diff --git a/misc/rootfs/etc/motd b/misc/rootfs/etc/motd
index 4067a15..381d280 100755
--- a/misc/rootfs/etc/motd
+++ b/misc/rootfs/etc/motd
@@ -16,7 +16,3 @@ The platform for ultra-low latency audio and sensor processing
 
 http://bela.io
 
-Bela release image, v0.3.0, 1 November 2017
-
-More info at https://github.com/BelaPlatform/bela-image/releases
-
diff --git a/scripts/create_img.sh b/scripts/create_img.sh
index 5e71b0d..81569df 100755
--- a/scripts/create_img.sh
+++ b/scripts/create_img.sh
@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@ sync
 
 # copy rootfs
 sudo cp -a ${DIR}/rootfs/* /mnt/bela/root/
+# seal off the motd with current tag and commit hash
+APPEND_TO_MOTD="sudo tee -a /mnt/bela/root/etc/motd"
+printf "Bela image, `git -C ${DIR} describe --tags --dirty=++`, `date "+%e %B %Y"`\n\n" | ${APPEND_TO_MOTD}
+printf "More info at https://github.com/BelaPlatform/bela-image-builder/releases\n\n" | ${APPEND_TO_MOTD}
+printf "Built with bela-image-builder `git -C ${DIR} branch | grep '\*' | sed 's/\*\s//g'`@`git -C ${DIR} rev-parse HEAD`\non `date`\n\n" | ${APPEND_TO_MOTD}
 
 # create uEnv.txt for emmc
 cp ${DIR}/boot/uEnv.txt ${DIR}/boot/uEnv.tmp
diff --git a/scripts/pre-chroot.sh b/scripts/pre-chroot.sh
index 69a9846..e962dc7 100755
--- a/scripts/pre-chroot.sh
+++ b/scripts/pre-chroot.sh
@@ -35,5 +35,4 @@ echo "~~~~ installing xenomai  ~~~~"
 sudo make -C ${DIR}/downloads/xenomai-3-build install DESTDIR=$targetdir --no-print-directory
 
 sudo cp -rv ${DIR}/misc/rootfs/* $targetdir/
-sudo printf "Built with bela-image-builder `git -C ${DIR} branch | grep '\*' | sed 's/\*\s//g'`@`git -C ${DIR} rev-parse HEAD`\non `date`\n\n" >> ${DIR}/rootfs/etc/motd