diff --git a/src/common/otable.cpp b/src/common/otable.cpp
index 0eb6ec1..ef4be1c 100644
--- a/src/common/otable.cpp
+++ b/src/common/otable.cpp
@@ -547,6 +547,13 @@ std::ostream& otable::serialize_header(std::ostream &out)
 		(*i)->serialize_def(out);
 		out << " ";
 	}
+
+	// serialize version information
+	if(!galfast_version.empty())
+	{
+		out << "\n# generated with galfast version " << galfast_version;
+	}
+
 	return out;
 }
 
@@ -703,8 +710,10 @@ otable::columndef &otable::use_column_by_cloning(const std::string &newColumnNam
 	return *col;
 }
 
-void otable::init()
+void otable::init(const std::string &galfast_version)
 {
+	this->galfast_version = galfast_version;
+
 	// definition of built-in classes and column defaults
 	parse(
 	"(class) default      {fmt=% 7.3f;}" 			// NOTE: This class must come be defined before any columns are ever instantiated
diff --git a/src/common/otable.h b/src/common/otable.h
index 337af5a..3b077f4 100644
--- a/src/common/otable.h
+++ b/src/common/otable.h
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ class otable
 		}
 	};
 
+	std::string galfast_version;
 public:
 	struct columndef : public kv
 	{
@@ -383,7 +384,7 @@ class otable
 	struct parse_callback { virtual bool operator()(kv *kvobj) = 0; };
 	
 protected:
-	void init();
+	void init(const std::string &galfast_version);
 	kv *parse(const std::string &defs, parse_callback *cback = NULL);
 
 	void getColumnsForOutput(std::vector<const columndef*> &cols) const;	// aux helper
@@ -421,12 +422,12 @@ class otable
 	}
 //	bool del_column(const std::string &name);
 
-	otable(const size_t len)
+	otable(const size_t len, const std::string &galfast_version_)
 	{
 		nrows_capacity = len;
 		nrows = 0;
 
-		init();
+		init(galfast_version_);
 	}
 
 	struct mask_functor { virtual bool shouldOutput(int row) const = 0; };
diff --git a/src/pipeline.cpp b/src/pipeline.cpp
index 4ee8192..a7fd96e 100644
--- a/src/pipeline.cpp
+++ b/src/pipeline.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 #include "config.h"
 
+#include "version.h"
 #include "analysis.h"
 #include "io.h"
 #include "pipeline.h"
@@ -1248,7 +1249,12 @@ void generate_catalog(int seed, size_t maxstars, size_t nstars, const std::set<C
 	if(kb) { Kbatch = (int)atof(kb.c_str()); } // atof instead of atoi to allow shorthands such as 1e5
 	if(kb) { MLOG(verb1) << "Batch size: " << Kbatch << " objects"; }
 	DLOG(verb1) << "Processing in batches of " << Kbatch << " objects";
-	otable t(Kbatch);
+
+	std::string ver;
+	EnvVar nover("NOVERSION");
+	if(!nover || atoi(nover.c_str()) == 0) { ver = VERSION_STRING; }
+	else { MLOG(verb1) << "WARNING: Not recording software version in output files."; }
+	otable t(Kbatch, ver);
 
 	// load all module config files and detect and set aside
 	// models and footprints