diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index a34fca3a9f..6dd6c2e739 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -20,10 +20,12 @@ import (
 	"knative.dev/func/pkg/config"
 	fn "knative.dev/func/pkg/functions"
 	"knative.dev/func/pkg/k8s"
+	"knative.dev/func/pkg/version"
 )
 
-// DefaultVersion when building source directly (bypassing the Makefile)
-const DefaultVersion = "v0.0.0+source"
+// DefaultVersion when building source directly (bypassing the Makefile).
+// Delegates to version.DefaultVers so the fallback is defined in one place.
+const DefaultVersion = version.DefaultVers
 
 // DefaultNamespace is the global static default namespace, and is equivalent
 // to the Kubernetes default namespace.
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 574bdd01e2..01a387d95b 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/AlecAivazis/survey/v2 v2.3.7
 	github.com/BurntSushi/toml v1.6.0
 	github.com/Masterminds/semver v1.5.0
+	github.com/Masterminds/semver/v3 v3.4.0
 	github.com/Microsoft/go-winio v0.6.2
 	github.com/Netflix/go-expect v0.0.0-20220104043353-73e0943537d2
 	github.com/alecthomas/jsonschema v0.0.0-20220216202328-9eeeec9d044b
@@ -90,7 +91,6 @@ require (
 	github.com/Azure/go-autorest/autorest/date v0.3.1 // indirect
 	github.com/Azure/go-autorest/logger v0.2.2 // indirect
 	github.com/Azure/go-autorest/tracing v0.6.1 // indirect
-	github.com/Masterminds/semver/v3 v3.4.0 // indirect
 	github.com/OneOfOne/xxhash v1.2.8 // indirect
 	github.com/ProtonMail/go-crypto v1.4.0 // indirect
 	github.com/agext/levenshtein v1.2.3 // indirect
diff --git a/pkg/app/app.go b/pkg/app/app.go
index eae55e63a8..9ea836d40f 100644
--- a/pkg/app/app.go
+++ b/pkg/app/app.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ func Main() {
 	cfg := cmd.RootCommandConfig{
 		Name: "func",
 		Version: cmd.Version{
-			Vers: version.Vers,
+			Vers: version.Get().Original(),
 			Kver: version.Kver,
 			Hash: version.Hash,
 		}}
diff --git a/pkg/mcp/mcp.go b/pkg/mcp/mcp.go
index b43715ee34..491997a084 100644
--- a/pkg/mcp/mcp.go
+++ b/pkg/mcp/mcp.go
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/modelcontextprotocol/go-sdk/mcp"
+	"knative.dev/func/pkg/version"
 )
 
 const (
-	name    = "func"
-	title   = "func"
-	version = "0.1.0"
+	name  = "func"
+	title = "func"
 )
 
 // NOTE: Invoking prompts in some interfaces (such as Claude Code) when all
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func New(options ...Option) *Server {
 		&mcp.Implementation{
 			Name:    name,
 			Title:   title,
-			Version: version},
+			Version: version.Get().String()},
 		&mcp.ServerOptions{
 			Instructions:       instructions(s.readonly),
 			HasPrompts:         true,
diff --git a/pkg/version/version.go b/pkg/version/version.go
index 114c9658bc..d4e4894965 100644
--- a/pkg/version/version.go
+++ b/pkg/version/version.go
@@ -1,3 +1,28 @@
 package version
 
+import "github.com/Masterminds/semver/v3"
+
 var Vers, Kver, Hash string
+
+// DefaultVers is the fallback version used when no build-time version was
+// injected (e.g. source builds that bypass the Makefile).
+const DefaultVers = "v0.0.0+source"
+
+// Get returns the parsed semver for this binary.  When no build-time version
+// was injected via ldflags, DefaultVers is used.  If the injected string is
+// unparseable, DefaultVers is used as a safe fallback.
+// String() returns a clean semver without the leading "v" (e.g. "0.0.0+source"),
+// suitable for machine-readable consumers such as the MCP server.
+// Original() round-trips the injected string verbatim, preserving the leading
+// "v" preferred by human-readable output.
+func Get() *semver.Version {
+	s := Vers
+	if s == "" {
+		s = DefaultVers
+	}
+	v, err := semver.NewVersion(s) // permissive: accepts leading 'v'
+	if err != nil {
+		v, _ = semver.NewVersion(DefaultVers)
+	}
+	return v
+}
diff --git a/pkg/version/version_test.go b/pkg/version/version_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..477ab211c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/version/version_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+package version_test
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"knative.dev/func/pkg/version"
+)
+
+// TestGet_Empty verifies that Get returns the DefaultVers fallback when no
+// build-time version has been injected (Vers == "").
+func TestGet_Empty(t *testing.T) {
+	orig := version.Vers
+	version.Vers = ""
+	defer func() { version.Vers = orig }()
+
+	v := version.Get()
+	if v == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected non-nil *semver.Version")
+	}
+	// String() must be clean semver without a leading 'v'
+	if got := v.String(); got != "0.0.0+source" {
+		t.Errorf("String() = %q; want %q", got, "0.0.0+source")
+	}
+	// Original() must round-trip the full default string including 'v'
+	if got := v.Original(); got != "v0.0.0+source" {
+		t.Errorf("Original() = %q; want %q", got, "v0.0.0+source")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestGet_InjectedVersion verifies that a build-time version is parsed and
+// exposed correctly.
+func TestGet_InjectedVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	orig := version.Vers
+	version.Vers = "v1.2.3"
+	defer func() { version.Vers = orig }()
+
+	v := version.Get()
+	if v == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected non-nil *semver.Version")
+	}
+	if got := v.String(); got != "1.2.3" {
+		t.Errorf("String() = %q; want %q", got, "1.2.3")
+	}
+	if got := v.Original(); got != "v1.2.3" {
+		t.Errorf("Original() = %q; want %q", got, "v1.2.3")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestGet_InvalidFallsBack verifies that an unparseable injected version does
+// not panic and falls back to DefaultVers.
+func TestGet_InvalidFallsBack(t *testing.T) {
+	orig := version.Vers
+	version.Vers = "not-a-semver!!!"
+	defer func() { version.Vers = orig }()
+
+	v := version.Get()
+	if v == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected non-nil *semver.Version even for invalid input")
+	}
+	if got := v.String(); got != "0.0.0+source" {
+		t.Errorf("String() = %q; want %q on invalid input", got, "0.0.0+source")
+	}
+}