diff --git a/examples/simple_repeater/MyMesh.cpp b/examples/simple_repeater/MyMesh.cpp
index efb6532b6..db4878c40 100644
--- a/examples/simple_repeater/MyMesh.cpp
+++ b/examples/simple_repeater/MyMesh.cpp
@@ -1438,7 +1438,7 @@ bool MyMesh::startWebConfig(bool force_ap, char* reply) {
   }
   if (!_webconfig) {
     _webconfig = new WebConfigServer(&_prefs, _cli.getObserverPrefs(), this,
-                                     self_id.pub_key, getFirmwareVer(), getRole(),
+                                     self_id.pub_key, getFirmwareVer(), getBuildDate(), getRole(),
                                      _cli.getBoard()->getManufacturerName());
   }
   if (force_ap) {
diff --git a/scripts/webconfig_mock_server.py b/scripts/webconfig_mock_server.py
index d4e004364..3631cdc9a 100644
--- a/scripts/webconfig_mock_server.py
+++ b/scripts/webconfig_mock_server.py
@@ -187,7 +187,8 @@ class State:
             # Shaped like build.sh's EMBEDDED_VERSION_STRING
             # (base[.build][-observer][-channel]-hash) so the console's channel
             # labelling is exercised against a real version, not "v1.x-mock".
-            "fw": FW_VERSION, "role": "Repeater", "board": "Heltec V3 (mock)",
+            "fw": FW_VERSION, "build_date": "6 Jun 2026",
+            "role": "Repeater", "board": "Heltec V3 (mock)",
             "uptime_s": int(time.time() - self.start),
             "runtime_slots": 6, "max_slots": 6, "active_slots": self.active_slots,
             "max_cmds": CLI_MAX_CMDS,
diff --git a/src/helpers/esp32/WebConfigServer.cpp b/src/helpers/esp32/WebConfigServer.cpp
index 903036cd7..e2a279dc1 100644
--- a/src/helpers/esp32/WebConfigServer.cpp
+++ b/src/helpers/esp32/WebConfigServer.cpp
@@ -112,9 +112,10 @@ static portMUX_TYPE s_wc_route_mux = portMUX_INITIALIZER_UNLOCKED;
 
 WebConfigServer::WebConfigServer(NodePrefs* prefs, MQTTPrefs* obs, Callbacks* callbacks,
                                  const uint8_t* pub_key, const char* fw_ver,
+                                 const char* build_date,
                                  const char* role, const char* board_name)
     : _prefs(prefs), _obs(obs), _cb(callbacks), _pub_key(pub_key),
-      _fw_ver(fw_ver), _role(role), _board_name(board_name) {
+      _fw_ver(fw_ver), _build_date(build_date), _role(role), _board_name(board_name) {
   _mux = xSemaphoreCreateMutex();
 }
 
@@ -571,6 +572,9 @@ void WebConfigServer::handleStatus(AsyncWebServerRequest* req) {
   for (int i = 0; i < 8; i++) sprintf(&node_id[i * 2], "%02x", _pub_key[i]);
   doc["node_id"] = node_id;
   doc["fw"] = _fw_ver;
+  // The page shows a trimmed version — base + build number + channel — and
+  // pairs it with this, the way `ver` does. Both come from the same defines.
+  doc["build_date"] = _build_date;
   doc["role"] = _role;
   doc["board"] = _board_name;
   doc["uptime_s"] = millis() / 1000;
diff --git a/src/helpers/esp32/WebConfigServer.h b/src/helpers/esp32/WebConfigServer.h
index 7ef23a92c..e1191fc3e 100644
--- a/src/helpers/esp32/WebConfigServer.h
+++ b/src/helpers/esp32/WebConfigServer.h
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public:
   };
 
   WebConfigServer(NodePrefs* prefs, MQTTPrefs* obs, Callbacks* callbacks,
-                  const uint8_t* pub_key, const char* fw_ver,
+                  const uint8_t* pub_key, const char* fw_ver, const char* build_date,
                   const char* role, const char* board_name);
   ~WebConfigServer();
 
