+		info                  *debug.BuildInfo
+		want                  string
+	}{
+		{name: "ldflags from GoReleaser", version: "0.1.1", commit: "b72f011", date: "2026-09-17", info: vcs, want: "cdd 0.1.1 (b72f011 2026-09-17)"},
+		{name: "go install of a tagged module", version: "dev", info: &debug.BuildInfo{Main: debug.Module{Version: "v0.1.1"}}, want: "cdd 0.1.1 (go install)"},
+		{name: "build from a clean checkout", version: "dev", info: vcs, want: "cdd dev (b72f011 2026-09-17)"},
+		{name: "build from a dirty checkout", version: "dev", info: dirty, want: "cdd dev (b72f011+dirty)"},
+		{name: "no build information", version: "dev", info: nil, want: "cdd dev (dev)"},
+		{name: "devel without vcs", version: "dev", info: &debug.BuildInfo{Main: debug.Module{Version: "(devel)"}}, want: "cdd dev (dev)"},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := formatVersion(tt.version, tt.commit, tt.date, tt.info)
+			if got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("formatVersion() = %q, want %q", got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}