diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Header.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Header.test.tsx
index 833774d1ff..d907cbb7de 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Header.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Header.test.tsx
@@ -52,6 +52,15 @@ describe('<Header />', () => {
     expect(lastFrame()).toContain('v1.0.0');
   });
 
+  it('shows a non-semver fallback like "unknown" without a bogus "v" prefix', () => {
+    const { lastFrame } = render(
+      <Header {...defaultProps} version="unknown" />,
+    );
+    const frame = lastFrame() ?? '';
+    expect(frame).toContain('(unknown)');
+    expect(frame).not.toContain('vunknown');
+  });
+
   it('displays auth type and model', () => {
     const { lastFrame } = render(<Header {...defaultProps} />);
     expect(lastFrame()).toContain('Qwen OAuth');
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Header.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Header.tsx
index 94ec219377..e59d49f882 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Header.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Header.tsx
@@ -49,6 +49,16 @@ function formatAuthDisplayType(
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Format the version for display. Real semver releases get a "v" prefix
+ * ("v0.19.4"); a non-semver fallback such as "unknown" (from getCliVersion when
+ * the package version can't be resolved) is shown as-is so we never render a
+ * bogus "vunknown".
+ */
+function formatVersionLabel(version: string): string {
+  return /^\d/.test(version) ? `v${version}` : version;
+}
+
 interface HeaderProps {
   /**
    * Width-aware override for the logo column. Each tier is a sanitized
@@ -88,6 +98,7 @@ export const Header: React.FC<HeaderProps> = ({
   const { columns: terminalWidth } = useTerminalSize();
 
   const formattedAuthType = formatAuthDisplayType(authDisplayType);
+  const versionLabel = formatVersionLabel(version);
 
   // Calculate available space properly:
   // First determine if logo can be shown, then use remaining space for path
@@ -209,7 +220,7 @@ export const Header: React.FC<HeaderProps> = ({
           <Text bold color={theme.text.accent}>
             {customBannerTitle ? customBannerTitle : '>_ Qwen Code'}
           </Text>
-          <Text color={theme.text.secondary}> (v{version})</Text>
+          <Text color={theme.text.secondary}> ({versionLabel})</Text>
         </Text>
         {/* Subtitle (when set) replaces the blank spacer row. We always
             emit a row here so the auth/model line stays at the same
diff --git a/packages/web-shell/client/components/sidebar/WebShellSidebar.module.css b/packages/web-shell/client/components/sidebar/WebShellSidebar.module.css
index 0c5e13ca44..3e81ef6b78 100644
--- a/packages/web-shell/client/components/sidebar/WebShellSidebar.module.css
+++ b/packages/web-shell/client/components/sidebar/WebShellSidebar.module.css
@@ -578,6 +578,16 @@
   flex: 0 0 auto;
 }
 