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ private:
   Callbacks* _cb;
   const uint8_t* _pub_key;
   const char* _fw_ver;
+  const char* _build_date;
   const char* _role;
   const char* _board_name;
 
diff --git a/webui/index.html b/webui/index.html
index bebdc084f..261d67e46 100644
--- a/webui/index.html
+++ b/webui/index.html
@@ -582,6 +582,18 @@ function $(s){return document.querySelector(s)}
 function $$(s){return Array.prototype.slice.call(document.querySelectorAll(s))}
 function toast(m){var t=$("#toast");t.textContent=m;t.classList.add("show");clearTimeout(t._h);t._h=setTimeout(function(){t.classList.remove("show")},2600)}
 function esc(s){return String(s).replace(/[&<>"]/g,function(c){return{"&":"&amp;","<":"&lt;",">":"&gt;",'"':"&quot;"}[c]})}
+// build.sh embeds base[.build][-observer][-channel]-hash, e.g.
+// v1.16.0.5-observer-beta-dev-a1b2c3d. What identifies a build to a person is
+// the base, the published build number and the channel — the -observer variant
+// tag is the same on every observer build and the commit is for machines. `ver`
+// still prints the whole string when you want it.
+function shortVer(){
+  var fw=st.fw||"",m=/^(v?\d+\.\d+\.\d+(?:\.\d+)?)/.exec(fw);
+  var s=m?m[1]:(fw||"unknown version");
+  if(/-dev(-|$)/.test(fw))s+="-dev";            // OTA_CHANNEL_TAG=beta-dev
+  else if(/-beta(-|$)/.test(fw))s+="-beta";     // a beta-only channel, if ever
+  return st.build?s+" ("+st.build+")":s;
+}
 
 function api(path,opts){
   opts=opts||{};
@@ -629,9 +641,9 @@ function boot(){
     // size for older firmware that doesn't report it.
     st.mode=s.mode;st.authed=s.auth;st.needsSetup=!!s.needs_setup;st.nslots=s.active_slots||s.runtime_slots||6;
     if(s.max_cmds>0)CLI_MAX=s.max_cmds;
-    st.fw=s.fw||"";st.role=s.role||"";st.board=s.board||"";
+    st.fw=s.fw||"";st.build=s.build_date||"";st.role=s.role||"";st.board=s.board||"";
     $("#h-name").textContent=s.name||"MeshCore";
-    $("#h-sub").textContent=s.role+" · "+s.fw+" · "+s.board;
+    $("#h-sub").textContent=s.role+" · "+shortVer()+" · "+s.board;
     var b=$("#h-badge");b.classList.remove("hide");
     if(s.mode==="setup"){b.textContent="SETUP";b.classList.add("setup")}else{b.textContent="LAN"}
     // Only in setup mode: in LAN mode the console is a tab, and the header is
@@ -1637,23 +1649,10 @@ function cliEcho(cls,text){
 }
 function cliGap(){var d=cliEcho("gap","");return d}
 function cliClear(){$("#term-out").innerHTML="";cliBanner();$("#term-in").focus()}
-// build.sh composes FIRMWARE_VERSION as base[.build][-observer][-channel]-hash,
-// e.g. v1.16.0.5-observer-beta-dev-a1b2c3d. A plain `pio run` never goes through
-// build.sh, so it keeps the header default (v1.16.0) with no build number, no
-// hash, and — deliberately — no OTA_MANIFEST_BASE, so such a node cannot update
-// itself. Worth saying out loud: the version alone does not make that obvious.
-function cliChannel(fw){
-  if(/-dev(-|$)/.test(fw))return"dev channel";        // OTA_CHANNEL_TAG=beta-dev
-  if(/-beta(-|$)/.test(fw))return"beta channel";
-  if(/^v?\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/.test(fw))return"local build — not from CI, OTA not configured";
-  return"release channel";
-}
 function cliBanner(){
-  // Full string, unabbreviated: the 4th component is the published build number
-  // and the trailing token is the commit, which is what identifies a build.
-  var ch=cliChannel(st.fw||"");
-  cliEcho("sys","MeshCore "+(st.fw||"unknown version")+(ch?"  ("+ch+")":""));
-  cliEcho("sys",(st.role||"")+" · "+(st.board||""));
+  cliEcho("sys","MeshCore "+shortVer());
+  cliEcho("sys",(st.role||"")+" · "+(st.board||"")+
+    (/^v?\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/.test(st.fw||"")?" · local build, OTA not configured":""));
   if(st.mode==="setup"){
     // The wizard refuses to finish without an admin password; nothing stops a
     // console-driven setup from rebooting on the factory one, so say so here