diff --git a/library/Core.cpp b/library/Core.cpp
index 4f06c3d62..a1e3b60e5 100644
--- a/library/Core.cpp
+++ b/library/Core.cpp
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ static std::string dfhack_version_desc()
     if (Version::is_release())
         s << "(release)";
     else
-        s << "(development build " << Version::git_description() << ")";
+        s << "(git: " << Version::git_commit(true) << ")";
     s << " on " << (sizeof(void*) == 8 ? "x86_64" : "x86");
     if (strlen(Version::dfhack_build_id()))
         s << " [build ID: " << Version::dfhack_build_id() << "]";
diff --git a/library/DFHackVersion.cpp b/library/DFHackVersion.cpp
index 7746ebece..42aac251e 100644
--- a/library/DFHackVersion.cpp
+++ b/library/DFHackVersion.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #define NO_DFHACK_VERSION_MACROS
 #include "DFHackVersion.h"
 #include "git-describe.h"
+#include <string>
+
 namespace DFHack {
     namespace Version {
         int dfhack_abi_version()
@@ -27,9 +29,10 @@ namespace DFHack {
         {
             return DFHACK_GIT_DESCRIPTION;
         }
-        const char *git_commit()
+        const char* git_commit(bool short_hash)
         {
-            return DFHACK_GIT_COMMIT;
+            static std::string shorty(DFHACK_GIT_COMMIT, 0, 7);
+            return short_hash ? shorty.c_str() : DFHACK_GIT_COMMIT;
         }
         const char *git_xml_commit()
         {
diff --git a/library/include/DFHackVersion.h b/library/include/DFHackVersion.h
index 1b69dfe55..fbf2539bf 100644
--- a/library/include/DFHackVersion.h
+++ b/library/include/DFHackVersion.h
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ namespace DFHack {
         int dfhack_abi_version();
 
         const char *git_description();
-        const char *git_commit();
+        const char* git_commit(bool short_hash = false);
         const char *git_xml_commit();
         const char *git_xml_expected_commit();
         bool git_xml_match();
diff --git a/plugins/lua/overlay.lua b/plugins/lua/overlay.lua
index 75dc301ad..6a568fb85 100644
--- a/plugins/lua/overlay.lua
+++ b/plugins/lua/overlay.lua
@@ -571,13 +571,13 @@ TitleVersionOverlay.ATTRS{
     default_pos={x=50, y=-2},
     default_enabled=true,
     viewscreens='title',
-    frame={w=30, h=3},
+    frame={w=35, h=3},
 }
 
 function TitleVersionOverlay:init()
     local text = {}
     table.insert(text, 'DFHack ' .. dfhack.getDFHackVersion() ..
-            (dfhack.isPrerelease() and (' (%s)'):format(dfhack.getGitCommit():sub(1,7)) or ''))
+            (dfhack.isPrerelease() and (' (git: %s)'):format(dfhack.getGitCommit(true)) or ''))
     if #dfhack.getDFHackBuildID() > 0 then
         table.insert(text, NEWLINE)
         table.insert(text, 'Build ID: ' .. dfhack.getDFHackBuildID())