+.version {
+  flex: 0 0 auto;
+  color: var(--muted-foreground);
+  font-size: 12px;
+  line-height: 1;
+  letter-spacing: 0.02em;
+  white-space: nowrap;
+  user-select: text;
+}
+
 .collapsed .newChatButton,
 .collapsed .footerButton,
 .collapsed .projectRow {
diff --git a/packages/web-shell/client/components/sidebar/WebShellSidebar.test.tsx b/packages/web-shell/client/components/sidebar/WebShellSidebar.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cb88fa13aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/web-shell/client/components/sidebar/WebShellSidebar.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { act } from 'react';
+import { createRoot, type Root } from 'react-dom/client';
+
+const { mockConnection } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  mockConnection: {
+    status: 'connected',
+    sessionId: null as string | null,
+    workspaceCwd: '/tmp/project',
+    capabilities: { qwenCodeVersion: '1.2.3' } as
+      | { qwenCodeVersion?: string }
+      | undefined,
+  },
+}));
+
+vi.mock('@qwen-code/webui/daemon-react-sdk', () => ({
+  useConnection: () => mockConnection,
+  useActions: () => ({ renameSession: vi.fn() }),
+  useSessions: () => ({
+    sessions: [],
+    loading: false,
+    error: null,
+    reload: vi.fn(),
+    deleteSession: vi.fn(),
+  }),
+}));
+
+const { I18nProvider } = await import('../../i18n');
+const { WebShellSidebar } = await import('./WebShellSidebar');
+
+(
+  globalThis as { IS_REACT_ACT_ENVIRONMENT?: boolean }
+).IS_REACT_ACT_ENVIRONMENT = true;
+
+const mounted: Array<{ root: Root; container: HTMLElement }> = [];
+
+const noop = () => {};
+
+function renderSidebar(collapsed: boolean): HTMLElement {
+  const container = document.createElement('div');
+  document.body.appendChild(container);
+  const root = createRoot(container);
+  act(() => {
+    root.render(
+      <I18nProvider language="en">
+        <WebShellSidebar
+          collapsed={collapsed}
+          onCollapsedChange={noop}
+          onOpenSettings={noop}
+          onNewSession={() => false}
+          onLoadSession={noop}
+          onError={noop}
+        />
+      </I18nProvider>,
+    );
+  });
+  mounted.push({ root, container });
+  return container;
+}
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  mockConnection.capabilities = { qwenCodeVersion: '1.2.3' };
+});
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  for (const { root, container } of mounted.splice(0)) {
+    act(() => root.unmount());
+    container.remove();
+  }
+});
+
+describe('WebShellSidebar — version footer', () => {
+  it('shows the qwen-code version in the footer when expanded', () => {
+    const container = renderSidebar(false);
+    const badge = container.querySelector('[title="Qwen Code v1.2.3"]');
+    expect(badge).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(badge?.textContent).toBe('v1.2.3');
+  });
+
+  it('renders a non-semver fallback (e.g. "unknown") without a bogus "v" prefix', () => {
+    mockConnection.capabilities = { qwenCodeVersion: 'unknown' };
+    const container = renderSidebar(false);
+    const badge = container.querySelector('[title="Qwen Code unknown"]');
+    expect(badge).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(badge?.textContent).toBe('unknown');
+    expect(container.textContent ?? '').not.toContain('vunknown');
+  });
+
+  it('hides the version when the sidebar is collapsed', () => {
+    const container = renderSidebar(true);
+    expect(container.querySelector('[title="Qwen Code v1.2.3"]')).toBeNull();
+    expect(container.textContent ?? '').not.toContain('v1.2.3');
+  });
+
+  it('renders no version badge when the daemon reports none', () => {
+    mockConnection.capabilities = undefined;
+    const container = renderSidebar(false);
+    expect(container.textContent ?? '').not.toMatch(/v\d/);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/web-shell/client/components/sidebar/WebShellSidebar.tsx b/packages/web-shell/client/components/sidebar/WebShellSidebar.tsx
index 5b4f10af00..bc66117aab 100644
--- a/packages/web-shell/client/components/sidebar/WebShellSidebar.tsx
+++ b/packages/web-shell/client/components/sidebar/WebShellSidebar.tsx
@@ -214,6 +214,14 @@ export function WebShellSidebar({
   const currentSessionId = connection.sessionId;
   const projectName =
     getWorkspaceName(connection.workspaceCwd) || t('sidebar.projectFallback');
+  const qwenCodeVersion = connection.capabilities?.qwenCodeVersion || '';
+  // Numeric releases render as "v1.2.3"; a non-semver fallback such as
+  // "unknown" is shown as-is so we never produce a bogus "vunknown".
+  const versionLabel = qwenCodeVersion
+    ? /^\d/.test(qwenCodeVersion)
+      ? `v${qwenCodeVersion}`
+      : qwenCodeVersion
+    : '';
   const sidebarStyle = {
     '--web-shell-sidebar-width': `${sidebarWidth}px`,
   } as CSSProperties;
@@ -940,6 +948,11 @@ export function WebShellSidebar({
           </span>
           {!collapsed && <span>{t('sidebar.settings')}</span>}
         </button>
+        {!collapsed && versionLabel && (
+          <span className={styles.version} title={`Qwen Code ${versionLabel}`}>
+            {versionLabel}
+          </span>
+        )}
         {!mobileOpen && (
           <button
             className={styles.collapseButton}
diff --git a/scripts/dev.js b/scripts/dev.js
index 4b96a67df9..fcfa8a80f8 100644
--- a/scripts/dev.js
+++ b/scripts/dev.js
@@ -24,12 +24,14 @@ import {
   existsSync,
   symlinkSync,
   mkdirSync,
+  readFileSync,
 } from 'node:fs';
 import { tmpdir, platform } from 'node:os';
 
 const __dirname = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
 const root = join(__dirname, '..');
 const cliPackageDir = join(root, 'packages', 'cli');
+const pkg = JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(root, 'package.json'), 'utf-8'));
 
 // Ensure qc-helper bundled skill can find user docs in dev mode.
 // In dev, import.meta.url resolves to the source tree, so the bundled skill
@@ -102,7 +104,10 @@ const importFlag = `--import ${pathToFileURL(registerPath).href}`;
 const env = {
   ...process.env,
   DEV: 'true',
-  CLI_VERSION: 'dev',
+  // Report the real package version (like scripts/start.js) so the UI shows
+  // e.g. "v0.19.4" instead of "dev". DEV=true / NODE_ENV=development remain the
+  // signals that distinguish a dev build.
+  CLI_VERSION: pkg.version,
   NODE_ENV: 'development',
   NODE_OPTIONS: `${existingNodeOptions} --expose-gc ${importFlag}`.trim(),
 };
diff --git a/scripts/tests/dev.test.js b/scripts/tests/dev.test.js
index 58d42720b0..89567c96be 100644
--- a/scripts/tests/dev.test.js
+++ b/scripts/tests/dev.test.js
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ vi.mock('node:fs', () => ({
   existsSync: existsSyncMock,
   symlinkSync: vi.fn(),
   mkdirSync: vi.fn(),
+  readFileSync: vi.fn(() => JSON.stringify({ version: '0.0.0-test' })),
 }));
 
 const normalizePath = (path) => String(path).replaceAll('\\', '/');